MORE Back-Of-The-Sofa Tunes...
Do you remember a while ago I pulled together a collection of songs which were perhaps a little too...something...for a full ChartBlog review, but which were definitely lovely in their own way nevertheless?
(it was here, if you've forgotten)
Well, since then, a backlog of similarly wayward and unique musical moments has built up. All worthy of attention, but possibly the kind of songs which may disappear easily if we're not all very careful. Ready for round two? Here goes...
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First and foremost. THIS is how you make a video, peoples...
It's by Feist, it's called '1 2 3 4', and to these pop-weary eyes, it's up there with that advert where they make a car out of cake.
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Aly & AJ - 'Potential Breakup Song'
ChartBlog's very own Hazel R and Steve P are both very excited by this song.
Steve P says: "I don't know an awful lot about them. They're sisters, and they've done a lot of songs for Disney soundtracks and possibly some Christian rock, I think, and now they've done this."
Which might sound a bit damning, until you realise he's been listening to nothing else, on repeat, for days on end, and has no time for proper research. He's lost in the MOMENT OF DISCOVERY...that's the ChartBlog way.
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Art Brut - 'Direct Hit'
There's a little bit of history here that I should explain. When Top of the Pops was closing its doors for the last time, Art Brut set up a cheeky web petition to try and get themselves onto the final show.
This wasn't just idle self-bigging on their part, the band and their fans were already chanting "Art Brut, TOP OF THE POPS!" at the top of their voices at gigs. A ritual which some people thought was ironic self-mockery, but actually pinpointed the band as one of the rarest type of performers - genuine enthusiasts.
Now, the TOTP web team (or Team Pops, as we were known to each other) are all massive Art Brut fans. So much so that we even wrote to Art Brut's manager, asking him to tell the band how much their first album 'Bang Bang Rock & Roll' meant to us all. That's the first and only time such a thing happened in the entire histore of the TOTP website. And he wrote back to say thank you and everything.
Trouble was, the petition never did manage to get the band onto the show...or the website, come to that.
SO, partly to make amends and partly because Art Brut TOTALLY deserve the attention, can I ask you all to have a quick look at this? And then rush out to buy everything they've ever recorded ever? No?
Come on, they're all pretending to be Romans, you can't argue with that!
NOTE: There's a line in the song about smoking cigarettes. Clearly this was written before the recent change in legislation which bans people from smoking in nightclubs. I imagine a suitable replacement will be forthcoming. Maybe they'll bleep it or something.
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The Knife - 'Heartbeats'
Jose Gonzalez had the hit version, but it's the Knife's song, and they released a live version recently, which is very nice indeed.
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Cold War Kids - 'Hang Me Up To Dry'
You've got to love a band who can make their songs lurch and swagger like a Girl Aloud on a big night out on a bouncy castle version of Paparazzi Avenue.
And anyone familiar with the ChartBlog theory of musical sorbets will appreciate that you need to have songs which sound rough and scratchy to cleanse your palate in good time for the next super-glossy pop production, otherwise you'll start to feel queasy. Consider this a between-courses appetizer...
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Ali Love - 'Secret Sunday Lover'
Between this and that song...Calvin Harris has suddenly got A LOT of competition...
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Anyone got anything down the back of their sofa they wanna talk about?
Mouldy old jelly babies do NOT count, sadly...
Previous Rummages:
Back Of The Sofa V
Back Of The Sofa IV
Back Of The Sofa III
Back Of The Sofa I
Comments
I LOVE '1, 2, 3, 4'! There's something about it that makes it soooooooo quirky, but just sooo cool!
I can never get over how sexed-up the video to the Aly & AJ song is! *mind boggles* Anyway, their full backstory (as I know it, at least) is that they released an album called 'Into The Rush' a few years ago, which is full of strangely grown-up, strangely politicised (in a liberal manner, rather than the more conservative views you might expect from people who think the theory of evolution is "silly") and generally sounds like Kelly Clarkson going, err, more rock.
'Insomniatic,' which I am horrified to realise I am probably going to buy on import, breaking a decade-long Disney boycott but I JUST CAN'T WAIT UNTIL IT COMES OUT HERE is their new album and apparently it is all very different and exciting and yet also good, according to some people I trust on such matters who were talking about. (One of them American music critic Frank Kogan, who is a big fan of theirs and the reason I originally listened to them)
It is a mind-bogglingly awesome tune, really, from power-pop-tango start to metal middle eight to giggly, breathless finish.
I apologise for the total lack of coherency in the above comment. In my defense, I was a bit drunk.
Have to agree about the Feist video.
Normally I want to smack bouncy people upside the head, but there is something so Kids From Fame about this, that it becomes oddly forgiveable.
She still cannae sing, mind.
Aly & AJ!
Probably the only Disney act I like.
Their first album is incredible! Its so much more grown up than you'd think. Can't wait for their new album!
I love the Aly & AJ one, groovy stuff
i think the ali love souns really like calvin harris's new song 'merrymaking at my place'. i keep expecting him to start singing calvin harriss's lyrics. annoying.
blimey my comment on here really doesn't wanna work, eh? :(
I HAVE BEEN THE BIGGEST ALY & AJ FAN SINCE 2005, WHEN THEY GOT TOGETHER!!!! I AM SO GLAD, ALMOST CRYING THAT THEY ARE FINALLY BEING RECOGNISED IN THE UK!!! IF YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THEM, EMAIL ME I CAN TELL YOU ANYTHING, ANYTHING, ANYTHING ABOUT THE SISTERS AMANDA JOY MICHALKA AND ALYSON RENAE MICHALKA. I'M WATCHING A VIDEO OF THEM RIGHT NOW....
OMG i can't believe Aly & AJ are coming to the UK =D! Well apparently Potential Breakup Song is about Joe Jonas (from Jonas Brothers - an american "boyband" as u can probably tell i'm a huge fan & hope they follow suit and come over to the UK soon) who went out with AJ in late 06. I've loved Aly & AJ since last summer but i'm so sick of Potential Breakup Song as it was so big in America this summer. On another note i love the Feist video =] and the "Hang Me Up To Dry" song is pretty awesome.
K xxx
Ali Love is the best thing since sliced bread!
I've loved him for about 18 months and its a shame he's only just getting the recognition he deserves.
Seriously, go and buy his back catalogue, you will be hooked.