“Alias Micky Dolenz” starts out with Micky being approached by a nervous and aggressive man asking him, “When’d you get out?” Mike then convinces Micky to report the man to the police only for the station to erupt in fear, because like the man on the street, the officers mistook him for gangster and “most viscous killer in America” Baby Face Morales. The chief explains that, while they caught Baby Face, his accomplices remain at large along with the loot they stole and he would like Micky to impersonate Morales so they could finish the job. After his initial refusal, Micky agrees and visits Baby Face under the guise of being a cousin who wants to be just like him and asks for advice in order to make his impersonation more authentic. The chief then instructs Micky to go to the Purple Pelican in search for Baby Face’s henchmen Tony and Mugsy. Once there, he runs into Face’s girlfriend, Ruby, who tells him that Tony “is top dog now” and may not give him “his split.” Soon Tony and the others confront Micky-Face and a fight breaks out at the bar when Micky-Face asserts he’s not a has-been, but an “am-is” and wants his cut. After the brawl, Tony concedes top dog status to Micky-Face and agrees to his plan to pick up the diamonds. However, Tony’s misgivings lead the gangsters to tail Micky back to the pad and immediately take him where the jewels were both stolen and hidden with Mike and Peter in tow and the recently escaped Baby Face not far behind.
And finally, at episode twenty-five, we finally get a Micky-centric episode! Cue the cheers, glitter, jubilation, confetti, etcetera. Not only is it Micky-centric, but it also serves as Micky’s doppelgänger episode, almost as if the show runners wanted to make up for their oversight. (Or probably not, I’m just spitballin’.) But, of course, while it’s all well and good that Mick gets center stage, there’s a more important issue question to answer: is the episode any good? It’s… okay. It has the great line, “If you punch me the mouth and I’ll kick you in the head.” The episode’s songs and the romp/rumble in the bar are great, but when one is “Mary, Mary” that’s just a given. (Oh, and hey, even one of the songs is a double. Herrherr. Ahem. Anyway.) But I think my favorite bit might be Baby Face’s girlfriend, Ruby. The plot moves rather fast so she doesn’t get much screen time, but I think she’s a riot. Maureen Arthur, the actress who plays her, has great facial expressions.
Of course, the aforementioned fast plot does cause some problems for me, as it usually does. My biggest problem being that in less than two minutes the chief goes from meeting Micky and mistaking him for Baby Face to telling a teenager to impersonate a criminal in order to capture a bunch of other criminals. The show may frame other authority figures in the show as bigger idiots or assholes, but the chief’s gotta be one of the stupidest either way.
“Alias Micky Dolenz” is also notable for its distinct lack of Davy. Well, that is, until the last minute of the episode, an interview segment with him explaining how and why he wasn’t in it. Because I guess the producers just couldn’t help themselves or trust the audience to stick around without him for even a little bit.
Carrying on February's Music Writer's Exercise (#MWE), each day I listen to a new album and tweet a brief review of it. Then I compile those tweets in a post with some extra or expanded thoughts.
1/4: Hanson's Shout It Out: Maybe it's my weakness for horns and harmonies talking, but... how was this not bigger?!
Why? I have a list of discographies I want to get through and recently chose Hanson as one of them.
Additional Thoughts: As I said about Underneath, Hanson have a wonderful gift for making songs that can plaster a smile on your face and parts of this album seem laser targeted on me. One thing about me you gooootta know is that some of the music that makes me absolutely, instantly, viscerally happy is Motown soul and early Chicago, so tracks like “Make It Out Alive” definitely hit those buttons for me. Just, ugh, I love it so much.
1/15: Panic! At the Disco's Death of a Bachelor: “Impossible Year” makes me wish Urie would channel Sinatra more often.
Why? New release.
Additional Thoughts: You may remember that when I finally got around to finishing my 2015 Favorites list, P!ATD took the top two spots for singles, so I had some big hopes for this record. Luckily, it mostly lived up to them. I’d even go so far as to say it’s the most consistent Panic record since Pretty. Odd.. It does have some weak points, of course; the second half is not as strong as the start, “LA Devotee” is mostly just okay, and “Golden Days,” while beautiful, goes on a tad too long. As for the positives, well, I’ve already professed my love for “Hallelujah” and “Emperor’s New Clothes” as well as “Impossible Year,” so I won’t go into them again. “Crazy=Genius” gives me major A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out Vibes, specifically “There’s a Good Reason These Tables Are Numbered, Honey, You Just Haven’t Found It Yet,” which is most definitely a good thing. Also, who would want to be like Mike Love? Brian Wilson all the way. “Don’t Threaten Me With A Good Time” seems like what Fall Out Boy has tried to do recently (like with “Centuries” and “Uma Thurman”), except for the part where it actually works and all the disparate elements come together. The album definitely shows Brendon Urie getting comfortable and more confident, both as a singer and as the creative force behind Panic.
1/20: Girlpool's Before The World Was Big: Simplicity in construction allows the intimate and affecting songs to shine.
Why? Spotify recommended it.
Additional Thoughts: The aforementioned intimacy comes not just from the lyrics but how the minimal accompaniment makes Girlpool seem right there. The title track in particular feels almost like a campfire or car singalong with happily clashing voices and closeness. That said, “Crowded Stranger” adds fuzz to the album’s mostly unadorned guitar and bass work. “Emily” also seems to have something else going on in the accompaniment to make it feel bigger, but I can’t put my finger on what. “Emily” is also quite affecting and the album is full of lyrics that, at least for me, hit close to home. “Chinatown” contains one such line, when they sing, “I’m still looking for sureness in the way I say my name.” Another would be in “Pretty” (a track that’s almost acapella but for some water sounds); “I could only stare at my feet when you said you felt close to me.”
1/21: Hanson's Snowed In: Pretty much the Christmas album I'd expect them to make, which is definitely not a bad thing.
Why? …I’d meant to listen to it on Christmas, but that didn’t work out well.
Additional Thoughts: It’s what I expect from them in that it favors covers of soul and rock ‘n roll Christmas songs, rather than more traditional fare. Oh, a couple traditional songs appear, of course, but mostly in the form of one medley. Like Middle of Nowhere, this invites Jackson 5 comparisons, especially on the cover of “What Christmas Means To Me” (which makes sense given that one of the writers is both the sister of Motown’s Barry Gordy and Marvin Gaye’s first wife.) It’s pretty clear also that Taylor was in a more awkward phase vocally than their debut and it can be hard to listen to sometimes. Plus, their original tracks lay on the sentiment a bit too much (except for “Everybody Knows the Claus”) and run too long. Either way, this album is a ton of fun, particularly “Run Rudolph Run.”
1/25: Hanson's Anthem: Lives up to its name by remembering the sincerity and emotion that anchor any true anthem.
Why? Currently finishing up their discography.
Additional Thoughts: I stand by my tweet regarding this record, but I also think the title represents more of Hanson’s ambitions present on it and expanding the scope of their sound, not so much that it’s filled with anthems. Perhaps I’m splitting hairs here, but while tracks like “Already Home” and “Tonight” feel quite anthemic (and “Scream & Be Free” seems to be trying for that but doesn’t quite get there), stuff like “Lost Without You,” “Fired Up,” and other early tracks feel more like arena rock. Plus, other tracks stick to their typical power pop/soul thing. That’s not a bad thing, by the way, just mostly an observation. I’ll be honest, though, I’m not super into this record. I think part of that is due to how much I love Shout It Out, but there’s also the simple fact that no one will ever be head over heels for every album an artist puts out. It’s not realistic and anyone who claims otherwise is probably lying. Even so, I do really like “Juliet” despite the fact that reminds me of something that I can’t place and it drives me nuts.
1/26: Hinds' Leave Me Alone: A debut that, while rough, is sunny and inviting, despite its aloof title.
Why? 2016 release.
Additional Thoughts: Maybe that tweet could’ve been phrased better, because holy commas, Batman! Jeez. Anyway! Given the title and cover, I expected an album harder and more, well, as mentioned, aloof. I was pleasantly surprised, though. The album also gave me a Libertines sort of vibe. Though Hinds sounds more laid back, tuneful and not as outwardly debauched or messy as the Libertines, both bands have a pair of discordant and clashing lead singers. And wouldn’t you know it, Hinds actually opened for the Libertines back in 2014, sooo that tracks, haha.
1/27: Julia Kent's Asperities: Conveys the same dark, brooding beauty of a thunderstorm as it rumbles and rolls in.
Why? Mentioned in the LoadingReadyRun Best of 2015 Part 1 podcast.
Additional Thoughts: Julia Kent is a cellist and composer who uses the instrument, loops, and electronic elements to make instrumentals. Regarding Asperities, she said, “I was thinking about the concept of difficulty. Whether in life or in nature - of conflict, of being troubled. The idea of friction. Also in geology, an asperity is some part of a faultline that doesn’t move which can create an earthquake, which is quite an evocative concept.” The album does a wonderful job of conveying her concept. It contains a lot of darkness, tension, and, such as in “Terrain,” a sense of foreboding that is borderline frightening. It’s a beautiful work, but maybe not necessarily one to listen to when already in a dark place. Or maybe that’s just me.
1/29: Joey McIntyre's Talk To Me: I appreciate pop standards being a classy affair, I just wish it had more zing.
Why? I wanted to catch up on Joe’s work, but this is the only album of his available on Spotify that I don’t already own. It’s all very disappointing and another discussion for a different time. So.
Additional Thoughts: I think the lyric “bewitched, bothered, and bewildered” is a good summation of my feelings for Talk To Me. As mentioned in the tweet, I do think it lacks zing and more upbeat stuff with the closest the album comes to that is “Come Dance With Me.” That said, if you think the ballads and sweet singing didn’t melt me into a squeeing puddle, you’d be very, very wrong. I’M WEAK, MAN! Now, I gotta be honest and say that this will more than likely be the only time I go into any kind of depth about Joey’s solo work. Not for lack of anything to say about it or inability to see its faults, but because, well, frankly, it’s precious to me and I want to keep it just for me. I don’t have many boundaries in terms of what music I’ll write about, but I do think it’s necessary for some things to be off-limits.
1/29: Wet's Don't You: Even my affinity for 90's R&B buckles under this album's need to slam the same buttons constantly
Why? New release.
Additional Thoughts: Oy. Alright, I’m not entirely sure what Past Me meant by the “90’s R&B” reference in that tweet. My best guess would be the breathy, Aaliyah/Janet style vocals, but yeah, not sure what that referenced. Even so, the part about the “need to slam the same buttons constantly” does ring true still. The album is very comfortable in this low-mid tempo spot and hardly ever leaves. It lacks dynamics, both within individual songs and the album as a whole to the point that sometimes I didn’t even know a new song had started. The biggest exceptions to this would be “All the Ways” and “You’re the Best,” which add some much needed vigor to it.
All albums available to stream on Spotify.
If you'd like to suggest an album, comment on this entry, tweet me, or ask on Tumblr.
Carrying on February's Music Writer's Exercise (#MWE), each day I listen to a new album and tweet a brief review of it. Then I compile those tweets in a post with some extra or expanded thoughts.
12/1: Eternal Summers' Gold & Stone: Like a blissful dream punctuated with a sudden lurch of one's leg.
Why? I believe Spotify recommended it.
Additional Thoughts: According to vocalist Nicole Yun, Eternal Summers “wanted to target more lush and radiant textures, some classic rock riffs, some jazzier elements and some full-on punk snarl” on Gold & Stone and I think by and large they succeeded. The musical mix of dreamy brightness (as on the title track) and harsh reality (“Play Dead”) is practically seamless. That harshness also comes across in the lyrics, such as in “Black Diamond”; “Shame can’t be the home where you live. The beams of support will eventually give […] a bruise without pain.” It’s a great record and I need to look into more of their work.
12/2: Britney Spears' Blackout: With “Heaven on Earth” this album isn't great “despite” 07's drama - it's simply great.
Why? In celebration of Britney’s birthday I decided to start playing catch up with her catalog.
Additional Thoughts: It’s quite remarkable that despite references to paparazzi and a couple tracks that could be construed as being about Kevin Federline (“Toy Soldier” and “Why Should I Be Sad”), Blackout doesn’t really sound like it was made during a tumultuous time in Britney’s life. She’s very much present and emotive, despite some reviews that compare her presence to a ghost or chalk up any and all good aspects of the record to her producers. I don’t mean to take anything away from the people she worked with here, but I refuse to give them all the credit. Songs live and die on arrangement and performance and Britney absolutely delivers here. As for some specific songs, “Heaven on Earth,” like I said in the tweet is great and very Depeche Mode. The metaphor of “Hot As Ice” is kinda muddled, but it’s still a bitchin’ track. As is “Break the Ice,” which is so awesome I can’t even coherently describe it. “Ooh Ooh Baby” reminds me of something but I can’t place it and the track doesn’t appear to have a sample, so I’m stumped. I have to agree with the idea that this stands as her most consistent record, though I haven’t listened to In the Zone in a while so who knows. Granted, Britney’s always been more of a single artist and that’s totally fine, but it’s good to see her come so close to a fully great album.
12/3: Hanson's Underneath: Proof they have a remarkable gift for making pop that can plaster a smile on any face.
Why? I have a list of discographies I want to get through and recently chose Hanson as one of them.
Additional Thoughts: The album, of course, has its mellow and somber moments, like the Zac-led “Broken Angel” and “Believe.” But as the tweet suggests, the songs that made the biggest impact on me were the more upbeat ones, like “Crazy Beautiful,” “Lost Without Each Other,” and “Get Up & Go.” The biggest impact, though, was made by the practically perfect “Penny & Me.” It’s so good that even the rest of Underneath – hell, the rest of Hanson’s output ever – ended up terrible, it would all be worth it because “Penny & Me” exists. And while I have no problem with “MMMBop,” if there were any justice in this world “Penny & Me” would be Hanson’s biggest song instead, but here we are.
12/4: Brothertiger's Out of Touch: Warm, enveloping synthpop, though it seems fixated on trying to be “In Your Eyes.”
Why? New release.
Additional Thoughts: I think the “In Your Eyes” comparison especially fits for “Beyond the Infinite,” “Engulfed,” and “Jungle Floor.” Granted, neither “In Your Eyes” nor Out of Touch are bad in any way, really, but once I noticed the similarities, they were difficult to ignore. But, despite that, it is a lovely album and I think I could learn to see beyond them in time.
12/6: Al Church's Next Summer: An album about summer nostalgia that made me unexpectedly nostalgic for smooth jazz radio.
Why? Spotify recommended it.
Additional Thoughts: I suppose I should get an explanation for the smooth jazz nostalgia out of the way first. I didn’t listen to much of it, honestly, most of my exposure came from whenever either my mom or aunt would ignore their radio alarm clocks. So imagine my surprise when the 80s-ish cover of Next Summer and use of sax in songs like “You & I” and “Next To You” triggered those memories. The album conveys a distinctly summer feel, yet it defies easy categorization. There’s the aforementioned sax and jazz element, but there’s also his Brandon Flowers-esque voice that gives things an indie feel, rockier songs like “S.a.T.J.,” and the piano ballad closer of “Next Summer.” Meanwhile on his Bandcamp it’s tagged simply as pop, which I think says a great deal about both the album and pop overall.
12/7: Britney Spears' Circus: Disappointingly safe. Even the album's attempts to shock do so rather obviously.
Why? Currently working through Britney’s discography.
Additional Thoughts: Ehhh… I didn’t want to be too harsh. In all honesty the album doesn’t really deserve such harshness (despite my own issues with regard to being objective with Britney), because much of it is sort of par for the course with her. As previously mentioned, she’s a singles artist, by and large, and Circus fits that bill. But Blackout was so well done that a “return to form” in this instance feels very much like regression. The album starts out alright enough, but then “Unusual You” stops it all dead. Either way, some positives: ballads “Out From Under” and “My Baby” are quite beautiful and heartfelt; “Mannequin” is so weird and trippy, it feels like a holdover from Blackout; “Lace & Leather,” meanwhile, sounds like it could be a Duran Duran track, buuut… it was co-written/co-produced by Dr. Luke, so I can’t help feel icky about kinda digging it; and while the attempt to shock is silly and obvious, I absolutely love “If U Seek Amy.”
12/9: Infinity Girl's Harm: Some great melodies and infectious drums amid the hazy vocals and piercing distortion.
Why? Spotify recommended it.
Additional Thoughts: Infinity Girl’s Twitter account actually favorited my tweet about the album, which surprised me in large part because while they are mostly objective descriptions, I didn’t mean my comments about the vocals and distortion in a positive way. Now again, the album does have some great melodies (“Not Man,” “Liner”) and drums (“Heavy”) that feel sort of post-punk, but the album starts to lose me when it leans more into grunge/noise rock with the heavy distortion, like on “Around Me.” Distortion and noise can certainly work, however when coupled with the vocals that are at times buried in mix and at others nearly mumbled, it does not, at least for me.
12/13: INXS' Kick: The band wanted to make an album where each song could be a single. They certainly succeeded.
Why? Spotify recommended it to me because of Tear For Fears, buuuut I was also raised by an INXS fan, so I’ve been meaning to dig more into them for a while now.
Additional Thoughts: Part of me feels like maybe that tweet was a cop out, but let’s be real: sometimes a song or album is so well-constructed, so perfectly fitted together that there’s really nothing you can say. And thing is, as great as the music is with its influences and mixture of soul, funk, rock, etc. and just plain beauty, I think it would be hard to overstate the important part Michael Hutchence and his immense charisma play in making the songs as good as they are. I mean, I’ve heard multiple covers of “Need You Tonight” by otherwise engaging performers that stay true to the sound of the original and they just can’t hold a candle to his presence.
12/14: Britney Spears' Femme Fatale: While its faults can be glaring, its wonderful moments are also difficult to ignore.
Why? Currently working through Britney’s discography.
Additional Thoughts: Okay, I’ll be straight here, I don’t know what I was thinking when I wrote that tweet. Listening back to the album, “Trip To Your Heart” stands as the only truly, unqualified wonderful moment on Femme Fatale. Everything else is 1) just middling and forgettable, 2) REALLY annoying, or 3) comes with a bunch of qualifiers to justify it. Case in point on that third category, “How I Roll” has some fun moments and a cute chorus (both in terms of melody and singing), but then come annoying sound effects and Brit saying “thug” and I just can’t do it. I’d probably throw “Till The World Ends” in category three as well, because while I like it, I can see its faults, like the fact that Dr. Luke was involved. As for category two examples, fuck “Big Fat Bass.” There’s absolutely nothing appealing about a sonic migraine. That goes for “Trouble for Me,” too. Yeah, I always try to not be super harsh in general and, as mentioned, really don’t like to be harsh on Britney in particular, but Femme Fatale is not good and I can’t sugarcoat that no matter how my heart may want to.
12/16: Cam's Untamed: Sweet, infectious country pop with a lot of zest and heart. Highlight: “Runaway Train”
Why? 2015 release. I normally don’t listen to country music, but the title “Hungover on Heartache” intrigued me.
Additional Thoughts: Funnily enough, I chose “Runaway Train” as a highlight in part because it wasn’t sweet or heartfelt like much of the record. It’s basically a “woman scorned” sort of tune, in the same vein as “Before He Cheats,” except the narrator wants to tie the cheater to train tracks. The rhythm and guitar work just sounds so cool and reminds me of Sons & Daughters, which is a big compliment. Another great track is “Half Broke Heart,” a song about how the end of relationships that may not have been deep or meaningful can still suck. As she says, “I wasn’t looking for a ring, doesn’t mean it doesn’t sting.” For all the love songs in music, that subject doesn’t seem to come up often, relationships seem all or nothing, but that’s not always the case, in fact it’s mostly not the case. Anyhow, the album does have some overblown or overdone metaphors, like comparing failing relationships to burning houses and sinking ships, but she has enough personality, potential, and sincerity that I can forgive it.
12/17: Britney Spears' Britney Jean: She sounds so damn happy on “Passenger” and honestly? That's all that matters to me.
Why? Currently working through Britney’s discography.
Additional Thoughts: I mean, yeah, Britney Jean certainly has flaws (will.i.am’s typical repetition and irritating noises) and things that aren’t to my taste (not big on the EDM stuff), but… I don’t think I’ve heard Britney sound so happy, so genuinely happy on record since “That’s Where You Take Me” from Britney. That, that overshadows everything. Plus, I can’t help but be proud to see her name in the writing credits for every track. She doesn’t owe the world super personal music, by any stretch, and I understand why for a long time she didn’t dig into her own thoughts very often on record, but I’ve always appreciated when she did and I don’t know, I’m glad that she changed her mind for this record. All that said, yeah, the album has some problems. For instance, “Tik Tik Boom” is one of the biggest offenders in terms of repetition, though that one isn’t will.i.am’s fault, to be fair. “Body Ache” and “Til It’s Gone” have aspects that I like, but the EDM drops and such aren’t really my thing. But still, I do think it’s an improvement over Femme Fatale, so that’s something. It certainly feels more cohesive, probably due to Britney’s (and will.i.am’s) involvement in (almost) every track.
12/22: mewithoutYou's Pale Horses: Its intriguingly dense lyrics are a lot to digest and dissect, but steal the show.
Why? 2015 release that I think Spotify recommended to me recently, but I’ve been curious about them since Hayley Williams has talked about them a lot.
Additional Thoughts: This album appeals to my English major mind so much. I feel compelled to write an essay on the whole thing. I don’t know what doing this would yield, but this album is so rich with Biblical and literary references that I want to pick it all apart and give it the close read treatment. Although, I don’t even really need to do that myself, because someone already went and wrote a pdf book called The Annotated Pale Horses. I have yet to read the entire thing, but suffice to say, there is a lot going here. The music takes somewhat of a backseat for me, though, I have to say, because I get so wrapped up in the poetry of it all. That’s not to say the music is unimportant or anything of the sort, it definitely helps convey the emotion, particularly the anger and frustration and hurt within the songs. It’s also quite beautiful at times, like “Magic Lantern Days.” However, I much as I like and respect it, I realize that a rock/hardcore album with nontraditional song structures (as in its lack of choruses) and dense with literary and religious references might be something of a hard sell. I don’t know that it’s completely inaccessible or impenetrable, but (as pretentious as I find the phrase) it is a rewarding listen.
12/23: Kim Boekbinder's The Sky is Calling: Electronic-pop about the universe and science that's also personal and heartfelt.
Why? Astronomer Phil Plait mentioned it when he called in during Desert Bus for Hope 9. He also acted as an advisor for the record.
Additional Thoughts: So, as you can probably gather, this record is a bit of an odd duck, but not an inaccessible one. The music itself can be quite experimental and weird while also being quite pop and appealing. Incidentally, Kim’s voice reminds me somewhat Eleanor Friedberger (another artist who can be very weird at times but also pop at others), partically on tracks like “Hand to Mouth” and “Stellar Alchemist.” But what I think is most interesting about the album is the lyrics and how they deal with some universe size questions (such as, “How will we get there? Will we even go? Is it enough just to know?” from “The Drake Equation”) as well as some very intimate, personal thoughts (like in “Hand to Mouth” when she says. “Always finding a reason to not be here, if I'm never around I can't disappear.”) It’s just amazing that she somehow manages to talk about these things side by side without the personal in particular being (pardon the pun) dwarfed by talk of the universe and stars. She gives both proper weight and gravitas. And I think part of why that works is due to the fact that both the size and scope of the universe and the depth and intricacies of our minds can be equally daunting and honestly, make us feel small and insignificant in the grand scheme. Yet even among all that, she finds strength, “You will be fierce, you will be fragile, you will be free.” (“Planet 216”)
12/27: Women's Women: “Group Transport Hall” is a great piece of psychedelia. It's a shame the track is so short.
Why? Spotify recommended it to me based on No Joy.
Additional Thoughts: I’m not sure how to sum up this album. Women’s Bandcamp describes the album as “a lo-fi masterpiece cloaked in layers of vibrato and guitar wash. Noisy and claustrophobic songs smash through junkyard trash brawls while others lift and soar across the landscape of 50’s-informed pop; a contradiction and an enigma.” It’s an accurate description, but just barely touches on why the album gave me problems. The record’s certainly an enigma in that it baffled me, because many of the tracks and the album overall lack cohesion and direction. There’s nothing holding it together, whether individually or as a whole. As pointed out in Pitchfork’s review, “Women do spend a tad too much time flexing their way through their instrumentals-- a shame since, when they bother with songcraft, they rarely miss: concise, nuanced statements with idiosyncratic arrangements.” And it really is a shame, because as mentioned in my original tweet, there are moments of greatness, they’re just buried among a lot of aimlessness.
12/28: Hanson's The Walk: From another act “Been There Before” might be laughable, but the trio's so sincere it works.
Why? Currently working through their discography.
Additional Thoughts: So, yeah, “Been There Before” is one of those “isn’t old rock’n’roll great?” type song, like well, “Old Time Rock & Old” by Bob Seger or “It’s Only Rock’n’Roll (But I Like It)” by the Stones. I tend to dislike songs on the topic, because they come off, frankly, masturbatory given who tends to sing them. However, Hanson grew up loving the music they’re singing about and a love evident in the work they’ve done and, as I mentioned in the tweet, they have the right sincerity to make it work because of that. As for the rest of the record, it’s pretty solid overall. And while Taylor’s voice is what I think of when I think of Hanson, between “Tearing It Down” and the blue-eyed soul of “Running Man,” this album makes me think Zac might be my favorite vocalist of the three. Isaac doesn’t get lead duty very often this time around (no pun intended), but he makes the best of the tracks he gets, such as the heartfelt “Watch Over Me” and the fun “Something Going Around” wherein he shares lead with Taylor. None of that’s to rip on Taylor, by the way, he does a good job, I just wanted to give the others a little shine this time.
12/29: Laura Stevenson's Cocksure: As someone who has difficulty being assertive, “Jellyfish” might be my new anthem.
Why? 2015 release.
Additional Thoughts: Laura’s site and her label's Bandcamp both cite Liz Phair as an influence on this album and while I hear that, the 90s alternative singer it reminds me of most is Lisa Loeb. Although she is more indirect with her lyrics than Loeb generally is, to my knowledge anyway. Either way, the album has a definite 90s sound and that seems intentional. Also noteworthy is that fact that much of the album was recorded live after a sort of stream of conscious way of writing the music in order to maintain spontaneity. And the final product manages to retain that flow and certain looseness while also maintaining a core identity and purpose that anchor it all such that it doesn’t wander off or fall apart. Incidentally, a lack of core identity probably explains why previously mentioned Women record doesn’t really work. Although, in fairness, Cocksure is Steveson’s fourth record, so she had much more time to develop in that area than Women did on their faulty debut.
12/30: The Superweaks' Bad Year: A fun rock record with many layers and shades of Offspring and Weezer.
Why? It was likely a Spotify recommendation.
Additional Thoughts: I quite like this record, it’s fun and relatable. As I said in the tweet, it does remind me a lot of Weezer and Offspring. I hear Offspring most notably in the vocals, particularly songs such as “Bad Year” and “Nevermind.” As far as Weezer, it’s most in their melodies and overall sound (which sounds power pop to me, though they call it “heavy pop”), as well as their sorta self-deprecating, angsty lyrics. And for the record, I’m not describing the Superweaks as angsty in a derogatory way, it just feels like the best word to describe their certainly-not-happy-but-not-majorly-depressed themes. I think many of the lyrics are quite clever, such as “Sinusoidal confidence will tow my mind beneath the river flow.” (“Kick It”) and “Who's gonna pull your weight if I leave you behind?” (“Frances Quinlan Will Have Her Revenge On Philadelphia”) However, a major flaw with the record is its overall lack of strong choruses and hooks as well as song titles that don’t seem to relate to their respective lyrics. Granted, the title thing isn’t Fall Out Boy level of unrelated, but I could still see it causing issues with regard to remembering specific songs. But still, it’s a good, solid record and I definitely want to check out their other stuff.
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“Alias Micky Dolenz” starts out with Micky being approached by a nervous and aggressive man asking him, “When’d you get out?” Mike then convinces Micky to report the man to the police only for the station to erupt in fear, because like the man on the street, the officers mistook him for gangster and “most viscous killer in America” Baby Face Morales. The chief explains that, while they caught Baby Face, his accomplices remain at large along with the loot they stole and he would like Micky to impersonate Morales so they could finish the job. After his initial refusal, Micky agrees and visits Baby Face under the guise of being a cousin who wants to be just like him and asks for advice in order to make his impersonation more authentic. The chief then instructs Micky to go to the Purple Pelican in search for Baby Face’s henchmen Tony and Mugsy. Once there, he runs into Face’s girlfriend, Ruby, who tells him that Tony “is top dog now” and may not give him “his split.” Soon Tony and the others confront Micky-Face and a fight breaks out at the bar when Micky-Face asserts he’s not a has-been, but an “am-is” and wants his cut. After the brawl, Tony concedes top dog status to Micky-Face and agrees to his plan to pick up the diamonds. However, Tony’s misgivings lead the gangsters to tail Micky back to the pad and immediately take him where the jewels were both stolen and hidden with Mike and Peter in tow and the recently escaped Baby Face not far behind.
And finally, at episode twenty-five, we finally get a Micky-centric episode! Cue the cheers, glitter, jubilation, confetti, etcetera. Not only is it Micky-centric, but it also serves as Micky’s doppelgänger episode, almost as if the show runners wanted to make up for their oversight. (Or probably not, I’m just spitballin’.) But, of course, while it’s all well and good that Mick gets center stage, there’s a more important issue question to answer: is the episode any good? It’s… okay. It has the great line, “If you punch me the mouth and I’ll kick you in the head.” The episode’s songs and the romp/rumble in the bar are great, but when one is “Mary, Mary” that’s just a given. (Oh, and hey, even one of the songs is a double. Herrherr. Ahem. Anyway.) But I think my favorite bit might be Baby Face’s girlfriend, Ruby. The plot moves rather fast so she doesn’t get much screen time, but I think she’s a riot. Maureen Arthur, the actress who plays her, has great facial expressions.
