Got It Goin’ On.
I’ve never claimed to be hip & cool when it comes to listening to music. My choices for CDs and the like aren’t going to win me any kind of award for being original or awe-inspiring. I’ve even gotten in heated debates with friends outside of White Castle (waaay back in the day) about what I like to listen to.
Seriously. I got in a fight with my best friend because he was mad that I bought the Kylie Minogue CD. I liked that one song (Can’t Get You Outta My Head) and I never heard the end of it.
That being said, I’m going to see a band I’ve loved for almost 10 years for the first time tonight.
Friends, I’m talking about Fountains of Wayne.
Before you say, “Oh, those stupid ‘Stacy’s Mom’ guys? They suck!” let me put it out there that I’m not a huge fan of that song. These guys are soooo much better than their one major hit. They’ve just put out a new album a couple of months ago (their 5th, I believe) called Traffic & Weather and it’s great.
Now, while some people zero in on the music, I’ve always been a lyric guy. Maybe it’s my love o’ words or the fact that I love a good story…or heck, maybe it’s ‘cuz I’m one of them there writer types. Regardless, Fountains of Wayne are LYRICALLY SOUND.
Don’t believe me? Check out the lyrics to STRAPPED FOR CASH or one of my personal favorites TROUBLED TIMES.
Anyway, I’m pretty stoked. It’s funny how I stumbled on them. My little brother (who is 32!) was dating some crazy woman who worked for a record company’s publicity department. She used to get boxes and boxes of CDs and one of them was a promotional CD for Fountains of Wayne’s 2nd CD Utopia Parkway. My bro didn’t want them (he had like 5 copies), so I snagged one and put it in my pile of stuff to listen to.
It sat there for a year, pretty much ignored. God knows how long later, I slapped it into the CD player and gave it a listen. I was just about ready to eject the disc after a song or two when I could feel their hooks and lyrics starting to pull me in. The songs were catchy, the subject matter was interesting and each song told a different story somehow related to the others. Before I knew it, I had the CD in my car on constant rotation.
The rest, my friends is history.
So, First Avenue…tonight. 8pm! It’s on…
I know how you feel about the lyrics. Some of my favorite bands are those that tell stories. Barenaked Ladies, Wheatus, and (just because it’s raunchy doesn’t mean it’s not a story) The Bloodhound Gang. Other good lyricists are Metallica and Nickelback. Their songs, for the most part, are well known for the music, not the lyrics. Anyway, I’ll have to check out a song or two when I get some time. I’ll try your suggestions first.
Checked out Short on Cash. It’s alright. I think a couple mroe listens would sway me. Troubled Times just didn’t catch my ear. They have a really quirky sound to them. Weird I’m not jumping for them since BNL & Wheatus are just as quirky.
Well, like I said, I had to listen to their album for a little bit before I realized their genius.
‘Troubled Times’ is a little bit more mellow and it reminded me of crap I was going through with my crazy ex-girlfriend. I think it just shows their range, which is insane! They do some country-sounding songs (and I hate most country music) and they’ve got some songs that just rock.
They played ‘Strapped for Cash’ last night at the show and it literally brought down the house. I’m telling you, you can’t go wrong with any of their albums. I guess I wouldn’t recommend ‘Out of State Plates’ as your first FOW album, since it’s all b-sides and covers.
Other songs to check out: Red Dragon Tattoo, Hey Julie, Bright Future In Sales, Someone to Love.
And hey…you can just send me an e-mail whenever you want. No reason to have full-blown conversations in the comments section. Ya hear?
thomaskingsleytroupe@gmail.com
Word.
I’ll check those out over the weekend and drop you an e-mail with my thoughts. In the meantime, check out Dynamite Satchel of Pain, Whole Amoeba, and Randal by Wheatus.