Songs That Might Otherwise Pass You By

Noun, "The Weekend" (downloadable from their Myspace)

This is not the first time I've admitted that I have no frikkin' idea what a song is about. It won't be the last time. So, it's no surprise that I'm admitting: I have no frikkin' idea what this song is about, other than it mentions "Mr. Jones" and "New England", which makes me wonder if it's an ode to the new Indiana Jones movie (hey--some of it did take place in Connecticut). When writing these posts, though, I try to write about my impressions of a song. I never pretend to be particularly insightful or musically aware in any professional capacity. (Really--that's what sets me apart. It's a thing--go with it.) So, my impression of this song was immediate, visceral and overwhelming. I immediately thought it was amazing and wanted to be onstage with the band--I wanted to be part of this song. I want to stage dive into the audience. I want to...(got lost in my own punk rock fantasy world...sorry). The singer's commanding, staccato voice reminds me of early Siouxsie--particularly the way she trills some of the words. The fevered and energized music reminds me of the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs (which in turn reminded me of Siouxsie...you see where it's going). I hear a little Ramones influence, too--particularly in the way the melody forcefully repeats, as if the singer's trying to imprint the song directly into your brain. Even if I don't understand what the lyrics are, I'm gripped by the singer's charismatic voice and the sheer compulsion of the music.

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Marissa seems happy to play.


Steve Smith, "That Town" (There's also a song on the album called "This Town", but that's a different song. So, this song "That Town" is different than that song "This Town". Hee hee. I have to get my laughs somehow.)

"That Town" features the polished electronic ambience found in the music of his band, Dirty Vegas, but there's also a rustic pop/folk overlay with the addition of Smith's melodic, unadorned vocals--kind of if Elbow and Dirty Vegas merged. Cool, huh? Yes, cool. The result is a folk song for early mornings outside the club, wiping off running mascara on your hands, looking for a cab, wondering how much money you spent vs. how much money you actually lost (that little purse you bring doesn't have much room). Your heel has broken, the sun's coming up, but you feel strangely fine.

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Myspace


Steve Smith does not look happy.

Throw Me The Statue, "Young Sensualists" (Live from Woxy)

This song starts off with a dirge-y electronic keyboard line--this would make the song too stripped down if it remained that way, but within a few seconds the other instruments kick in: a jangly tambourine (the only kind, I guess), a steady drum beat, a sneaky guitar threading in and out and varied keyboard melodies all come together with the singer's wan, weary voice to form a song as assured and complete as those by other, more well-known artists making pop music for self-aware people, such as The Long Winters and The Decemberists. I think that was all one sentence. I'm sorry. I've been sick, and the computer hasn't been working...blogging under duress isn't easy. Throw Me The Statue definitely has a place beside those great modern rock bands, and their inclusion in the roster of the spectacular Secretly Canadian label shows I'm not the only one who thinks so.

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I don't think that's the only instrument played in Throw Me The Statue