Let’s review the ground rules here. The Mystery Date song is not necessarily something I believe to be good. So feel free to rip it or praise it. Rather the song is something of interest due to the artist, influences, time period… Your job is to decipher as much as you can about the artist without research. Who do you think it is? Or, Who do you think it sounds like? When do you think it was recorded? Etc…
If you know who it is, don’t spoil it for the rest. Anyone who knows it can play the “mockcarr option.” (And I’ve got a hunch at least one of you know this one.) This option is for those of you who just can’t hold your tongue and must let everyone know just how in-the-know you are by calling it. So if you know who it is and want everyone else to know that you know, email Mr. Moderator at mrmoderator [at] rocktownhall [dot] com. If correct we will post how brilliant you are in the Comments section.
The real test of strength though is to guess as close as possible without knowing. Ready, steady, go!
[audio:https://www.rocktownhall.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/MysteryDate061711.mp3|titles=MysteryDate061711]
Wow. What the heck is this? This sounds comtemporary, to be sure, or 90s at the very earilest, but the bossa nova interludes put it entirely in a new dimension. I have no idea what genre produces stuff like this. Are there a whole bunch of band who do this kind of jarring thing, mixing quasi-modern-dance music with something else? whatever it is, I like it.
Let me see if I can work through this. It’s some women. It’s really annoying. Natalie Merchant, Alanis Morrisette and Paula Cole are really annoying,
Is it a super group featuring Natalie Merchant, Alanis Morrisette and Paula Cole?
That is a woman singing, but not any of the ones you noted.
I have no idea what this is, but it sounds like some weird mashup of loungecore and Renaldo & the Loaf.
I would love to offer up a guess on this but it is really hard to type when you are running from the room with your hands over your ears. Ok, gotta go….
Great description!
This sort of reminds me of Lene Lovich — I had a girlfriend who played her all the time — and the only song I could really stand was her “hit” Lucky Number.
I would extend my Lene love also to include “New Toy.” Snappy dresser, though. See what I mean: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7VgDSNxlGU
The extreme stereo separation sounds very 60s, and if the lyrics were in Portuguese (of if the English was accented) I’d guess Os Mutantes or some other tropicalistas. But I think it’s more likely to be someone more contemporary who is influenced by that style.
I have her first two albums (Flex and Stateless) and even if they are somewhat dated, I still find them enjoyable listens on occasion. She was definitely an artsy oddball, though.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zF-z7kxF1aM&feature=related
Yes! Stateless was drilled into my brain for a year or so by this girl.
It’s not her, but a fine characterization of what you’re hearing!
Knowing what I know I would think that too.
A rockin’ Coco Rosie? Although there does appear to be a latin inflection to the vocals.
Mr. Royale is thinking Kathleen Hanna singing for the newly re-formed Cibo Matto.
Mr. Royale’s on a worthwhile track, believe it or not.
A Nouvelle Vague loving Buddhist, apparently.
I don’t know who that is, but good lord, it sucks. Sounds like Pearl Harbor on a really bad day.
I’m loving the divide on this track! Keep it coming, and Mad props! to members of the Bad Attitude Club who are at least giving our Mystery Date a spin.
PS – Our Mystery Date will be revealed on tonight’s Saturday Night Shut-In.
Hmmm, my first thought was that Thurston Moore kidnapped Cibo Matto, locked them in a dungeon, fed them a steady diet of Einsturzende Neubauten and Esquivel.
This song is an outtake from those sessions.
Early No Doubt? Gwen Stephanie??? That’s who the singer’s voice sounds like to me.
Ah, I know this one. There is a song on this album that I quote at my kids at least once a week.
I figured cher would know this one! As revealed in tonight’s Saturday Night Shut-In it’s my favorite producer ever (NOT!), Mitchell Froom, from his Dopamine album. The singer is Sheryl Crow. Believe it or not, considering how much I usually dislike Froom’s work, I don’t mind this album. I play another tune on tonight’s show.
Froom produced Cibo Matto, according to the Royales, who eventually played the mockcarr option when they confirmed their initial thoughts on the matter. To Mr. Royale and cliff sovinsanity for following that path! Thanks for playing.
I totally get your Froom aversion, but his approach resulted in some good work with Los Lobos and I especially like the Latin Playboys side project, which included him as a bandmember as well. I can’t quite decide what I think about this one, but it has possibilities.
Yes, what I’ve heard of Latin Playboys isn’t bad, despite my usual aversion to “Latin” music.
Obviously if I had picked up on the Sheryl Crow connection I would’ve run from the room a hell of a lot faster. To say nothing of Froom, for whom (froom) I have little use.
Still, no one ever said we have to *like* the Mystery Date, right?