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[MUSIC] THE SAVAGE ANIMAL
"Sneaky Singles" |
06.01.11 |
BY MIKEY MIGO
It’s 2011. There are celebrities, PSAs, and whole campaigns against bullying in effect so I’m pretty sure we’re okay. We can let our weirdo flags fly because the weird mouth kid from Glee tells us its “wrong to make fun of those who are different”. So by that if you mock me or bully me I’m going to tell on you. Then what?
I’m not too self conscious to admit to when I’ve been had. Too much embarrassment takes over and you’re quick to deny, deny, deny. We’ve all done it and we should all just fess up. Today I want to talk about the times the preverbal wool has been pulled over your eyes. I’m talking about “sneaky singles”.
You know that first impression of a band. You hear the one big hit radio single and you’re like “Wow! I think I like this!” Your interest is gained and you then go out of your way to get their CD or anticipate their next big hit. Then a few things can happen. The first is that you’ll never hear from that band again and you’ll forget about them. Another option is that you end up buying the CD and enjoying a newly found “favorite band”. Then… IT happens. You realize you’ve been “burned”… you’ve been “punk’d” if you will. The single that got into your head for the week before picking up the CD is the ONLY good song on the album. By that I KNOW “music is subjective”, but anyone with a brain can tell a radio-friendly single doesn’t sound anything like the rest of the album.
If you’re in this “music” thing for the full ride then you’ve had this experience before. It’s the risk one takes in order to add new music to their lexicon of sound. It happens. Sometimes a band only has one song in them that’ll match your specifically tuned ears.
Sometimes it’s really embarrassing. I’m going to cover a few of the more embarrassing pickups of mine in the past decade or so as well as some other big disappointments…
Sneaky Band: Staind
Sneaky Single: “Mudshuvel”
What Happened?:Fred Durst made them all “Dursty”. I remember when this CD came out. I was in high school and a little more open. I hadn’t heard any song by this new band yet when I heard “Mudshuvel”. It was aggressive, angsty, and had some balls attached to it. I really liked it, but the album didn’t exactly pan out. I ended up selling it to a friend for ten bucks. He ended up paying up like three years later. By that point, this band was beyond point of return. They made one too many acoustic ballads and became the B-Team version of Nickelback. Speaking of which…
Sneaky Band: Nickelback
Sneaky Single: “Leader of Men”
What Happened?:This one hurts. I take the chance to take jabs at Nickelback whenever I can. To me they represent everything that is wrong with music and “art”. They make contrived nonsense Top 40 stuff that slack jacked bars and the worst of rock radio stations play on a loop. Every song sounds the same and it’s country pop without the twang. I still have to be a man about this and admit that I did go out and buy “The State” after hearing “Leader of Men”. It sounded really grungy. There was some soul to the lyrics and there was some substance in there. The album wasn’t completely horrible, but it just wasn’t as good as “Leader of Men”. They then quickly reveal themselves to be the worst band of all time. I don’t know what happened. It’s like they decided to sell out and then said “screw this hippy sell-out shit… we’re going to invent an even bigger level of shit”. Their music. vomit. End of story.
Sneaky Band: Seether
Sneaky Single: “Fine Again”
What Happened?:Nickelback-itis. I accidentally saw Seether in concert like two years ago. It was a horrible experience and one of the worst shows I’ve seen. I really thought the single for “Fine Again” was really good. The lyrics were deep, the song was good, and it felt like it could lead to something special. Nope. To me they’ve always sounded like a cross between the worst POD and Korn had to offer and the best Staind and Nickelback had to offer. That’s not a compliment to any of those bands.
Sneaky Band: Afroman
Sneaky Single: ”Because I Got High”
What Happened?:This song was a novelty. I hate to say it because I enjoyed it when it was out and I still dig it at random times now. It’s a less pervy “Thong Song”. This song tells the story of how smoking weed makes him a slacker. It was a great stoner anthem for “Jay and Silent Bob Strikes Back”, but if you were like me and bought the CD then you know the CD sucked ass.
Sneaky Band: Matisyahu
Sneaky Single: ”King Without A Crown”
What Happened?:What Matisyahu does it impressive. He was adapted a music genre into something that truly fits who he is. He didn’t so much adapt, but made the music world around him adapt. He’s rapping skills are impressive. I heard the single “King Without A Crown” and was sold. I went out and got his CD. It was then I noticed that EVERY Matisyahu song pretty much sounds the same. It got to the point now where I don’t remember what about the single I enjoyed. I hear one song in my head and it’s like one big mesh up of anything and everything that remotely sounds like a rabbi rapping. I guess even “Amish Paradise” too.
Sneaky Band: Gnarls Barkley
Sneaky Single: ”Crazy”
What Happened?:I like Cee-lo and I like Danger Mouse. I wouldn’t call either one of them a “one hit wonder”, but in all fairness as the collective unit that is Gnarls Barkley they are. The one big hit was “Crazy”. It was HUGE for awhile and got the band tons of press and sales. The rest of the album just wasn’t all that great. I know “Crazy”, but nothing else really stuck. The big single was pretty hard to live up to, but there didn’t even really seem to be anything worth caring about. I’m sure it might have had some decent stuff, but even after listening for a few times I don’t remember any of it. I’m still open to a more complete album in the future, but they didn’t get me much to work with.
Sneaky Band: Jimmy Eat World
Sneaky Single: ”Bleed American”
What Happened?:I don’t know if we should blame Osama Bin Laden for this one or not. You see the first single off this album was “Bleed American”, a good fast paced tempo and a really solid rock song. I heard it and I enjoyed it. I went out and got the CD. Then 9/11 happened and the band understandably had to rename the album, same name, and quickly move on to their next single. For those keeping track at home, that single ended up being “The Middle”. I thought “The Middle” was okay but everyone else loved the hell out of it. I just always thought “Bleed American” had more edge to it and was a better rock song. “The Middle” comes off as a “diddy”. Once they changed up the album stuff and evolved from the point of “The Middle” instead of “Bleed American” it was all over for me.
Sneaky Band: Flyleaf
Sneaky Single: ”All Around Me”
What Happened?:I guess they had more out before this, but this was my first exposure to Flyleaf. They’ve played big shows, big tours, and have made a huge name for themselves. For me, their reputation was known before their music. I liked the “All Around Me” song. It was catchy and she has a good voice. I just didn’t pay close enough attention. Then like a metal bitch slap I come to find out they are “Christian Rock”. Their lyrics are about God and Jesus. I’m not totally against faith and religion. People have the right to believe whatever they want, but don’t be sneaky about it. Rock and roll is supposed to be sex, drugs, and rock and roll not prayer, smiles, and halleluiahs. Like all of these, this was all subjective and taste. If people like this stuff, so be it. I just feel like these singles were just a little too sneaky for my liking.
What are some singles that caught your attention by bands that ended up sucking? It’s okay to admit these embarrassments, you’re among friends…
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