I've got a new crack - and yes, I'm needing a little extra crack to push me through these days: "Use it" by The New Pornographers. I'd like to quote the whole song for you, but I'll stick to the title as my sole reference.
Oh, and "you had to send a wrecking crew after me - I can't walk right"
Sorry, had to get that in.
I saw The Decemberists play on Monday and The New Pornographers play on Tuesday, and as much as I enjoyed The Decemberists, I was absolutely floored by New Pornos. It wasn't so much the show itself. Decemberists were probably closer to the top of their game. New Pornos - for some strange reason (I blame the venue) - had the keyboards mixed too low, and there were times when they didn't hit their harmonies quite right.
But even with all that, my God, it's embarrassing to see what pop-sense these people have. It's just wave after wave of pure pop bliss. Carl Newman practically shits melodies. Neko Case looks stunning and has pipes to die for. And while I love Neko Case, I was probably even more moon-eyed for Kathryn Calder, the keyboardist. When the whole group was on, it was enough to blow you to the rafters.
And aside from the pure sense of melody, I also can't get enough of Newman's lyrics. Their meaning is always just out of reach. You scratch and claw and try to make sense, and just when you think you might have it, well.... You just keep pondering, and there's the fun of it.
But, I drool too much. Let's just say I enjoyed the show. I didn't take photos, but here are some photos of some of the people involved (Newman, Case, Calder), all courtesy of The New Pornos' website.
It's funny. I'm at an age where I feel I can enjoy pure melody without pretension. For some reason, I feel that - when I was younger - music needed to have some kind of hook to grab me: some hipness, some anger, some gimmick, some thing.
Now I'm so hip that I don't even have to prove that I'm hip. I'm way ahead of hip. I just show up at cutting edge concerts with my self-consciously plain clothes and there I am: hip.
Then again, some of my favorite albums growing up - and even now- are nothing but frothy pop: "Seven and the Ragged Tiger" by Duran Duran , "Breakfast in America" by Supertramp.
I melt for "Love Will Keep Us Together." I dance to "We Like to Party." And I belt out"Baby One More Time" at karaoke (yeah, you heard me right).
Even the "hip" stuff I listen to now is just an extension of that pop asthetic. Fountains of Wayne, The New Pornographers, The Shins, Ambulance LTD, Scissor Sisters, Apples in Stereo, etc etc etc.
What can I say? I'm a man who loves a great pop song.
Now, just to clear the air, here's a brief list of songs that I - without irony - am not afraid to admit that I love:
"Feelin' that Way/Anytime" by Journey
"(I'm Lookin' for) Cracks in the Pavement" by Duran Duran
"Oh Darling" by Supertramp
"Ma Nah Ma Nah" by the Muppets
"American Girl" by Tom Petty
"All-Star" and "When the Morning Comes" by Smashmouth
"Video Killed the Radio Star" by the Buggles
"Mexican Radio" by Wall of Voodoo
"Turning Japanese" by The Vapors
"Here Comes that Rainy Day Feelin' Again" by the Fortunes
"Sister Golden Hair" by America
"Mandy" by Barry Manilow
And so on.
If that makes me less hip, then so be it. It doesn't matter. I'm so hip that I'm beyond hip.
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