The musical circus that is. A place where vocal acrobats take hold of the microphone and everyone seems to be acting like a clown. Justin Timberlake is sounding more like Michael Jackson by the day (not necessarily a bad thing!) and The Killers have somehow turned their Las Vegas glam-rock into slightly harder glam arena-rock with lyrics about small-town life (not something I’m complaining about.) Even if you’re enjoying the recent carnivalesque musical landscape, it’s nice to know there are a few bands you can always count on to be weird.
The Lemonheads: These guys have been around for a long time, and the latest incarnation just dropped a self-titled album in September. Evan Dando writes pop-punk that is probably most reminiscent of the Smoking Popes; pretty, witty, and charming. This new incarnation is as good as the first. Dando delivers his lyrics with the sound of vocal boredom (perfected by NPR news anchors) and throws in a psychedelic riff or two. “The Lemonheads” sounds like the kind of album you’d listen to at a party in Munchkinland where everyone is pogoing and singing along in a high voice.
The Munchkin Party Anthem: “December”.
The Hold Steady: I’ve mentioned this band before, but they’re worth mentioning again. Craig Finn delivers his mostly spoken-word vocals with a certain anger and cynicism that pays homage to Jello Biafra, and although the lyrics are not as politically clever as the Dead Kennedys’ they are clever in their own way. The Hold Steady include minute details in their songs; old friend’s names, code-like references to personal incidents, things that I could never hope to fully understand. The truth in these songs; feelings of teenage angst, boredom, anger, and confusion, resonate loudly despite and perhaps because of these individualized tales of youth. The point of the album seems to be that despite the differences and the details, everyone feels these emotions when they’re growing up.
Best Teen Anthem: “The Swish”
The Go! Team: Combine spastic cheerleaders, cartoon theme songs, and the Supremes and you get The Go! Team. This band seems to be trying to convey the message of sunny, happy people chanting over backbeats everywhere. Basically, The Go! Team is the only band I’ve heard who can pull off such a quirky genre combination and not sound ridiculous. Not that ridiculous is necessarily bad, it’s just that these guys retain their street-cred while they’re screaming like cheerleaders. Now that’s talent.
Best Hip-Hop Cheerleader Anthem: “Ladyflash”
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