It’s a Sin to Live So Well – “Flagpole Sitta” by Harvey Danger

16 Jul

The plethora of one-hit wonders that exist in the wide world of 20th and 21st century music is indicative of just how hard it is to hit success twice as a band or musician. It is somewhat analogous to striking gold twice. This makes the multi-level houses of gold that could have been constructed by the Beatles or Michael Jackson all the more impressive. That said, this section is about one-hit wonders, and we are going back to the 1990s, an era that spawned long lists of the one-off greats for this song.

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Before we get into “Flagpole Sitta,” let me clarify that a one-hit wonder does not mean that the band broke up directly after the release of the song. On the contrary, as is the case of Harvey Danger, the band played together for 15 years, released three albums, and performed a large amount of shows. A one-hit wonder indicates that a band/singer found wide-ranging chart success with only one track, and that was “Flagpole Sitta,” the alt/punk classic that exposed the mainstream alt/punk/grunge scene, as impacted by Seattle grunge bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden.

“Flagpole Sitta,” and, in larger part, the album it is housed on Where Have All the Merrymakers Gone is a true indie success story. Initially released on an independent label based in Oregon called Arena Rock Recording Company. “Flagpole Sitta” was recognized as the awesome song it is, and it started seeing airplay all over. The band had sent demos of all the songs on the album to music industry professionals, including Slash records, in 1996, and Slash ended up re-releasing the album, cementing the album and its lead track as a 1990s staple and, now, best hits collection item.

What makes the song so good? It’s angry. The song doesn’t let up. It starts with a rising guitar riff that blends into Sean Nelson’s pleading vocals. The chorus is a amalgamation of yelling harmonies and a crashing instrumental. The lyric reflects the potency of the rhythm effectively; it is a catharsis of frustration and candor (“been around the world and found that only stupid people are breeding”). The song also has a timeless quality (even with the reference to ‘zines and Rage Against the Machine). It is a excellent portrayal of societal angst that uses a head-banging, toe-tapping instrumental that pumps the tune on repeat in your head for hours.

Before I end this post, it would be averse if I did not mention the passing of the founding bassist Aaron Huffman who died in March of this year of respiratory failure. Rest in peace.

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Sweet & Vicious – The Story of Arc & Stones

11 Jul

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In the transformative world of modern music it is always refreshing to hear a band that knows who it is and plays music that represents this group-actualization. Arc & Stones, a 4-piece classic Hard Rock/Blues outfit based out of Nashville, Tennessee, has been honing its craft since 2012, and while I am a little late to the game, I have been meaning to right about this powerful quartet for a while now.

Considering how long it usually takes bands to start seeing success, it took Arc & Stones time equivalent to an undergraduates college career to start the band, release several EPs, tour the U.S., open for Kansas on a year-long tour … you catch the drift; the band doesn’t believe in the terms “off day” or “rest.” Described on the band’s website as “an almost insane drive to expand their sonic reach,” Arc & Stones, like the music the band pumps out, is heavy-hitting, passionate, and eager to rock the ears off eager listeners. I can now hopefully count you as one of those listeners. Check out “Control” off the band’s 2014 EP As You Were. 

“Control” immediately glistens with a deep guitar distortion, almost like a nice blend of Black Keys and Kaleo, and a unique hi-hat heavy percussion rhythm that provides a nice pair to the guitar. The chorus features instruments crashing, heavy vocals from Dan Pellarin, a true wall of sound. The song is a call-back to heavy rock influences from the early 70s and more modern hard blues. There is a lot to like.

“Sweet and Vicious” is led by another bluesy Face the Promise Seger-like guitar riff that neatly follows into another crushing drum riff by Joey Doino that follows the riff effortlessly. A lingering lead by Dan Berry falls behind Pellarin’s southern rock croon, while the percussion holds strong with Doino and bassist Seth Webster at the helm. The strongest part of the song is the end, and I don’t mean that in a cheeky way; the predominant riff combines with Pellarin’s vocal and combines this head-bopping finale that crescendos like every tremendous hard rock song should.

Arc & Stones is a band you should be listening to. Check out the band’s website, Facebook, and Twitter.

 

Calling America on the 4th of July

4 Jul

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It figures that on this day of American independence I would choose a song from Birmingham natives Electric Light Orchestra. No, not Birmingham, Alabama; Birmingham, England. “Calling America,” though, features the name of our great nation, although it is used in the construct of an unfaithful lover going to America to perpetuate an affair. Yeah, America! Conquering the British through lust.

The song, though, which currently resides in my brain, is a true model of the ever-reaching hand of modernity. Jeff Lynne mentions the “modern world” that is represented by the satellite allowing his phone call to go through to America. The “modern world” has changed a bit in 30 years; now a brief text would suffice, albeit that could be ignored by an unfaithful lover just as easily as a transcontinental phone call. That said, the song itself was recorded in the Bahamas and in Germany, released by Epic in the UK and CBS Associated in the US, and the music video was shot in Paris, France. An Independence Day in the modern world.

The song itself has the unique mark of a Jeff Lynne ELO track. It is upbeat, semi-classical, vocally dulcet, and lyrically dark. Lynne is uber-talented and this track is an excellent example of his ability. There are so many components to the song that he weaves together with his band to make a tight, well-structured piece. Enjoy this as you chow down on a burger! Be safe and happy 4th

Summer Schedule and Summer Tune

1 Jul

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Much kudos to Toria Munoz who has kept the Music Court afloat through the month of June. Summer pun totally intended. Summer at the Music Court has come to mean more consistent posting, and I look forward to bringing you the best of new and old music content to help line your steamy summer days. Toria will also help heat up your summer with excellent new music.

So, what can you expect during the summer?

  • Artist Profile (New)
    • There are a plethora of excellent new artists that are well deserving of praise and recognition. The Music Court plans to do just that. Stay tuned for artists that should help fill your summer playlists.
  • In The Jester’s Ear
    • Sometimes I hear a song – new or old – that I need to share with you all. This section allows me to do just that.
  • The Evolution of Song
    • Have you ever heard a song and thought to yourself where it came from? That happens to me a lot. We have already fully analyzed songs like “Goodnight Irene” and “House of the Rising Song.” There are many more songs to assess, and we will do so over the summer.
  • The Spirit in the Sky – One-Hit Wonders
    • Norman Greenbaum’s “Spirit in the Sky” is perhaps the best example of a one-hit wonder. We will explore the wide world of one-hit wonders in this section.

Before we begin the circulation of new posts over the summer, I feel like it is necessary to help you enter July with a song that I have always associated with summer.

When Mungo Jerry laid down this track I don’t know if the band could have anticipated that it would become a summer anthem. There is something so uniquely uplifting about the song, though, that represents the carefree emotion associated with the season. The opening riff sings with an effervescence akin to a ice-cold glass of water on a 95-degree beach day. Both the vocal and lyric possess an odd, warped sweetness that is both humorous and ridiculous. That said, the song is still such an earworm that its attractiveness is undeniable. Enjoy the perfect pop piece, and I look forward to sharing some more content with you throughout the summer of 2016!

Native Gold Presents Dualistic Sound In Track Fickle

28 Jun

Native Gold brings their alternative and electronic sound right to the forefront of listener’s ears when listening to their soon to be released EP A Man We All Admire. Fickle sounds very similar to Frou Frou, Menomena, and Radiohead all wrapped in one group. With heavy electronic and static tones to their music, qualities of those groups all seem to find a way through their overall sound to music aficionados. With a progressive and alternative rock feel to the track Fickle, Native Gold presents their sound in a dualistic nature to listeners. Other tracks on their EP, A Man We All Admire, sound equally synthesized, simply highlighting their carved out tone for the continuity among the tracks. An emphasis on the words and meaning of overall fickleness makes the song haunting and intentionally melancholic. Native Gold will bring listeners in another world with their evolving, yet otherworldly sound.

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