MSCL.com

This seems a little off topic now....I wanted to tell all the old NKOTB fans that I happened to catch their video for "Hangin' Tough" the other day. First, I would like to say thank God for the VH1 Classic channel and their request show. Now, I would like to respond to what I saw on the screen. I must admit that my memory was a little fuzzy when you all wrote about the vid. Finger pointing, the home boy shirt, and Donnie's faded ripped jeans were all a faded memory for me. Wow. I think the best part of the vid is when the actual words "Hangin' Tough" are displayed across the screen. I also enjoyed looking at all the ridiculous fans. (Yes, I was one, too.) My boyfriend said to me," This makes Backstreet Boys and *Sync look good." I would have to agree. I don't mean to disrespect the boys, but I am not sure if my 20-year-old heart would respond the same way as my 6-year-old one did.

Anybody out there listening to The Sounds? I had never heard of them until I heard their song "Bombs, Bombs Away" on the soundtrack to Big Girls Don't Cry a couple months ago. I went to the music store but they were sold out; the sales girl acted like I was really out of it for not knowing this group. "They're the new Blonde" she said. So, are they any good? What does the rest of their music sound like compared to "teenage battlefield..."?

Couple nights ago, I was driving and this song came on and I instantly thought of CG when these lyrics came on.

She’s seen all the classics
she knows every line
Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink
even Saint Elmo’s Fire
she rocked out to wham
not a big Limp Biscuit fan
thought she’d get a hand
on a member of Duran Duran

Where’s the mini-skirt made of snake skin
and who’s the other guy singing in Van Halen
when did reality become T.V.
what ever happen to sitcoms, game shows
(on the radio there was)

Springstein, Madonna
way before Nirvana
there was U2 and Blondie
and music still on MTV
her two kids in high school
they tell her that she’s uncool
but she still preoccupied
with 19, 19, 1985

It's called "1985" by Bowling for soup. It's not much of a song musically, but the lyrics are fun.

That does sound a bit like CandyGirl. I certainly don't think she's stuck in 1985, but she does have the heads up on pop culture!

Hee, I was cracking up over the lyrics and then again because the song reminded you of me! I like to think of it as having a good memory rather than being obsessed.

It was the lines

She’s seen all the classics
she knows every line
Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink
even Saint Elmo’s Fire

that triggered it. And then the rest of the nastalgic references go for many of us around here.

You can check out the full lyrics here if you like.
http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/ ... CA000A86A3
You can listen to it here:
http://www.bowlingforsoup.com/news.html

Wow, when MTV still had music; that was a long time ago!



Back on topic, I picked up a couple of newish soundtracks: Finding Nemo and Globe Trekker: Original Journeys. I'm waiting for GT: Ambient Journeys to get in from back-order.

30 seconds to mars been listenin to the same cd for 2 years and it gets better everytime. they rule. they are the best band of all time. but not many people know about them

Just listened to the new Joss Stone album "Mind, Body and Soul" - her first album had some pretty strong songs but this new album isn't up to par IMHO. There's only one song I liked from the beginning: "Less is More" - Jazz meets Reggae. The other songs probably need some more listening for getting aquainted. But she still has an amazing voice for a teenager.

Less mainstream: I stumbled over an album by Stina Nordenstam (Claire Danes fans may know her from her song "Little Star" which was used on the "Romeo and Juliet" soundtrack). She has an almost disturbing weird voice and her lyrics are even more weird... "Lori Glory" from her album "This Is..." is fun though -- one of these songs you can't get out of your head.

And I've been listening to "The Hives". "Two-timing touch and broken bones" from "Tyrannosaurus Hives" *really* rocks.

Other than that, after buying the soundtrack for "Gilmore Girls" (one of the best tv soundtracks I've ever heard), I recently re-discovered the british band "Black Box Recorder". Beautiful independent pop-rock. Sarah Nixey's voice is so seductive that you can't stop listening once you started. Be it "I Ran All the Way Home" or their interpretation of "Seasons in the Sun" or even the classic "Child Psychology" - I can't choose a favorite.

I've been getting into The Allman Brothers Band (Live at Fillmore East), Kate Bush (The Red Shoes), and The Cranberries (Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We?). Of course, "Dreams" from MSCL is on the latter CD. I'll probably be picking up more CDs by all three artists soon.

Globe Trekker: Ambient Journeys arrived the other day. It's even better than Original Journeys; I may have to get the entire collection.

The only new thing I have been listening to lately is The Thermals' album F**kin' A. Pretty good stuff. And I am waiting patiently for the new Interpol album to hit at the end of this month.

What I'm spinning these days:

Jeff Buckley (always)
Nellie McKay (unique new songwriter; great live show)
Wilco (disappointed by their last album, but still love 'em)
Neal Morse (brilliant songwriter)
Simian (a trip-hop Beatles with great vocal harmonies)
The Gathering (they just keep getting better and better)
Pineapple Thief (one of my favorite bands and honored to have co-written one of their songs)

Not to mention a million MP3s.

dTheater wrote:What I'm spinning these days:

Jeff Buckley (always)
Nellie McKay (unique new songwriter; great live show)
Wilco (disappointed by their last album, but still love 'em)
Neal Morse (brilliant songwriter)
Simian (a trip-hop Beatles with great vocal harmonies)
The Gathering (they just keep getting better and better)
Pineapple Thief (one of my favorite bands and honored to have co-written one of their songs)

Not to mention a million MP3s.

what's Wilco like? I've heard people mention them, but never actually heard them.

emmie wrote:what's Wilco like? I've heard people mention them, but never actually heard them.

Wilco is hard to pinpoint because they keep changing. From the sound they started out with to what they are now is completely different. The only constant is the great songwriting.

They started out as very rootsy rock, ultra country-influenced, with dashes of punk, folk, etc. They're 2nd album kept those influences, but added more pop elements and was more experimental.

Their 3rd album Summerteeth -- one of my top 5 albums ever -- dropped almost all country and roots influences in favor of classic pop ala Beach Boys and Beatles. Lots of lush arrangements; tons of piano/synths; vocal harmonies; great melodies.

Their next 2 albums -- and I hasten to use this comparison but everyone else seems to do it -- are more like OK Computer-era Radiohead. Very experimental, but both exteremly different and impossible to categorize. I was let down by their last album A Ghost is Born probably partly because my expectations were too high, but their previous release Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is pretty groundbreaking.