November’s Sounds Delightful mix developed an unplanned theme that might be best expressed by the title of one of its tracks — what is hip? Is it a band created solely for a TV show that became an enduring cultural force? Is it an established rock musician coming out with an upbeat joyfest that’s been compared to Ricky Martin? Is it a very ’90s mix of country and dance? Is it a band that unabashedly embraces gentleness? None of these things might typically called hip, but they all make for wonderful pop music.
(Listen on Spotify)
Sparks — “I Wish You Were Fun” (2017)
The central theme of “I Wish You Were Fun” is pretty much what it says on the tin. What makes it great is the way Sparks cycle through so many rationalizations for why this lack of fun is not a problem: “No one ever changes/Why even bring it up,” “You know she’s from somewhere where/Authority ruled supreme,” “And maybe you’re fun in subtle ways/Too subtle for me.” But in the end it’s no good. To add insult to injury, the song itself, with its jaunty piano and “la la las,” is most definitely fun. The thought of either of the Maels ending up in this un-fun relationship is — to allude to another song on their new album Hippopotamus — a bummer.
The Monkees — “Take a Giant Step” (1966)
A Goffin/King deep cut from the Monkees’ first album. “Take a Giant Step” follows in the footsteps of songs like The Beatles “There’s a Place” and The Beach Boys’ “In My Room,” which take pop music to a more self-aware and reflective place.
Parthenon Huxley — “Bazooka Joe” (1994)
This month I broke out one of the classic Yellow Pills compilations for the first time in a while. Straight up power pop is not a genre that’s generally aged well for me, but when the melodies and lyrics are strong, it’s still pretty great. “Bazooka Joe” scores on both counts. The melody is lovely and plaintive. Similarly, the words are searching and bittersweet, pondering the ways that “We find convenient truth/in whatever we choose” — whether that be a gum wrapper or perhaps, metaphorically speaking, pop music itself.
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds — “Holy Mountain” (2017)
Noel has been promising that his next album will be a rocker, and the first single delivers. “Holy Mountain” has got a wall of horns, whistling, some “ooh ooh ooh” backing vocals, and it’s all about the glory of love. Apparently some fans are mad that the chorus bears a similarity to the Ricky Martin song “She Bangs.” I have no problem with that.
Tower of Power — “What is Hip?” (1973)
I remember hearing “What is Hip?” during my high school days listening to Vin Scesla’s Idiot’s Delight. I don’t know a lot about Tower of Power, but I like the fact that Wikipedia describes them as “an American R&B-based horn section and band” rather than the other way around. The early ‘70s were clearly a peak time for horns. The title question of this song also resonates with me, as evidenced in the themes of this blog.
Shania Twain — “That Don’t Impress Me Much (Dance Remix)” (1997)
“That Don’t Impress Me Much” hit its peak on the Billboard Hot 100 in June 1999, when I was sixteen. That’s an age when even songs you don’t particularly care about lodge themselves permanently in your brain. A couple weeks ago, I listened to a HAIM cover version. I thought it was kind of an inspired choice, so I went and listened to the original. While I could sing along with every word, I was not prepared for the ridiculous ‘90s dance backing track! It’s like Cher’s “Believe” meets something just barely country, yet the abundance of hooks and Shania’s performance make it work. There’s no way that her little trick of letting her vocal slide from singing into talking hasn’t been a huge influence on Taylor Swift. (Edit: This is actually a dance remix, not the original track.)
The Bee Gees — “I Can’t Let You Go” (1974)
I finally reviewed my favorite Bee Gees album, Mr. Natural, earlier this month. “I Can’t Let You Go” has probably the most compelling melody on the a whole album, with a kind of vortex effect that mirrors the nature of this obsessive love affair.
Elvis Costello and the Attractions — “Party Girl” (1979)
This deep cut from the excellent Armed Forces album is an embarrassment of songwriting riches. There are literally only three lines repeated in the whole song, and the rest is bursting with words and wordplay — from the juxtaposition of “party girl” and “party, girl” to the inversion of “grip-like vice.” It’s also totally catchy and wonderfully produced by Nick Lowe.
Belle and Sebastian — “I’ll Be Your Pilot” (2017)
“I’ll Be Your Pilot” is one of the singles from Belle and Sebastian’s forthcoming 3-EP set, the awesomely titled How to Solve our Human Problems. I think it might be advice given by a parent to a child, but in any case, it’s tone of gentle comfort seems to fit in well with Stuart Murdoch’s statements about the project being a statement against anger. I continue to be amazed by the way these guys stay relevant and keep up the high level of quality.
Scott Gagner — “Someone” (2017)
A classic pop sound, totally carried by the quality of the songwriting. Same goes for Gagner’s full album, Pins & Needles. The female backing singer, whose name I couldn’t find, deserves some serious credit for the success of this project as well.
Martin Newell — “Wow! Look at That Old Man” (2007)
I’ve been enjoying Martin’s Newell’s “Oddcast” on Mixcloud. It’s very eclectic, and Newell is as charming as you’d expect him to be. He shares a great story about “Wow! Look at That Old Man” in episode 15, which details how a small child saw him riding his bike and said those words. The song has a bit of a ‘50s doo-wop vibe and a hammy vocal, and it’s a lot of fun.
The Commodores — “Easy” (1977)
I’ve only just realized how much I love this song. Lionel Richie can be forgiven pretty much any ’80s absurdity for giving us the wistful dignity of “Easy.” The middle eight is the high point of the song. It takes it up to another level of emotion and features a great, slightly feedback-y guitar solo. If you normally hear “Easy” on the radio, make sure to stick it out for the full album version. It’s got a little key change on the final chorus that’s missing from the radio edit, and it totally makes the ending.
The most obvious example of the FoW-Oasis connection is “Supercollider.” This song is such a clear Oasis homage that I can’t believe I listened to it for over a decade without realizing it. (I suppose my excuse is that I wasn’t thinking much about Oasis from about 2003-2013.) The title references “Champagne Supernova” and “Supersonic,” the opening acoustic guitar sounds a lot like the opening to “Wonderwall,” and Chris Collingwood’s vocals are amazingly similar to Liam Gallagher’s when he wants them to be. But what really makes this homage pop is the way that “Supercollider” captures the feel of an Oasis song. It evokes a kind of grand emotional landscape, despite being mostly nonsense.