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

“Baby let’s fall in love – it’s the best part in breaking up!”

I can’t help wondering how it is possible for Steve Ward, Ross Sackler and Michael Giblin to make me feel this good. Most of their Cherry Twister music strikes me like... well, no other music.

This music is impossible! Don’t Forget Your Man - it’s so bouncy that I feel dizzy. Sparkle – that twisting beat, that melody, that harmony… Meteorite – that melody, that harmony, that wah-wah guitar… Charlotte B. – it’s magical (how can this music be real?). Then comes I’m Gonna Be the Lonely Boy Tonight and I end up jumping joyfully all around my room. And this is actually a sad song? Whatta..?

Then it’s Leila – what a pretty tune! But there are even better things to come. She’s Gone is one of the prettiest and saddest songs I’ve ever heard. I remember crying along with this song over and over again about a year and a half ago. Still, Maryann might be better than anything we’ve heard so far on this album… It’s insanely sweet and powerpoppy. I’ve listened to that song like 100 times and I never get tired of it. Then there are also Black Summer, Brighten up and Kinda Like a Star, all of which are great songs.

But then comes the small problem. After 12 tracks the album still continues – with four more songs! Personally, I think 16 tracks is too much, but which tracks should be removed, then? I’ve had some doubts about She's in Love Again, but some people really like it, so it wouldn’t be nice to remove it. On the other hand, American Nightlife isn’t a real song, so it might be a good choice. But if it was removed, there would still be too many songs. I wouldn’t remove any of tracks 1-5 or 7-12, and Til I'm Blue, Careful (Can't Fall Again) and Why Won't You Believe in Me? are also really pretty songs, so I wouldn’t want to give up on them either.

So, there really isn’t any kind of a problem about this album. None of the songs on this album is bad (or even too mediocre), so why complain?

Cherry Twister is the ultimate anti-depression medicine. I really believe this stuff has affected me more than I even realize. It’s absolutely sweet, happy and sentimental. Could music get any better? Well, I guess it could, but I’m not so sure if it would make me this happy.

Also, thanks to my recent listening of David Fagin of The Rosenbergs, Steve Ward now totally sounds like him, and vice versa. It’s kind of a nice little confusion, although this isn’t anything compared to the mix-up of Andy Sturmer of Jellyfish, Steve Bertrand of The Tories, Jon Rubin of The Rubinoos, Doug Powell and Mark Bacino, all of whom sound like each other quite a lot…

A separate analysis on Steve Ward’s solo work will be presented in the near future. That stuff is pretty awesome, too.

At Home with Cherry Twister (1999) - sound samples at amazon.com

Sucking on a Plum

The Rosenbergs make me so happy. I bought their Mission: You (2001) album and was hooked.

Again, there isn’t anything particularly new about this pop. The Rosenbergs basically sound like The Posies with Steve Ward (with a hint of Michael Stipe) singing. Somehow, I still have constantly found myself listening to these simple, bouncy pop songs. It’s the wonderful, fresh, hook-filled, and distinctive melodies of lead singer and songwriter David Fagin that draw my attention.

My favourites on the album include Sucking on a Plum, Little Lie, In Pursuit, Fast Asleep, and After All, all of which feature a killer arrangement and melody. Little Lie and In Pursuit especially keep forcing me to play them all over again.

This album is far from perfect, though. There are a couple of songs that are quite average, which makes me a bit disappointed. However, I don’t let it bother me too much. I focus on the best songs instead. Mission: You contains many great songs. I’m quite sure I’ll pick up other stuff from these guys, too.

The Rosenbergs at MySpace
The Rosenbergs’ official website