Melody Freak’s Summer YouTube Jukebox

Now that I’ve been liberated from my yearly university entrance exam project (I never seem to get rid of entrance exams!) I’m able to write more often here. Even though I’m still not quite sure if this blog really is particularly useful, I will most certainly continue blabbing about my extremely subjective opinions/experiences. There are so many awesome music things yet to be told (and like a certain Mr. DeYoung once said, I can hardly wait..).

This time I’ll put here something a bit different. In order to brainwash people more effectively, I’ve been collecting videos from YouTube. Then I’ve linked them to my Facebook site so that my friends might notice them. I’ve had different hidden agendas but the most important has always been giving people music tips, spreading the word: “Why not listen to this? You may like it…” This is what I’m also going to do with you, blog reader!

So, if you’re bored or don’t have anything to do, consider watching some of my music video picks. You probably already know most of them but there is a chance you might find a nice new song to enjoy. I’d say all these songs have something to do with power pop (or jangle pop.. or at least pop). And they’re all from the 90s and 2000s.

Watching a nice video every now and then is a joy. Also, if you happen to have forgotten to take good music with you when you’re not home, you can check if there’s anything familiar on YouTube that would make you feel more comfortable - unless they have removed your favourite video due to some copyright problem. The thing with “The video you requested is not available in your country” - I don’t get it. What’s the point of music videos if music fans are not allowed to watch them?

The Videos
The Apples in Stereo: Energy
Tal Bachman: She’s So High
Brendan Benson: Metarie
Brendan Benson: Tiny Spark
Candy Butchers: You Belong to Me Now
The Churchills: Sometimes Your Best Isn’t Good Enough
Delays: Nearer Than Heaven
Gigolo Aunts: Mrs. Washington
Gigolo Aunts: Where I Find My Heaven
Hellogoodbye: Baby, It’s Fact
Locksley: Don’t Make Me Wait
Roger Joseph Manning Jr: Too Late For Us Now
The Mockers: The Emperor Strikes out Again
Lisa Mychols: Gonna Get That Boy
Nada Surf: Always Love
The New Pornographers: Sing Me Spanish Techno
Of Montreal: Requiem for O.M.M. 2
OK Go: You’re so Damn Hot
Rinaldi Sings: Come Fly With Me
Rooney: Popstars
The Rosenbergs: After All
Silver Sun: Last Day
Supergrass: Mansize Rooster
Toad the Wet Sprocket: Good Intentions

Mola, guay, OK!

The Mockers really are big in Spain. The Spanish version of their latest album even comes with a booklet containing the album lyrics translated into Spanish! We’re talking about an album called The Lonesome Death of Electric Campfire (2005).

What a great album it is! Seth Gordon and Tony Leventhal’s songs are excellent, again. As a result, the album is full of catchy songs. Something New features absolutely beautiful melodies and some amazing piano playing and jangly guitar sounds. Doin’ Time has very Fountains of Wayne-like lyrics, and the Emperor Strikes out is rock’n’roll fun with anti-Bush lyrics (also, check out the hilarious music video!). Mola, guay, OK (another amazing track) is a treat for Spanish fans due to its entertaining lyrics, partly written in Spanish.

The lyrics are definitely a distinctive feature to the Mockers. ”We're not laughing with you, we're laughing at you" it says on their MySpace, and although this probably is true, Gordon and Leventhal’s lyrics are never too arrogant. They always include the essential self-doubt part in their songs: “What makes me think I’m not the same?” Also, what is great about The Mockers, is the exceptionally easy-going feel of their music. There really isn’t much of that angst that you’ll find nearly everywhere in power pop.

The album sounds very good, thanks to the production work of powerpop hero (and The Mockers band member) Robbie Rist. Also, the arrangements are superb. Seriously, who could ever resist the cheerful horns and upbeat rhythms of Straight in the Eye, or the very beatlesque feel of Willoughby Station (again spiced up with those great horns)?

I certainly have to mention that before I listened to this album, I totally fell in love the previous one, Living in the Holland Tunnel (2001). That album has lots of real killer tunes, such as Coronation, Sunflowers, Funk #50, Comes As No Surprise, and, of course, the greatest-of-all Sheepwalking (those jangle guitars!!). That album is simply excellent. The Mockers certainly don’t include fillers on their albums.

It’s actually quite hard to decide, which one of these two albums is better. In fact, I still haven’t listened to The Mockers’ first album (Between Mocksville and Harmony, 1995). Another task to be finished..

That’s it. I’ll go back watching The Rosenbergs on YouTube (my recent favourite hobby)…

The Mockers at MySpace