Hating on the Haterade

I find it interesting that as summer ends and we change seasons, trendsters move from one fad to the next with mathematical calculation (not that I'm entirely removed from this phenomenon, but I digress). It's not enough to just adopt a new love, however. These folks seem intent on destroying the things they used to love that are now over-exposed or what have you. In music terms, this of course means slamming a former freshman buzz band's sophomore effort without really listening to it, ripping a one-named female singer-songwriter because the trend apparently died with Duffy (another unfairly maligned artist), or a host of other casual acts of cruelty. Sometimes the hate is justified, but often it exists just because certain people have nothing better to do with their time. I don't claim to be any better than these people, but I do at least disagree with the status quo on a number of these acts:

The level of disdain some people have for the new Cold War Kids album isn't that surprising, considering how their backlash started before their first full album was even released. Complaints ranged from "Nathan Willett thinks he's black" to "they've got hidden Christian messages in their songs" to "their melodies are too simple". Interesting that the most common complaint I've heard over Loyalty to Loyalty is that it's not melodic enough. Whatever. Even without the small surge of folks now suddenly jumping to praise the album, I'd have no qualms about liking it. I think the band has proven that the main reason some don't like them is because they simply don't understand them. The songs on this LP are dark, complex and deceptively meaty. The kneejerk reaction hipster critics have had to them are almost comforting, because it proves this is a band that's not just riding a wave of popularity til it fades away; The Cold War Kids are here to stay, and if you don't believe me, check them out live THIS WEDNESDAY at the Music Box (my favorite venue in Hollywood) for the new album's launch party. I'll be there (but I'll probably be drunk and singing along, so don't talk to me).


Cold War Kids - Mexican Dogs

Chances are, if you live in LA, you will have heard the next song I'm about to post about 50 times on the radio already. But recent events have compelled me to write about it nonetheless. Pitchfork, the indie music "tastemaker" for all the blogosphere, went and pissed someone off again. Usually, I wonder what the point of it all is, considering that beyond posting cool performances from Juan's Basement and posting exclusive news, Pitchfork's about as relevant as a cranky old uncle. Their reviews have ceased to be useful, and now exist merely as a catalog of obscure references arranged to bash whatever they're talking about, if what they're talking about is known to more than 5 pretentious fucks in Williamsburg. And if something is known just a little too well before they get their grubby paws on it (especially if, god forbid, it doesn't fit the trendy mold of the moment), well they go just a little bit overboard. If you've been in the know this week, you of course realize that I'm speaking about the 1.6 out of 10 that Pitchfork gave The Airborne Toxic Event's debut. Now, I'll be the first to admit that I think this band is beyond overrated. After all the hype I heard, their live show mostly disappointed me, and lead singer Mikell Jollet's lyrics often sound like the livejournal rantings of a high school outcast, but a 1.6 is obscenely harsh, and combined with the misguided review, amounts to little more than a cruel publicity stunt. Jollet fired back passionately, and made all these points in a far more pointed, eloquent fashion RIGHT HERE. The fact is the band may not be a trendsetter, and the album has some serious filler, but there's enough good stuff here to enjoy overall, and there's no brighter spot than the smash single, "Sometime Around Midnight", which made up for much of the lukewarm Spaceland show I attended by being one of the most incredible songs I've ever witnessed live. So mainly, I guess this one's for my friends in other states, who have yet to hear this damn song hijack your radio. Make up your own mind before you listen to certain critics. Except me. Always listen to me.


The Airborne Toxic Event - Sometime Around Midnight

Unwarrented hatred from a source I usually depend on occurred yesterday on Jonesy's Jury, the version of Jonesy's Jukebox that airs every Friday on Indie103. Basically, Steve Jones (of the Sex Pistols) plays a song, then he and his guests of the day vote on whether it should make rotation on Indie or not. One song they mercilessly tore apart was singer-songwriter Meiko's new single, "Boys With Girlfriends". The guests of the day chided that it sounded like songwriting by committee, was over-produced and lacked any real emotion. "She's not singing about anything meaningful" whined one of them, before adding, "If she's listening......I don't know. Try again, honey". All this criticism, of course, would be perfectly valid, if the guests in question weren't motherfucking OK GO! Correct me if I'm wrong, but outside of shooting a damn Youtube video, what the fuck have these guys ever contributed to anything? The fact that the conversation on the air then turned to fart stories for ten minutes should be telling. And I'm not just defending this Meiko chick because she's from Georgia (though that helps). I'm defending her because she wrote a fun pop song that makes me want to hear more of her stuff, which is already more than I can say for OK Go. Good lord. Jonesy, I love you, but get guests with a modicum of talent for the future, please. Or guests that Indie would actually play. Like this girl:

Meiko - Boys With Girlfriends

Alright, I've thought up various defenses to build for Dr. Dog, but the reality is there's not a whole lot to say. Critics accuse that they're blatantly ripping off the Beatles all through their new LP, Fate. On this point, I guess I agree, though the fault is mainly with the mixing, not the songwriting (and let's face it, almost all pop rock songwriting could be labelled derivative of the Beatles). I'd love the see these guys live, as all the songs on the album are strong enough to stand on their own, without the blatant Fab Four-style production holding them down. This song's the most blatant from a production standpoint - and possibly the best overall - of the bunch. It's not quite a guilty pleasure, but it's more than a cheap thrill. After this experiment, I'd be very curious to see where the band goes from here, as the talent is most certainly in place.

Dr. Dog - "The Old Days"

And now we come to the most controversial song of the week - which had bloggers throwing rocks just from its (non-Jack White approved) use in a 30 second Coke Zero ad. Some have called it a mess, some have said it's not propulsive enough to be a Bond theme (um.....has anyone ever heard the theme to Goldfinger?), and some just don't like the fact that Alicia's on it. Maybe I'm biased, as I believe Jack White can do no wrong, or maybe I'm just having an unusually happy week, but I think it's fucking great. I leave it to you to disagree. Oh yeah, it's a foreign radio rip, so just be forewarned that there's some weird chick whispering in Italian all through it. Whatever. All I know is in any form, this song whets the appetite for what better be one baddass film.


Jack White feat Alicia Keyes - "Another Way to Die"

So there you have it. I meant to round things off today with defending the new Kings of Leon album that everyone hates.........but yeah, it pretty much fucking sucks. Those dudes are soooooo 2005.