I heard a Pixies song in a Visa commercial the other day, a rather obsure one too, Isla De Encanta. It was on a station out of Dubai, not sure if it is in rotation in the US. That lead to a conversation with another student about how great songs and bands are being co-opted by advertisements. My examples were Cadillac using Led Zepplin, Jaguar using “London Calling” by the Clash, and even Chuck D was introducing Baseball Tonight on ESPN for a while. He agreed with me and said that what they were doing to Journey songs was terrible… After a classic condescending Isaac look he felt compelled to add, “What? Dude, Journey rocks!” Comparing two of the more “important” rock bands and one of the most influential voices of the crack ravaged late 80’s early 90’s inner city experience to an ad hoc, made for selling albums group didn’t seem like a good comparison to me.
I’m really happy with my latest download. This group is right up there with The Cowboy Junkies as far as having an obnoxious name that has nothing to do with the music. The New Pornographers are a power pop, post punk type of group. Imagine a combo of Cheap Trick, ELO, The Waitresses, Squeeze, and the Replacements with a definite post-grunge feel and you’ll get close. I’ve only downloaded one album, “Mass Romantic” and it’s going to cause me to download a couple more of their albums. In particular, I like “Mass Romantic,” “Fake Headlines,” The Slow Descent into Alcoholism,” and “Jackie.” “Slow Descent…” really reminds me of the Waitresses, I would have loved to hear the late Tracy Donhue singing that. Or even Michelle Ledoux, a student I knew at IC. She was in a (very) short lived band up there and had some real talent in the same vein as Ms. Donahue. It would have been fun to hear her sing this song, or even “Unchained” by Van Halen… No really! With Terry Jin on lead guitar it would have been great! I believe her main claim to fame was playing the hooded, kidnapped wife in the back of the car in the movie “Fargo.” OK, enough reminiscing about college… “Visualize success/ but don’t believe your eyes/ what good is a vision of the world/without the will to despise it?” That’s a quick snippet from “Jackie” and I’m not sure if it’s inspired, depressing, or both. In any case, the album is filled with superbly crafted pop goodies and is always “smart.” Check out the New Pornographers if you like poppy rock, they’re a lot of fun.
Isaac
music