"The Monkees" Rewatch: The Prince & the Pauper

“The Prince & the Pauper” begins with the Monkees waiting at an embassy because they read that “they” might be holding a ball and the group had been lacking in gigs. Soon enough, someone ushers Davy into another room, telling him, “The Count has been looking everywhere for you.” Before Davy can explain the band’s dilemma to the Count, Prince Ludlow walks in and he’s a dead ringer for Davy. Ludlow asks that they be left alone and explains to Davy his own dilemma, which is that he has come to America to find bride, since Peruvian law says if he is unwed by his eighteenth birthday Ludlow’s rule passes to Count Myron. While Davy finds the rule crazy, he also believes the prince shouldn’t have a problem since he’s a prince and has a lot of good qualities. Unfortunately, Ludlow’s shyness hinders him and when Wendy Forsythe comes for a visit, the other Monkees force Davy to impersonate him and talk to her for the prince. After the meeting goes well, Ludlow asks Davy to keep impersonating him for a few days to woo Wendy for him and he agrees. While Davy and Mike stay at the embassy, Peter and Micky take Ludlow back to the pad in order for him to “learn how to act after you got her.” Ludlow’s inexperience isn’t the only problem the band must contend with, since Count Myron and his toadie Max have been plotting against the prince in order for Myron to take the throne.

This episode marks the beginning of, I suppose you could call it, a running gag of the band coming across a doppelgänger of one of the boys. Though, unlike “Pauper” not all doubles serve as the focus of the story for their respective episodes, but we’ll get to that when it becomes relevant. Anyway. Beyond being fairly crucial to the story, Ludlow is definitely a highlight of the episode. Davy’s performance (as in actor-Davy, not character-Davy’s impersonation) as Ludlow is super endearing, if a bit forced at times. One example of such being Ludlow’s stuttering and tugging at his medals when he and Davy first meet, but I feel like I’m kinda nitpicking since most of the time Ludlow is utterly precious. Davy Jones had charm for days, so of course the shy, wide-eyed innocent routine will be a heart-melter coming from him. Or maybe it’s just me. Davy’s scenes with Mike at the embassy serve as the episode’s other big selling point, because the guys play off each other really well. 

As for Micky and Peter, well, after Mick suggests Davy talk to Wendy and they take Ludlow back to the pad, they don’t really have very much to do beyond eating potato chips and watching Ludlow fumble through conversation with some random chick. That’s not automatically a bad thing, by the way, after all, there’s only so much time per episode, so they can’t always all contribute to the same extent. However! I’d like to point out that twenty-one episodes in and still no Micky-centric story. The show freakin’ dual-wields Davy before it focuses even once on Micky. Sigh. Disappointing.

Another disappointment I should mention, I find it vaguely annoying that at one point Ludlow kind of implies that shyness equals shallowness, meanwhile Davy instantly cheers up about Ludlow and Wendy’s marriage after meeting Wendy’s doppelgänger even though the show gave no indication that he was into Wendy until a minute before her double shows up. Obviously, Ludlow and Wendy’s relationship isn’t exactly a love story for the ages, they’re basically on a Disney timeline, but at least they’d, y’know, talked before taking a liking to each other. Yes, Davy falling in love at first sight on a near daily basis is par for the course for the show, but this particular example highlights just shallow it is. Like, “Whoops! I lost this girl I liked, but at least I stumbled upon someone with the same face!” The potential for absurdity makes me wonder how “Pauper” would’ve turned out if it had been made during the even more self-aware, self-deprecating season two.

Daily Album Digest: November 2015

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 every two weeks compile those tweets here with some extra thoughts.

11/5: Chvrches' The Bones of What You Believe: The build and climax of “Tether” gave me genuine shivers.
Why? After enjoying Every Open Eye I decided to finally check this out.
Additional Thoughts: I’m actually really glad that I decided to wait on checking them out until their sophomore, because I don’t think this really lives up to the hype. To be clear, in parts it does, but as whole it does not. Or maybe this is one of those instances where whichever one you hear first you’ll love more, because it’s not a bad album (“Lungs”, in particular, is lovely), it just doesn’t light a fire in me like their follow-up. And while I could take or leave the male vocal track on EOE, here they just drag things down.

11/6: Sara Bareilles' What's Inside: Songs from Waitress: I hope this is just the first of many musicals by Sara.
Why? New release and this will also round out Sara’s discography for now.
Additional Thoughts: I recall reading Sara describe this record as more her “covering” the musical’s songs, but I think the theatrical quality still comes through. It’s really a lovely album; quite jaunty and cute in places (“Opening Up”), but heartfelt when it needs to be (“She Used to be Mine” and “Everything Changes.”) Both of which are to be expected from Sara and places she excels.

11/10: Gabrielle Aplin's Light Up the Dark: Gospel-tinged “Shallow Love” exemplifies the album's thoughtful lyrics.
Why? 2015 release that’s been sitting in my Spotify “queue,” but I’m not sure how it got there.
Additional Thoughts: The opening moments of this album gave me instant Beatles vibes, as do the melodies in “Sweet Nothing” and a bit of “What Did I Do?” Incidentally, when I searched for Gabrielle and Beatles the first result is her doing a cover of “There’s a Place,” which as Beatle tracks go is a deep cut. That said, lyrically and thematically the album reminds a lot of Franz Ferdinand’s “Swallow, Smile,” because there’s a lot about emotional distance or coldness in a relationship, like in “Heavy Heart” or even wanting to fight just to feel something like in “Fool’s Love” when she says “I even miss the fighting.” I have yet to listen to her debut, but I really enjoyed this album. I dig her voice and her sound is an interesting mix of different influences, like the aforementioned gospel and soul.

11/11: Julia Holter's Loud City Song: I appreciate the slow burns and organized chaos, but it feels over my head lyrically.
Why? It was mentioned on the Needle Drop.
Additional Thoughts: When I first heard The Family Jewels I said it was the musical baby of Fiona Apple and Sparks. This album feels like that album’s sister, but not as immediate or as poppy, though it does have accents and weird vocal stuff similar to Marina. I still feel like I’m not quite getting it and maybe this was a difficult place to jump into her work, but with songs like the beautiful “Hello Stranger” I’m definitely willing to keep trying.

11/12: Hanson's Middle of Nowhere: There's a fine line between precocious and pretentious, and they walk it well.
Why? I have a list of discographies I want to get through and chose them.
Additional Thoughts: Like with Backstreet Boys’ early albums a while back, I didn’t go into this record completely blind. Granted, my relationship with Hanson is nowhere near as complicated as my relationship with BSB. I never disliked Hanson, but I never exactly liked them either. In 1997 my brain was all about the Beatles, the Monkees, Spice Girls, and Fiona Apple, there just wasn’t much room for them. But my cousin was suuuuper into them, so I didn’t miss the train entirely. As I alluded to in the tweet, it’s surprisingly sophisticated and mature. I don’t know how much of the sophistication you can attribute to the adult writers and producers who helped, because so many teen acts carried entirely by adults behind the scenes don’t sound as mature. Probably because they sound like what adults think teens sound like, because they either forget or look down on teenagers. Plus, having now listened to their whole discography and seeing that they’ve (SPOILERS) remained fairly consistent throughout, I think maybe it’s like the Beatles/George Martin and Hanson had collaborators who respected them enough to not give them fluff and really listen to their ideas. I think the Jackson 5 comparison made here is very appropriate and most applicable in the outro of “Look At You” and the adorable “Lucy.” But then amongst all that, you have fucking “Yearbook,” man. It caught me completely off guard with its darkness and heavy implications. Though I have to admit that the biggest spot in my heart goes to “I Will Come To You,” it’s damn anthemic and honestly deserves a better place in the 90s classics canon.

11/15: The Both's The Both: Consistent to a fault. It has that catchy power pop bounce, but doesn't really grab me.
Why? Spotify recommended it.
Additional Thoughts: The Both is a collaboration (and album) between Aimee Mann and Todd Leo. It’s the kind of album that while it isn’t so bad or boring that I’d immediately change the station if I heard it on the radio, I wouldn’t seek it out either or tell anyone, “You totally have to listen to this!” Basically, the kind of album critics fawn over upon release, but forget about completely almost immediately. I can certainly see how it’d be a big crowd pleaser, if you’re of the crowd into its sort of music. Generally I am part of that crowd, but for me, it just leaves me meh and wishing I was listening to the stuff it often reminds me of or artists whose vocals I enjoy. That latter bit is particularly important, because Todd Leo’s faux-Dylan affectation is very unpleasant and something even Dylan can barely pull off.

11/16: Hanson's This Time Around: Bright pop with an occasionally harder, bluesy edge, such as ballad “Hand In Hand.”
Why? Currently working through their discography.
Additional Thoughts: Some critics made a thing about the ways Hanson differed from their teen pop contemporaries and sure, they do in certain ways, but it’s also interesting to listen to this record and among the Journey homages, John Popper harmonica, and Jonny Lang guitar hear shades of hip hop and late 90s/early 2000s pop, like in “Can’t Stop.” Plus, they have an undeniable gift for melody and pop craftsmanship, just like other major architects of the teen pop boom (Max Martin being probably the most notable.) And that gift served them well on their debut and continues do so here with tracks like “If Only.” It’s unfortunate that it didn’t see a similar commercial success.

11/17: Alessia Cara's Know-It-All: Her lyrics and performances show such potential, it's a shame bland music backs them.
Why? 2015 release.
Additional Thoughts: Earlier I mentioned Hanson’s ability to walk the line between precocious and pretentious and Alessia Cara walks the same line, though maybe not as well. The worst offender in this regard being her biggest single “Scars to Your Beautiful” and maybe “Here,” which I can’t decide if I like or find the “too good for the room” attitude is too irritating. Ironically, one of the highlights is “Wild Things” which is similar thematically to “Here” (complete with the line “They’re not cool like we are”) and yet I can’t help but like it. Probably because the music of “Wild Things” is uplifting, unlike “Here” which borders on dreary. Another noteworthy song is the vulnerable ballad “Stars.” As I said, she clearly has potential and I really hope she reaches it.

11/30: Mariah Carey's The Emancipation of Mimi: The laid back groove of “Say Somethin’” is an absolute highlight.
Why? One Week One Band featured Mariah and it inspired me to get back to finishing out her catalog
Additional Thoughts: What sticks out to me about this record is how fun it is. Mariah has plenty of fun songs, but her albums overall probably couldn’t be described as fun. That’s especially true of Mimi’s predecessor Charmbracelet with songs like “Through the Rain” and “Sunflowers for Alfred Roy” that make a bit more somber and introspective. And while I enjoyed Charmbracelet, it’s easy to see why this record resulted in Mariah’s so-called comeback, because the freedom and joy within it is infectious. Of course the album does have its share of ballads, which are great (as pretty much always with Mariah) like the gorgeous and happy “Joy Ride.” If I have any complaint at all about the album it’s that I really wish Jermaine Dupri wouldn’t babble so much nonsense, like on “Shake It Off,” but that’s apparently a thing with him and man, does it bug me. Either way, yes, great record and mandatory for Mariah fans of all sorts.

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.

Daily Album Digest: October 18 - 31, 2015

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 every two weeks compile those tweets here with some extra thoughts.

10/18: OOFJ's Acute Feast: Moody electropop with bass and beats reminiscent of Portishead or maybe a strange Bond score.
Why? Spotify recommended it.
Additional Thoughts: So, funny thing, apparently, my comparing Acute Feast to a score wasn’t all that weird, because Jenno Bjørnkjær (one half of OOFJ) composed the score for Melancholia. The Bond comparison is particularly true of “Sailor,” though I can’t put my finger on exactly why, maybe it’s in the horns and strings. Not that I know if any Bond film actually sounds like that, but you know alt-universe Bond, I guess. Unfortunately, the high, breathy vocal style throughout the album alternates between boring and grating, like on “Totally.” I guess I just wish there was some more variety in that area, because I dig the music and mood of it.

10/19: Sara Bareilles' Careful Confessions: Simply wonderful; direct and smart with shades of jazz. Highlight: “Undertow”
Why? I really enjoyed the One Week One Band dedicated to her, so I figured I’d go through her discography.
Additional Thoughts: Something that struck me the first time I listened to this record (after the jazz influence that I didn’t expect) is that so much of it sounds live. And yes, about a third of the album is live recordings, but even the studio recordings feel live. Of course, as wonderful as the music is, with a title like Careful Confessions one might expect as much (if not more) focus on the lyrical content and yes, it appears that Sara most definitely did. Her words show someone smart, honest, and not just relatable, but approachable in a way that other singer-songwriters she might be compared to are not.

10/20: Boy & Bear's Limit of Love: The life and swing of “Man Alone” makes it stand out on an album that's fairly beige.
Why? 2015 release.
Additional Thoughts: I realize calling the album “beige” might sound harsh and I’m sorry for that. It’s not bad by any means, but that’s kind of the problem; it’s some inoffensive pop/rock and just blends into the background. While I appreciate the band’s attempt to record and capture their “powerful live performances,” this record doesn’t come off very powerful to me, in any sense of the word. And that doesn’t necessarily reflect badly on their performances, because there are many examples of records not completely capturing the energy of a great live band.

10/21: Lapalux's Lustmore: Sets out to evoke the transition from waking to sleep, and does - but not in a positive sense.
Why? Saw it on the Needle Drop.
Additional Thoughts: Reminds me of another eternity by purity ring in that it’s very dream-like, but disappears from my memory almost instantly. And I said in the tweet, it does succeed in evoking that state of mind, but it’s just not for me. However, I will say that the guest vocalists are great, especially Andreya Triana. I definitely need to check out her work.

10/22: Sara Bareilles' Little Voice: A major label debut that manages more polish without sacrificing emotion and soul.
Why? Currently working through her discography.
Additional Thoughts: This is a tough one to talk about because six of the tracks also appear on Careful Confessions, so there’s not much for me to say. The versions here are rerecords that, aside from some obvious differences (like the opening of “Fairytale”), mostly just sound a bit more polished than the earlier ones. Most of the changes aren’t very drastic or detrimental. Though I will admit I probably prefer most of the Confessions versions simply because those were the first versions I heard. Of the “new” songs, I think the stand out is the ballad “Between the Lines,” because, ho man, does it hit close to home.

10/23: Vanessa Carlton's Liberman: “Unlock the Lock,” like much of the album, exudes an enchanting, quiet confidence.
Why? New release.
Additional Thoughts: I have to admit that I don’t know very much of Vanessa Carlton’s work beyond her singles, so I wasn’t sure what to expect from this record. And yet, something about this feels… inevitable and right. Perhaps that’s down to the aforementioned confidence it exudes and maybe I’d change my mind were I to listen to the rest of the work it follows, only time will tell. Either way, it’s a wonderful record with enchanting atmosphere and insightful lyrics, like “Blue Pool” and “Nothing Where Something Used To Be.”

10/25: Grounders' Grounders: The vibe of “No Ringer” feels like Final Straw era Snow Patrol, which is a great thing.
Why? Spotify recommended it.
Additional Thoughts: Though it’s great to be reminded briefly of my favorite Snow Patrol era gone by, overall, this record doesn’t do much for me. Other reviews describe it with words like “pillowy,” “haze,” “spacey,” and “atmospheric,” which are fitting descriptions and qualities that can work. However, for me, I found nothing to really latch on to among all the haze and that desire made it impossible to let go and drift away with the atmosphere.

10/26: Sara Bareilles' Kaleidoscope Heart: So much to love; from the vocals to the melodies to lyrics like “Machine Gun.”
Why? Currently working through her discography.
Additional Thoughts: In his review for AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine says, “Because Bareilles is so naturally commercial, it’s easy to dismiss these gifts, but her effortless music should not be taken for granted; it’s tough to write tunes that play this easy that wind up enduring.” I have to agree with this assessment. Kaleidoscope Heart is overall such an easy and pleasant listen that it could’ve very easily just become dismissible background noise, but Sara is so good at crafting tunes and showing vulnerability (like in the moving “Breathe Again” and “The Light”) that you can’t ignore her. And if tracks like “Let the Rain” are any indication, she isn’t afraid to try new things and expand her sound.

10/27: Chvrches' Every Open Eye: I'm always leery of hype, but “Playing Dead” alone justifies it. (And so does the rest.)
Why? 2015 release.
Additional Thoughts: I’ve been burned by hype trains before (2015 definitely added to that), but luckily that didn’t happen with Chvrches. It’s funny, after listening to the record I made a comment about them being the musical baby of Paramore and Depeche Mode and the literally next day they were announced as part of the line-up for Parahoy. (And they’ve opened for Depeche Mode. Because of course!) Now, I already talked about this album in my 2015 Favorites list and I may expand even more on at a later date. For now, the only thing I wanted to add is about “Afterglow,” which feels like it sits in the church-like opening of U2’s “Where the Streets Have No Name” and extends it for a whole song. Good call, really, I’ve always begrudgingly liked the opening of that song.

10/28: Ivy Levan's No Good: Serious vocal chops with musical variety and emotional versatility. Highlight: “Killing You”
Why? Spotify recommended one of her singles based on Dumblonde.
Additional Thoughts: The obvious star and center of this album is Ivy’s soulful, killer voice. A close second would be the emotional progression (of sorts) that happens over the course of the record. It starts off with a lot of confidence and bragging (“Biscuit,” for example), but toward the end transitions into more heartfelt tracks, like “Johnny Boy.” And she has the presence and voice to make it all work. The only thing that doesn’t really work is the guest rap verse on “Like A Glove,” which has some… charming lines like, “We got a connection. I got a confession. I got a erection,” and that’s not even the worst of it. Ah, well. No album can be perfect.

10/29: Sara Bareilles' The Blessed Unrest: Shows a lot of growth and new turns, such as the synth infused “Eden.”
Why? Currently working through her discography.
Additional Thoughts: This album shows Sara continuing to experiment and expand, like on “Satellite Call” and the aforementioned (and lead contender for best song on the album) “Eden.” But I must say that it doesn’t start on a good foot, because I deeply, viscerally hate “Brave.” Yes, it’s a lovely sentiment, but something about the way “I wanna see you be brave” hits my ears induces complete and utter rage. I’m sorry, Sara. I am so, so sorry. Outside my rage, though “Brave” does start Unrest’s theme of embracing change and well, bravery, it does so far more happily and upbeat than the rest of the record does. That isn’t a bad thing, necessarily, (vulnerability and heartfelt honesty are some of Sara’s strengths, after all) just an observation.

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.

Daily Album Digest: October 4 - 17, 2015

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 every two weeks compile those tweets here with some extra thoughts.

10/4: Baio's The Names: Might not be the most immediate album, but tracks like the breezy "Needs" make it worth a listen.

Why? Spotify recommended it.

Additional Thoughts: The Names is the debut solo project of Vampire Weekend bassist, Chris Baio and though I’ve had my issues with VW’s work, they don’t really come into play here. Baio’s synth/electro-pop is pretty far away his band’s reggae-infused indie rock (except, perhaps, “Sister of Pearl”) and while it can be… unassuming, it doesn’t feel as detached and overly mellow as some VW stuff. I say “unassuming” and bring up the album’s immediacy, because despite being very pop, none of the songs are what I’d call catchy, at least not overtly. The songs don’t hammer their way into your head, but they can slowly wind their way in if given the chance.

10/5: Green Day's Warning: Balanced and full of well-crafted, timeless songs like "Waiting" and "Macy's Day Parade."

Why? I have a list of discographies I want to get through. This time around I decided on Green Day.

Additional Thoughts: Warning has been ranked among Green Day’s best albums, which makes sense as it’s one of their most consistent. It also shows further cultivation of the musical experimentation and maturity found in Nimrod. Though it seems silly or contradictory to use “mature” to ever describe Green Day, it’s difficult to find a better word for songs like “Deadbeat Holiday” and “Hold On.” Plus, as my original tweet mentioned, “Waiting” and “Macy’s Day Parade” are just everything.

10/6: Twin Shadow's Eclipse: Enjoyable vocals, but doesn't feel as cathartic as its grand ambitions suggest.

Why? 2015 release that’s been sitting in my Spotify queue for a while.

Additional Thoughts: This strikes me as one of those albums I want to like far more than I actually do, which is always a shame. It’s just… okay, George Lewis Jr (the man behind Twin Shadow) has a great voice and could probably sing anything and sound wonderful and captivating. Hell, Twin Shadow’s Spotify biography calls him “a born crooner,” which is an apt description. Musically, Eclipse it often tries to sound grand with soaring choruses, but it doesn’t work either due to the production making everything (on the whole and in individual songs) blend together or the fact that there’s just no meat lyrically. Discussing universal topics is great, but these songs feel too impersonal and that makes it difficult for me to really connect to it.

10/7: Drgn King's Baltimore Crush: "Hazy Memories," a song that somehow reminds me of Nine Inch Nails and Vampire Weekend.

Why? Spotify recommended it.

Additional Thoughts: Overall I’d call it a solid rock/pop record. Their Spotify bio describes their work as “psychedelic and electronic-inflected pop.” I think psychedelic part comes through the most clearly at the end of “Alchemist’s Lament” and in the atmosphere of “Solo Harp.” That bio also references their varied influences, which definitely come through in the record. One big example of that being the aforementioned “Hazy Memories” that starts off sounding like NIN’s “Closer” then settles into an indie-reggae-pop bop. Reggae influence also shows prominently on “St. Toms,” but unlike Vampire Weekend, Drgn King never really fall into the trap of feeling laid back to the point of seeming lifeless.

10/8: Green Day's American Idiot: I know I'm a total sucker for stuff like this, but... this is a masterpiece.

Why? Currently working through their discography.

Additional Thoughts: My relationship with this album is a lot like mine with the Backstreet Boys’ self-titled.  Basically, I spent a lot of time watching Bullet in a Bible and Green Day’s comp’d special, but somehow forgot to ever listen to the album beginning to end. (Which really just means I missed out on three tracks.) I love a good concept album and rock opera; give me some recurring musical motifs and I will eat. it. up. But more importantly, American Idiot is the culmination of all these musical ideas and lyrical themes Green Day had been building toward for years and it’s so clever and biting and fucking moving. I don’t much like trying to make predictions, but I think this could be one of the most important albums of the 2000s.

10/9: Alex G's Beach Music: If this is beach music, it's a beach covered in sleet and snow; familiar, but slightly off.

Why? New release.

Additional Thoughts: I realize my tweet may sound odd, but the music really does evoke images of winter, intentionally or not. Either way it certainly doesn’t evoke what most (after decades of the Beach Boys and their influence) would imagine “beach music” to be. That’s not a bad thing, just noteworthy and subversive, in a way, I think. But I think the main reason I’d describe it as “familiar, but slightly off” is that it reminds me of an even quirkier version of thenewno2, which itself feels like an alternate universe project of George Harrison thanks to his son Dhani sounding remarkably like him. The vocal similarities between the Harrisons and Alex G are very apparent, but similarities are also there in the melody and music of a song like “Ready.”

10/11: Chris Walla's Tape Loops: Abstract, but not necessarily obtuse; capable of being enveloping and relaxing.

Why? Featured on NPR’s First Listen. 

Additional Thoughts: Instead of filling this section with observations about how “Kanta’s Theme” has echoes of Pink Floyd’s “Wish you were here” and the like, I want to share a quote from Chris Walla’s interview with Sara Quin (of Tegan & Sara): “Sometimes I really enjoy music that I'm very engaged with and dance to, but I feel like there's a dearth of good music that isn't directive or commanding. I don't think this record is passive, but it's also not commanding; it's not telling you what to think or how to feel. So I guess if there is anything I hope, it's that it can find people who maybe didn't realize they wanted it, or maybe didn't realize they needed it, or maybe didn't realize that what they've been listening to has been screaming at them.” As someone who lives for music with big arrangements and even bigger emotions by some massive personalities, this is the sort of album that I occasionally need as a reminder that there are other ways of going about things, ways that are more subtle and more quiet, and shows that one can have a large presence without being in your face. If nothing else Tape Loops can make one reconsidered how they define boring since this album of quiet, unassuming loops somehow feels less repetitive and less of a slog to listen to than albums with eighty times as much going on.

10/12: Green Day's 21^st Century Breakdown: Upon first listen the story isn't very clear, unlike John Lennon's influence.

Why? Currently working through their discography.

Additional Thoughts: Comparisons are a tricky thing. They aren’t inherently pejorative, but certainly folks interpret them that way and others often intend them to be insulting. I don’t, or at least I try not to. I try use comparisons as a way to describe or contextualize a work or understand possible influences and that’s definitely the case when it came to my tweet about 21^st Century Breakdown. Though John is well-known for getting political in his music, the influence here is more sonic in nature. It’s most apparent on tracks “Last Night On Earth” and “Restless Heart Syndrome,” the latter of which has a vocal melody that just screams John. And you know what? It makes total sense that his influence would be so prominent, especially given that before going in to record Breakdown Green Day recorded a cover of “Working Class Hero” (which is also referenced in Breakdown’s lyrics.) One other thing I found interesting about the album is how sweet and clear Billie Joe Armstrong’s voice often sounds, whereas during most of Green Day’s output he uses that snotty, punk brat voice. It’s a nice change of pace.

10/13: dumblonde's dumblonde: Not sure if their Danity Kane past will hurt or help, but this is an awesomely weird album.

Why? 2015 release.

Additional Thoughts: Duo dumblonde consists of former Danity Kane members Aubrey O’Day and Shannon Bex. I must admit that I don’t really know much about Danity Kane, musically or in terms of the public’s opinion of the group. The only DK song I know is “Damaged” and dumblonde’s debut sounds nothing like it. That’s not an insult, by the way, merely an observation I bring up should the DK connection make some apprehensive. (Plus, I have a stupid amount of love for “Damaged” anyway.) Also, it’s important to note that liking DK might not guarantee one will like it either, because while certainly not inaccessible, most of dumblonde isn’t as immediate as a song like “Damaged.” (The big exception to this idea being the poppy “dreamsicle.”) The Wikipedia page for the album lists one of its genres as “alternative dance” and I think that shows in the diverse blend of influences and creative production. A particular high point of the album is the pair of tracks “you got me” and “waiting on you,” which blend well into each other and have great disco and funk flare.

10/14: Emily King's The Switch: "Aya" is one repeated word with little accompaniment, yet it is so compelling and moving.

Why? Spotify recommended it based on Lianne La Havas.

Additional Thoughts: A solid, well-crafted R&B record. In fact, as a further testament to her craftsmanship, the Songwriters Hall of Fame awarded Emily King with the [Buddy] Holly Award a few years ago. Most of this album’s first half feels laidback. However, after the aforementioned “Aya,” it takes a lot of weird and cool musical terms. For instance, there’s “Out of the Clouds” which sounds like a mix of soul, carnival music, Christmas music, and surges from “I Want You (She’s So Heavy),” a mix that sounds like it shouldn’t work and yet it does. Other examples include “Off Center” which builds while maintaining its soft beauty and the snaps and rhythms of “Believer.” “Believer” also has a great chorus: “I’m not a believer, what I see’s usually what I get. I’m not a believer, but I haven’t seen it all yet.”

10/15: Green Day's ¡Uno!: With tracks like "Troublemaker" it proves they are still solid pop craftsmen.

Why? Working through their discography.

Additional Thoughts: Billie Joe compared it to early Beatles and I have to agree. It’s there in the vibes of tracks like “Carpe Diem” and “Fell For You” and lyrics of songs like “Sweet 16.” More than that, it’s in Green Day getting back (in a sense) to their pop craftsmen roots, which for the Beatles was most certainly at a height in their early days. In a way, ¡Uno! might be comparable to Let It Be, the Beatles’ attempt to get back to that more straightforward work before the bells and whistles of ambition took over. I don’t mean that as any kind of insult to the Beatles’ later work or to Green Day’s own American Idiot and 21^st Century Breakdown, to be clear. Ambition’s great, but going somewhat back to basics every so often is a good idea, I think.

10/15: Green Day's ¡Dos!: Among all the energy and volume, "Stray Heart" and "Amy" stand out most for their heart.

Why? Working through their discography.

Additional Thoughts: The second part of Green Day’s trilogy was meant to be more garage rock and a party, according to Billie Joe. With tracks like “Lady Cobra,” I think they do succeed on the later. That is, until “Nightlife” stops the party dead, which is odd considering the album ends with a tribute to Amy Winehouse that, at least conceptually and theoretically, one might think it would be the track to drag the party down. Not to disparage “Amy,” of course, which is one of the best songs on the album. I don’t have much else to say about this one, I’m afraid. It has some great tracks, but doesn’t really grab me overall. 

10/16: Green Day's ¡Tré!: With a few exceptions, I don't think they hit the epic vibe they reportedly aimed for here.

Why? Working through their discography.

Additional Thoughts: I think beyond “Dirty Rotten Bastards,” “The Forgotten,” and maybe “Brutal Love” the album doesn’t hit the epic  heights Billie Joe wanted, which is kind of funny since his summations of ¡Uno! and ¡Dos! were pretty on point. However, I will agree with him on the album’s reflective nature (“X-Kid” and again, “The Forgotten”) and more sonic variation. Either way, their melody work is, as always, on point, like on “Drama Queen.” It’s a good album on its own, but in the context of the trilogy might not be as appreciated.

10/16: Coheed & Cambria's The Color Before the Sun: The mask of fantasy is gone, but the stories and beauty still remain.

Why? New release.

Additional Thoughts: If it had fit my tweet for this album would’ve just been the Oscar Wilde quote, “Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.” Though, obviously, I vaguely referenced it anyway. And while I do think the quote is fitting, I don’t agree with the simplified assertion that is their first “non-concept” album. It’s certainly their first non-Amory Wars work, but the album is very much about that fact and about Claudio Sanchez learning to write as himself directly, as opposed to writing his thoughts and feelings through the Amory characters. (Of course, it all depends on how one defines “concept album,” which I think is an interesting discussion, but not one for this moment.) A long time ago I saw an interview where Claudio said how much the Amory saga had been influenced by his parents, so again I find it a simplification to say Color Before the Sun is the first time he’s getting personal. He’s just more direct here, as I said. Either way, it’s a great record and a good move on their part. As cool as it sounds to be a band that exclusively does music about a comic saga, realistically they can only do that for so long. The transition to something else would need to happen eventually and if this album is any indication so far they seem to be doing well with 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.

"The Monkees" Rewatch: Monkees in the Ring

“Monkees in the Ring” begins with Peter and Davy walking down the street and Peter littering the sidewalk with every pistachio he eats. While he tries to clean up the trail, Peter innocently bumps into a short-tempered man. Things nearly come to blows until Davy intervenes and inadvertently knocks the pedestrian out. Joey Sholto, a fight promoter, witnesses the whole exchange and approaches the duo to say he’ll make Davy the next featherweight champion of the world. He agrees to meet with Sholto to discuss boxing, because the band needs the money. Even so, the others express concern for his safety, especially considering his lack of knowledge and experience in the sport. Sholto makes a deal with them that if Davy doesn’t win his first three fights by K.O. then they can “have him back” and they agree. Davy begins training and goes on a boxing tour that he easily dominates with “thunder in [his] left and dynamite in [his] right.” Unfortunately, each of the fights have been rigged in order to build Davy’s “dynamite” reputation and skew the odds for when he fights the episode’s Totally Not Muhammad Ali known simply as the Champ.

“In the Ring” is yet another episode (along with the next few) that for whatever reason I missed out on whenever it aired when I watched the show years ago, so not only am I not that familiar with it, it’s really practically new to me. I have to admit, though, given that this (like a lot of season one) is Davy-centric I wasn’t too excited going in. It pains me to say things like that, because I love Davy and I totally understand why the show made him the focal point so often. He was the main heartthrob in the group, after all. Still, as someone who likes all of the Monkees, it sucks to see them short-changed. All that said, I did enjoy the episode, it has a lot of little, hilarious moments (“He don’t listen to his Papa no more!”) Plus, any episode with “I’ll Be Back Upon My Feet” immediately gets big points from me. Though I find it odd how Davy bought into his Roman Reigns-esque hype, all things considered. And while that bit of Sitcom Logic is weird, the worst example of it might be the moment when Mike finds out about the rigged fights and tells Davy while still in Sholto’s office surrounded by press. Dude, come on! Just goes to show that Peter wasn’t always the Dummy. 

"The Monkees" Rewatch: The Audition (Find the Monkees)

“The Audition” (aka “Find the Monkees”) begins with the group’s pad being invaded by Martians. And a trio of secret agents. And some apparently not copyright infringing jolly green giants. The three gimmicky rival bands each tell the boys they’d received invitations to audition for TV producer Hubbell Bensen, who is looking for a singing group to star in a new show. Despite being “as bad as any of other group in town” the Monkees are disappointed that they seem to be the only group to not get an invitation. As they lay around the pad depressed Davy suggests sending a tape recording they’d previously made to Mr. Bensen. Unfortunately, before returning the rented tape recorder, Micky forgot to take the recording with him, so instead the boys decide to visit Mr. Bensen in person at NBC Studios. Meanwhile, Miss Chomsky, Bensen’s beleaguered secretary, rented a tape recorder which just so happened to have the Monkees’ recording on it. Bensen’s immediately taken with the recording of “Mary. Mary,” proclaiming, “That’s the group I’m looking for!” After searching through booking agents, talents scouts, record companies, disc jockeys, and others with no leads, Bensen eventually decides to tell the press his problem to gain publicity and find the group.

One thing I wanted to note about this episode is that, like “I Was A Teenage Monster” before it, it has a sort of meta quality to it given that it’s about the band getting a TV show where they will presumably play  a band, who will “play my [Bensen’s] theme song.” Granted, it doesn’t have quite the resonance or room for commentary of Monster, this case of the band playing a band trying to get a gig to play a band is just kinda funny to point out.

Speaking of comparisons to earlier episodes, as briefly touched on, this episode goes by two names, “The Audition” and “Find the Monkees.” As I said in my post on “Too Many Girls,” the multiple names for some episodes confuses me and I wanted to try to find some sort of possible explanation for it. The closest thing to a concrete answer I could find was from the Anorak Zone, which says the alternate titles resulted from “repeat episodes being billed with different names, or early working titles being confused with the finalised ones.” I say closest thing, because while the latter portion makes sense, I don’t get the former. I’m not sure if that’s due to the phrasing or me overcomplicating things. Though, to be honest, it probably is just me overcomplicating it, so I’ll try to drop it.  

On a completely different note, this episode ends with an interview about long hair, getting into fights, and then recent “riots” and vandalism on the Sunset Strip involving teenagers protesting a curfew and laws that prevented people under eighteen from attending clubs that serve alcohol even if the clubs specifically cater to teenagers. Now, I don’t know enough about this particular situation to have an opinion on it one way or another, but I did want to point out two quotes from the interview that I find particularly interesting. The first being the last statement before the credits roll, which is Davy saying, “The reason I haven't spoken all this time is because that it doesn’t matter what I say nobody’ll listen to me because I’m under twenty-one, so I’m just keeping my mouth shut.” He smiles slightly as he says it, but wow, talk about a truth bomb. It’s no wonder the episode ends there and pretty pointedly, I’d say. I mean, his statement shows the paternalistic notions the protests were pushing back against, notions acted on without any concern to what the people directly affected by the laws know, want, or need. Or as Peter put it, “Nobody listens to kids talking for kids because kids are only kids.”  And while I’m on the subject of sentiments expressed here that sadly remain very relevant to this day, I want to close with this quote from Micky: “There haven’t really been riots. They’ve been in actuality, since I, since I was there, they’ve been demonstrations. And uh, but I guess, a lot of people and journalists don’t know how to spell ‘demonstration’ so they use the word ‘riot’ ‘cause it only has four letters.”

"The Monkees" Rewatch: I Was A Teenage Monster

The premise of “I Was A Teenage Monster” is actually pretty simple: the Monkees have been hired by scientist Dr. Mendoza to teach “a youngster” to play rock ’n’ roll, but start to have doubts once they find out the “little monster IS a little monster” of a Frankenstein’s monster variety. (Or is he a machine?) Soon they discover the doctor’s real intention of “teaching” the monster by stealing their musical abilities and then wiping their memories. So, the boys must find a way to regain their talents and thwart his “avaricious ambitions” for the Singing Android (aka Andy.)

Straight up, I adore this episode! It has so many great moments. Plus, it gives me a chance to talk about magical realism! While I’ve talked in the past about the series’ tendency to stretch one’s suspension of disbelief fairly wide, shall we say, “Teenage Monster” is likely the most overt example of magical realism up to this point. Now, the definition of “magical realism” might seem self-evident, but for clarity’s sake (and to put my English degree to some use): Magical realism is an artistic genre and tradition from Latin America that basically presents a grounded reality where some magical or mythical elements exist unexplained and accepted as if ordinary, often for the sake of some sort of (mostly political) commentary. Obviously it shares characteristics with other genres, like sci-fi, fantasy, science fantasy, surrealism, etc., and the overlaps can make it a bit hard to categorize. It seems like the big thing that characterizes it is the fact that it’s all played very mundane and just how things are. I don’t know if the writers of this episode were consciously trying to fit into the genre or if it actually technically does fit into it, but I think the argument could be made. After some initial fear the band does just act as normal and accepts their memory loss and the idea that Dr. Mendoza could and did transfer their musical abilities to Andy. Of course, the question of whether or not Andy is a “monster” or very sophisticated machine complicates things, because if he is a machine then the episode might be more sci-fi/fantasy. However, between Mendoza’s assistant Groot asking to be turned into a Wolfman and all the music seeming to emanate from Andy (instead being proficient at the instruments), I think the magical realism description still kinda fits.

Something that really struck me while watching the episode for this blog was the scene where the boys attempt to teach Andy rock ’n’ roll, specifically their priorities. Before teaching him anything about actually playing an instrument or singing, they gave him a new name, a Beatle haircut, “groovy clothes,” a guitar he couldn’t play, and a choreography lesson from Davy and Peter. Basically the image trumped all and, well, the music would eventually be fed into him later. I’m probably not the first to point this out and frankly I’m surprised it never dawned on me before, but the parallels between the monster in this episode and the Monkees’ own creation (right down to turning on their respective creators) are really interesting. Now, this episode had been written and filmed before behind the scenes tension erupted over music and input from the Monkees’ members, so I doubt (though I could certainly be wrong) this episode was intended as a commentary on the manufactured nature of the group. However, more pointed commentary on their construction and the constraints that resulted does become a theme in later output. It’s funny to see, though perhaps inadvertently, how early it started.