The Zombies - Hung Up On A Dream.mp3
Pegged by critics as too twee collegiate nerds during their brief career, unfortunately picked by Wes Anderson (or his music supervisor) for devious and dubious purposes, and remembered by the middle-aged and beyond for the primitive beat-boxing of Time of the Season or the unfortunate post-humous embarassment Argent, The Zombies managed to do in a couple of under-recognized years what it took The Kinks many, many more years and albums to do - craft songs of uninmpeachable quality and sophistication while still maintaining the urgency and freshness necessary in pop music.
The Troggs - I Can't Control Myself.mp3
The Troggs - I Can Only Give You Everything.mp3
The Troggs's controversial I Can't Control Myself concentrated primarily on the negative, provoking outrage amongst a public unwilling to deal with the undue cynicism and can't do attitude of the band, primarily Reg Presley's . Why not concentrate on what you can do? Why so negative? That other Presley isn't such a downer! The response I Can Only Give You Everything, would meet with muted appreciation, the public already having turned sour on the group. (1. Quick Quiz: Did Beck sample Montreal's Les Sultans for Devil's Haircut, or The Troggs?)
Os Mutantes - A Minha Menina.mp3
Os Mutantes - Tudo Bem.mp3The first song above is the Os Mutantes a lot of people know and love - Brazilian psych that wed tropicalia to the Beatles, giving birth to Tom Ze's solo career, a couple solid re-issues and a periodic re-appearance of interest in the group every five years or so. The second track is from a more overlooked time in their career, a magical time when boogie-rock elements with heavily harmonized vocals, drum solos and thumping bass-lines could co-exist with wickedly overdubbed Rick Wakeman-esque synth lines, with nary a smirk or ironic nod in sight.
Velvet Underground - Who Loves The Sun?.mp3
Cass McCombs may be a terribly prickly interview, but he's certainly got impeccable taste. "Thematically" pinching from the more refined and lighter moments of the Velvet Underground's back catalogue marks him as a sophisticate with a good ear and an extensive knowledge of music history. Kudos!
I'm quite busy with all this Pop Montreal stuff right now, but for anybody interested in hearing what's coming up at the end of this month, or anyone who alternately wants to listen to the soft cooing and gooey goodness of Andrew Rose's voice over a glass of wine and some gorgeous silk throw pillows, check the website - the good Dr. has a put a podcast up on the zine section of the website.
Also, I'll be performing as part of the MEG festival halfway through October here in Montreal. More details to follow.
