Outroversion’s Ipod Shuffle XVI
Nada Surf- Sleep
This is from the New Yorkers’ debut album, which happens to also be the one that had Popular on it which spearheaded their early moderate successes. My favorite Nada Surf album is Lucky which is so far removed from the broody punk which everyone else knows them for. Their later lyrics are still just as profound and introverted just not as petulant.
The Enemy- Had Enough
I’ve stuck by The Enemy for a lot longer than anyone can really be expected to, I’ll be the first to admit their is something lacking in substance from these midlanders. I saw them support Oasis back in the day at the Ricoh Arena which you may know was the former home of Coventry City club and was quite the homecoming for a band that, at the time were riding the crest of some sort of wave.
Their success was modest but respectable, their debut album was an ode to being unable to get away from where you grew up and that’s something that resonates with a lot of people. It took me 4 cities and 2 continents before I finally got away. It’s also about moving on from who you were, putting on a suit and not looking like you’re wearing one of your dads.
Seeing the way Tom Clarke’s lyrics have matured over the years while staying true to his roots is a pleasure to witness. So many bands from that time have fizzled out, unable to move away from the success of one indie dancefloor filler. The Enemy have released three albums and all made it into the UK Top 10 as banal as it’s continued existence is, it’s been a couple of years since their last and I’m pretty sure a fourth must be on it’s way but catch up with them in the mean time.
Death Cab for Cutie- Line of Best Fit
I can’t say enough about the quality of Death Cab’s early work. I rate everything up to (but not including) the Open Door EP so highly but there is something about everything pre-transatlanticism that is just magical, the best DCFC gigs i’ve been to are where they’ve played half a dozen or more songs from their first few albums and they’ve always been the highlights.
TLOBF closed Something About Airplanes, Chris Walla‘s production has always been analog based and the feedback, reverb, looping, pulsing is a rare occasion when he was given free reign on the process. It’s tone and listing pace is fitting to its subject, something Ben Gibbard has always been a master of.
Toguna- Live it up
If you’re ever in the mood for that sort of indie reggae sound that was going around in the middle part of last decade with bands like Mattafix and in the latter stages with Reunion Islanders then you’ll enjoy this.
I rarely am in the mood for this however, I been known to listen to Big City Life once every few years and I put this on my SXSW Playlist two years ago. I can’t have been high but I’m not totally sure what I was thinking.
Everything Everything- Cough Cough
If you were to ask me why I like this band the reasons I’d give are insane. I like that I can’t understand the lyrics, I like the chaotic music, I like he doesn’t have much control over his voice. When Jonathon Higgs is singing it’s like someone else’s voice is escaping from his face, his mouth contorting as these ridiculous sounds and words come out of it. Love it.
The Beatles- My Bonnie
This is from the first anthology. It begins with Paul McCartney talking about it’s amazing place in history, in that The Beatles’ first commercially released record was released in 1961 with Tony Sheridan on vocals. It was released in Germany as well as here but was only successful in Deutchland.
John Lennon is more dismissive of it’s legacy, “It’s just Tony Sheridan singing, with us banging in the background. It’s terrible. It could be anybody.“
U.S. Girls- Island Song
This starts off like a Björk album only track, high pitch non-descript instrumentation and what sounds like a steam-punk space craft descending, the vocals are sleepy and strained and I’ll delete this track after it’s played through as it’s nothing to write about or listen to. The only reason U.S. Girls are anywhere near my ipod is that they were tipped as a band to watch by another blog but it was a blog that specialises in sleep inducing hogwash like this
Pete & The Pirates- Song For Today
The penultimate song from the excellent Little Death which spawned so much teen comedy background music, this is one of the slower numbers from their now retired moniker though it does get crashy in the middle. The three most crucial members of the band are now playing under the name Teleman.
Nada Surf- Weightless
Weird this is the second time a band has opened and close a shuffle lately. This is from the aforementioned more optimistic Lucky. The album as a whole was critically well received across the board, some of the scores it from reviewers unbelievable but if you’ve listened to it you’ll know it was fully deserving of the praise it got. Unfortunately as with a lot of bands from this cross-section of music not enough people heard it. When I did, at the time I needed this record and it’s a shame more people didn’t take the opportunity. But hey, this is the internet- check it out it’s life affirming.
The Ratpack- Oldest Established Permanent Floating Crap Game In New York
I love guys and dolls, Frank Sinatra and Marlon Brando at the peak of their powers. Charming as Nicely Nicely Johnson and Rusty are in the movie it would’ve been something else entirely with Dean and Sammy in their place. Imagine that. Here you can hear Dean singing one of the showtunes with Frank
