ladymisskirroyale

Could’a Been a Contenda

Aug 072011

Recently, cdm asked,

I still don’t understand WHY Glad Girls by Guided By Voices was not a massive hit.

I think there were multiple nods of cyber agreement in response to this inquiry, and it begs the question, What are other songs that should have been, could have been SMASH HITS?

We at RTH are quite in the know and don’t need to convince ourselves (often) of our highly refined musical taste. But there are times when we just want to ask why a song didn’t fare better with the buying public.

What songs should have been contenders? I would like to nominate Velvet Crush’s “Hold Me Up,” a lovely little 3:00 minute power pop gem. And you?

Sunday Papers

Posted by ladymisskirroyale

Jul 112011

With this Sunday’s demise of the British tabloid The News of the World, it got me to thinking about Joe Jackson‘s “ode” to that form of journalism, “Sunday Papers.”

This tune is from Jackson’s Look Sharp, one of my favorite albums and a strong contender from 1979. But thinking about my time here at The Hall, I can’t think of many, if any, mentions of Joe Jackson or his music. I mean, this is a guy who initially appeared to be part of that holy trinity of English angry young singer-songwriters (alongside Elvis Costello and Graham Parker) and whose choice of footwear influenced a subset of the hip and happening. He writes some pretty clever lyrics, plays keyboards and a mean harmonica, was an early adopter of the music video form, and has worked with Francis Ford Coppola.

I’m trying to ascertain RTH’s disinclination to embrace The Man. Could it be his hairline? That he has worn an earring? That he plays the piano rather than a guitar. That he has embraced multiple musical styles that don’t always sync with the tastes of the time? That he cooperated on a cover of a Pulp song with William Shatner?

That string of albums, including Look Sharp, I’m the Man, Beat Crazy, and Night and Day, are some of my favorites. Why aren’t they yours?

Bigmouth Strikes Again: Andy Gill’s Remembrance of The Queen Is Dead

Posted by ladymisskirroyale

Jul 012011

In the June 3 edition of The Independent, an article penned by Andy Gill and entitled “Days of Whine and Roses” opens, “Over the next fortnight, fortysomethings of a certain persuasion will be heard sighing into their lattes, lost in fond reminiscence of the sweet pain of adolescence. Because 25 years ago this month saw the release of The Queen is Dead…”

Gill, another sigh-inducing musician of us latte drinkers, goes on to state, “And if you were a teenager in 1986, no other record reflected the febrile mixture of loneliness, contempt, self-pity, petulance, sexual confusion, juvenile intellectual superiority and general emotional turmoil that characterises most adolescents’ experience of life.”

Further discussion of Morrisey‘s “sardonic stage laughter,” the “self-assured” rhythm section, and Marr‘s “array of African-tinged arpeggios, biting riffs and subtly wielded feedback” is included for the reader’s enjoyment. Finally, the article ends with several British music press heavyweights’ choices of their favorite song from the album.

Isn’t it time that we, the cogniscenti of RTH also review this important album? If REM’s I.R.S output and a critical upgrade of Husker Du elicited recent posts, shouldn’t we weigh in? Of particular importance is the concept of “cleverness,” recently eschewed by Mr. Moderator.

Mystery Date: A ’90s Artist

Posted by ladymisskirroyale

Jun 022011

All this talk about ’90s bands got me digging into some of the deeper cuts from that era. Here are two songs from an artist who I would classify as being most active in the ’90s. She is performing with two guitarists who were in groups that gained prominence in the ’80s.

[audio:https://www.rocktownhall.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Mystery-Date-060211a.mp3|titles=Mystery Date 060211a] [audio:https://www.rocktownhall.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Mystery-Date-060211b.mp3|titles=Mystery Date 060211b]

Now, I’m not very good at remembering the complete roster of names from a band’s history—I may recall the names of separate memebers but rarely more than one or two members. So today’s Mystery Date reflects a nexus of musical discovery for me: I knew the names of the vocalists of these two ’80s bands, but not the names of the other musicians. I had been listening to one of the guitarists’ ’80s band a few days before, and when I randomly picked this Mystery Date’s disc to listen to I made the sonic connection. The guitarist’s name hadn’t really meant anything to me but it was the distinctive sound that he creates that drew me to check the names on these two separate records and realize that it was the same person. He was the sonic bullseye! Working backwards, I realized that I was also familiar with the production sound of track number two and worked out the connection between our Mystery Date and the second ’80s band.

Who is our ’90s artist? Who are the two guitarists?

So Chic!

Posted by ladymisskirroyale

May 092011

Just how many songs have utilized or sampled the bass/guitar riff from Chic‘s “Good Times?”

Yesterday, when I watched the videos included in machinery‘s post, Everything Is a Remix, I was reminded that in addition to the Sugar Hill Gang, Queen prominently used it in “Another One Bites the Dust.” And then—synchronicity!—while looking up some videos by The Damned’s Captain Sensible, I was reacquainted with his “Wot,” another song to trot out that bass line. My beloved Orange Juice also used the riff in “Rip It Up.”

So, how many songs can you add to the list?

John Maus: Radical Savant?

Posted by ladymisskirroyale

Apr 242011

In its continuing quest to be hip, NPR posted this interview with John Maus and entitled it, “The Thrilling, Manic and Utterly Addictive John Maus.”

Mr. Maus makes multiple statements that invite discussion. These are just a few:

Music of the 1990s was “a goofy mistake.”
Utopia is “us playing our tapes for each other.”
“The most radical thing we can do (in making music is to) make it as poppy as possible.”

I’m a fan of electronica and experimental music, but this interview made me want to pull up a rocking chair and join the ranks of E. Pluribus Gergely’s Curmudgeon Club. While some bands of the 1980s, namely Scritti Politti, have also made the argument that pop music can be a form of revolution, Mr. Maus’s babble came across to me as annoying and ridiculous.

I hope you will join me in further discussion of this interview, NPR’s title, and Mr. Maus’s conclusions.

Did’ja or Dinnae Like It?

Posted by ladymisskirroyale

Apr 222011

It takes a positive touch!

I was recently introduced to a band that featured the use of the bagpipes in the lead guitar role. The person who played me multiple tracks from this record, although dear to me, neglected to let me know that the band also showcased the didgeridoo.

This band struck me as WRONG on so many levels. For the sake of research for The Hall, I looked for this band on YouTube and unfortunately found several videos. They showcased a kilt-wearing, tush-shaking player of bagpipes. The didgeridoo player (who also wore a kilt) doubled as the keyboardist. There were black puffy sneakers and an obliquely designed band logo. There was a rendition of “Amazing Grace.” Lord help me if any of the videos depicted a World Music Iwo Jima.

I’m a bit concerned that I’m becoming overly closed-minded in my advancing age. Bagpipes: they can sound festive, they can sound plaintive, they can sound weird. But in general, when part of guitar/bass/drums combo, they sound (to me) very, very out of place.

This band got me to thinking: Are there rock songs when a bagpipe or didgeridoo is used to positive effect?

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