Pop Rocks!

Brandon and I were talking about how our last three songs have been a perpetual/progressive downer. So we are making a conscious effort to make our next two songs a little more fun or upbeat or something. We've been alternating working on each other's stuff and B is next up to bat with what he calls our novelty song. Look for "trendsetters" soon. It has an old-school hip-hop vibe going on. And me? I've been content just to reach in the pool of years worth of unfinished bits or chord progressions or what not and wrangle a song out of it. However, now I have to come up with something poppy. And it's hard! I've been listening to non-stop pop music in an effort to figure it out. Last night I bought Papas Fritas' new greatest hits/unreleased tracks/dvd compilation, Pop Has Freed Us. Now those guys can craft a pop song! And they make it sound so easy. What's the formula? Hand claps? Assorted Oooh's and Aaaah's? I love pop music. The Carpentars. Abba. Beach Boys. Simon and Garfunkle. Brilliant. I'm just in awe because I don't have it in me.

I do know one thing that makes a pop-song. Flagrant use of the word "baby". Don't believe me? Just turn on the local top-40 radio station and count how many songs have the word in there. At one time it was like 2 out of 3.

So I went to Radiohead last night, although I never did find a fourth to the party. As a little background the first time I ever saw radiohead (and the only other time) was when I was 15(?) and my dad took me to see Belly. Radiohead opened and at that time just had the one song on the radio, "Creep". I didn't know that there was the radio version and the album version of the song. So they dropped the f-bomb a couple of times and I was so worried that my Dad was gonna say "come on son let's go." and that I would miss Belly. We didn't leave; however, the next time I went out to get a new CD my dad said, "I hope it's not that radioman band."

Steve Malkamus and the Jicks opened up. I used to like Pavement but the Jicks just didn't do it for me. They sounded too jam-band, like an indie-phish. Then Radiohead came out and did their thing which at this point in their career is basically experimental noise rock. It's weird that they've retained their popularity from where they started to where they are at now. Perhaps they are similar to the Beatles from "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" to the white album. (Not bigger than Jesus though). They are still one of the few groups from that came out at that time that are still around. (Trying to think of who else is still around in the mainstream from that early-alternative time period: Pearl Jam and STP and ? ? ?) When I see experimental bands I always sit back and think "wow, that sound was neat" but as a whole I'm not moved.

As the night progressed Thom Yorke took shots at the venue, Clear Channel, and the VIP boxes in between songs. Thanks guys! I deserve to be booed because I happpen to work for a company that happens to own a box for shows like Alabama and happens to give me the leftovers. And then as I leave I pass their merchandise booth where a radiohead t-shirt will cost you $35-$45 I suspect that they must not be too anti-corporation/money.