If I can't dance to it...

...it's not my revolution. Although there has been some controversy whether famous anarchist/feminist Emma Goldman has truly spoken these words, I start this post with this quote because I believe The Format has made their stellar summer album Dog Problems with the motto: If I can't dance to it, it's not my heartbreak!

The first time I listened to this album, without paying attention to the lyrics, I'd never guessed it's a concept record about heartbreak for the simple reason that the songs make you feel good. Hell, they even make you wanna dance, even when you're not really into that kinda stuff. Without a doubt, Dog Problems has been my summer album of 2006. From the Beach Boys like opening harmony in "Time Bomb", to irresistable sing along choruses in songs like "Oceans" and "Inches and Failing", from the kind of weird, but still very enjoyable title track to the unexpected punkrock outburst in "If Work Permits"...there's much to like about Dog Problems. As a first video from the album they chose the song The Compromise. I'm surprised by this, because it's one of my least favorite songs on the album. The video however can be described with one word: Origami!


How about the album title? Singer Nate Ruess explains: "It was that thing where instead of having a baby to fix our relationship, we'd always get a dog, so by the time she left for good, I had three dogs". Ouch!

The Format - Oceans
The Format on MySpace

Finally Friday Video's Part II

Finally...it's friday again! Time for another installment in the 'finally friday video' series. Today's artist: Cinderella. This band was discovered in the mid 80's by some famous dude called Jon Bon Jovi. The album "Night Songs" was released in '86 after which the band played as an opening act at Bon Jovi's "Slipperly when Wet" tour.

From their debut album comes the instant classic "Shake Me". The video is everything a Hairmetal video should be: a cheesy acted introductive piece, the band playing "live" with hot girls in the front row of the audience and bandmembers that do not look unlike those women.

Anyways, this song rocks! Play it loud mutha and have a great weekend!



PS You want more? Check out their video for "Hot and Bothered" with Wayne and Garth from Wayne's World. Excellent!

Gimme Gimmes love their country

Although the joke's wearing thinner and thinner with every album, I still get pretty excited what (everyone's favorite karaoke band?) Me First And The Gimme Gimmes will do as a next theme record. This time, they chose to do country songs and the new album will be released october, 17th.

The tracklist will be:
1: Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old) (Originally performed by Garth Brooks)
2: (Ghost) Riders In The Sky (Originally performed by Johnny Cash/Gene Autry/others)
3: Desperado (Originally performed by The Eagles)
4: On The Road Again (Originally performed by Willie Nelson)
5: Annie’s Song (Originally performed by John Denver)
6: Jolene (Originally performed by Dolly Parton)
7: I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry (Originally performed by Hank Williams)
8: Lookin’ For Love (Originally performed by Johnny Lee, Urban Cowboy)
9: Goodbye Earl (Originally performed by the Dixie Chicks)
10: East Bound And Down (Originally performed by Jerry Reed, Smokey & The Bandit)
11: She Believes In Me (Originally performed by Kenny Rogers)
12: Sunday Morning Coming Down (Originally performed by Johnny Cash/Kris Kristofferson)

You can watch a pretty funny video of the photoshoot for the album here and you can download the song Goodbye Earl here.

Weeds

I don't watch TV as much as I used to. I mean...why should you when you can download your favorite series and watch them whenever you like. I just found out that the serie Weeds is being televized on Dutch TV station Talpa (Every thursday at 10 pm, but not this week I believe). I've already seen and really enjoyed the first season. The second season has already started in America, but for those of you that are not yet familiar with it, I highly recommend it. It a sarcastic comedy/drama serie about a young widow from the suburbs who sells weed to provide for her family. It's a well written tv show with great dialogue and enough interesting characters.

The choice of music makes this show even better. "Little Boxes" by Melvina Reynolds is the perfect opening track: you only need to hear it once and you'll never forget it. It's weird, kind of melancholic but also beautiful. The New Pornographers and Sufjan Stevens have a song on it, but there are a lot of special tunes on the soundtrack. If you ever come across a copy...pick it up!!!

I've put the original opening track "Little Boxes" up for download. In season two this song will be done by a different artist every week. For the first episode it's Elvis Costello (watch the video here) and for the second one Death Cab for Cutie. Although I still like the original better, it's a really cool initiative!

Melvina Reynolds - Little Boxes

Hello Saferide

With 50 plays, Swedish singer songwriter Hello Saferide (her parents probably prefer Annika Norlin) was last weeks most played artist at FTC Headquarters. With her simple but effective guitarplay and a voice you immediately fall in love with, her album "Introducing Hello Saferide" feels like a cool breeze on a hot summer night. It's a perfect mix between uptempo songs and some more laid back tunes. The song that will grab your attention first will probably be "My best friend" with an insanely infectiously catchy chorus ("Damn I wish I was a Lesbian so I could fall in love with you" - never thought you would sing that out loud, huh? Well, think again!). However, with every listen you'll discover more gems on the album. Watch the colourful video for "If I Don’t Write This Song, someone I love will die", which probably is my favourite song on the album.



So put of your shoes, lie your feet on the table, kick back and let the delicate indiepop songs of Hello Saferide refill your batteries.

Hello Saferide - My Best Friend
Hello Saferide - San Fransisco
Hello Saferide - Highschool Stalker

Hello Saferide on MySpace

The president's dead

What better way to follow up yesterday's post Death of a President with two songs about presidents.

"When the President Talks to God" by Bright Eyes is an old fashioned protest folksong. With a message that is more important than the music, singer Conor Oberst sings his heart and frustation out in a song that is obviously about >George W. Bush. This version of the song comes from their live album Motion Sickness. By the way, you can listen to last year's Bright Eyes concert at Tivoli on the 3voor12 website.

Okkervil River takes a whole different approach. Their song "The President's Dead" is about the assasination of a president (duh!). Like many other Okkervil River songs the lyrics (which are amazing) read like a story leaving enough room for your own interpretation. The song is featured on a tour only EP that has been circulating the web. I remember them playing this song as an encore when I saw them last May at Rotown in Rotterdam, which still is the best show I've seen all year. I love this band and this song is nothing short but amazing!


Bright Eyes - When the President Talks to God (live)
Okkervil River - The President's Dead

Death of a president?

There's been a lot of controversy about the yet to be shown TV documentary Death of a President. In this documentary George W. Bush gets assassinated. How's that for an attention grabber? This alone makes me curious about this documentary, without even knowing its synopsis. Apparently, "the assassination is a starting point for a retrospective fictional documentary about what happened next" and it "uses the assassination as a way to examine the effect the War on Terror has had on American – and British – society". Death of a President will premiere at the Toronto Film Festival later this month and will be aired on tv in the UK in october. This should be interesting!