Archive for the ‘Rumble Strips’ Category
AWmusic’s Top Songs of 2008 pt 1: #76-100
Rest of the series:
Part 2: #51-75
Part 3: #26-50
Part 4: #1-25
I’m really late with my top songs list. There are far too many and it’s likely I missed a whole bit. In order not to just give a list of 100 songs, I’ll split it into four-parts with a 10-word limit describing each track.
#76 (Why Don’t You Go) Take A Hike by Thunder Power (myspace/video)
Even if she tells me, I’m not leaving.
#77 Wishing Well by Love Is All(myspace/video)
Josephine Olausson is a goddess. I’ll make her feel better
.#78 Take Me Home by Team Genius(myspace/video)
Most optimistic attempt to be Michael Jackson vocally?
#79 Clouds by The Rumble Strips (myspace)
“I’m lying on my back, looking at the clouds”
#80 Singer-Songwriter Anthem by Silver Speakers (myspace)
I think of this whenever I hear a singer-song writer.
#81 The Hollows by Why? (myspace)
10 words doesn’t do it here.
#82 Cherry Tulips by Headlights (myspace/video)
Pop at its finest.
#83 The Nun’s Litany by Magnetic Fields (myspace)
Fuel to the “dirty nun” fantasy.
#84 Black Satin by The Raveonettes(myspace)
Another simple yet effective Raveonettes song.
#85 California Girls by Magnetic Fields
Someone actually hates California Girls?
#86 Where Do You Run To by Vivian Girls (myspace)
A simple yet catchy song.
#87 You, Me and the Burgeoise by The Submarines (myspace/video)
I-phone commercial for the win?
#88 Bye Bye Bye by Plants and Animals (myspace/video)
Good song….album? ehhh
#89 Stormy High by Black Mountain (myspace)
A great start to a great album.
#90 Nothing Ever Happened by Deerhunter (myspace)
“Best song to play on a road trip”
#91 Constructive Summer by Hold Steady (myspace)
Me and my friends are like “constructive summer”?
#92 Ghosts by Ladytron (myspace/video)
Schizophrenia?
#93 House Music by Cadence Weapon (myspace)
Best song on Afterparty Babies.
#94 Creeper by Islands (myspace/video)
Video is odd.
#95 The Old Days by Dr. Dog (myspace)
“Let go of the old ones, we’ve got new ones.”
#96 Jodi by The Dodos (myspace)
Jodi my dear, this is a song you must hear.
#97 Battle Royale by Does It Offend You Yeah? (myspace/video)
A catchy instrumental for one of my favorite movies.
#98 I Wasn’t Made For Fighting by Woodhands (myspace/video)
They were actually made for dancing.
#99 Heaven (Narctrax Remix) by Health (myspace)
Health’s Disco has amazing remixes.
#100 Dawn Of The Dead by Does It Offend You Yeah? (video)
Critics hated on the wrong album.
The Rumble Strips – Girls and Weather Review
I heard about The Rumble Strips through Chomewaves and furthermore through Panic Manual’s Ricky who talked to me about the show doing very poorly in terms of numbers. Their album, Girls and Weather was released last year and was given a quiet release stateside this year. Being on a label that is a small wing of a major label, should have netted them some more publicity but alas, they have been seldom heard.
At initial trials, I really didn’t warm to any of their songs with the exception of Motorcycle which is a cute little track for all the bicyclists out there. Even then, I wasn’t initially smitten with the track but I still gave it time and was eventually hooked onto that track. I was unsure about other tracks such as Girls and Boys in Love at first but I still wanted to check out Girls and Weather.
The Rumble Strips are hard to classify, if I had to choose I would say something like ska experimental or ska indie. Lead singer Charlie Waller has that distinct British accent that may seem a little bit typical, while musically they are all over the place with the use of various instruments like the sax and trumpet. Ska usually gets a negative connotation these days as more often then not it’s to target the teenage crowd, however there is nothing wrong with the Rumble Strips in this case.
In the case of needing to warm up to their songs stays true to their album. Initial reactions weren’t very positive but after letting it sink in and getting settled in, things are pretty good. The Rumble Strips know how to make a good pop song, even if they use various elements to get there, it ultimately is simplistic building off one strong aspect of the song and repeating. Lyrically it’s not as provocative or captivating, it’s just satisfactory.
However, they are still an above average band (with a good looking lead singer, anyone else figure out why they are on a major label?) and that’s already been recognized. They have a bit of Franz Ferdinand way of going about things and it works extremely well, almost seemingly careless.
My favorite track is the aforementioned Motorcycle, followed closely is Clouds which has a fun arrangement and it’s pretty easy to find things to like on this record.
Rating: 3.9 out of 5
I don’t want to commit to calling the Rumble Strips great but it’s definitely more then understandable.
Motorcycle by The Rumble Strips
Check out the video to Motorcycle after the jump.
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