Showing posts with label REM. Show all posts
Showing posts with label REM. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

August 12, 2009 Earworm



Is it just me or does it feel like all these people bellowing at health care town halls are very closely related to the South Park bus driver? The best part of the so called death panels supposedly up Obama's socialist sleeve is the idea that a lot of these ninnies screaming that they want their country back should be "of age" sometime soon. And then there's Katy Abram, gulping and screaming at Oren Hatch. Turns out she hasn't given much thought to what she thinks she might want but, damn it, she wants it. Congratulations, Mrs. Abram, you're Jessica Simpson. I hope you didn't take any Pell Grants.

I understand that change is scary but I would think one would want to understand what this country - and that confounded constitution you're bleating about - was and is before you start asking for scenarios that could lead to your kids spending eight hours a day in a sweat shop for a quarter and your granny slipping out her ill fitting wooden teeth before turning a trick for an influenza shot.

I can't be the only person seething on the sofa, wondering when the folks who try to be fair minded are going to snap and if it will be before or after some nutbag kills someone. And really, if all this white trash that's making the news is what democracy is supposed to be, I might be persuaded to give socialism a squeeze just to get some distance.

How can this lead to a song, you may be asking. Easy. It's REM's pulsating pile of getting sick of your bullshit, "Bang And Blame". In an interesting twist - at least to me, "Bang And Blame" was the bands biggest hit since "Shiny Happy People", three years earlier. It was also their last top twenty - and/or forty, for that matter - hit. That makes me wonder what we should think about a country that pushes "Shiny Happy People" to number ten while "Everybody Hurts" only makes it to number twenty-nine.

And heeeeeeeeere's Katy:

Friday, October 24, 2008

October 24, 2008 Earworm



The Clique came from Austin, Texas, and were brought to the attention of the White Whale Records owners via a lawyer who happened to have an office in the same building. Under the production wing of sunshine-Meister Gary Zekley, they released a cover of Tommy James and The Shondells' "Sugar On Sunday", neither improving upon nor detracting from an already perfect album track. It must have done well in the Baltimore area because it was a 45 that I would see in the collection of every friend's parents, and my own. Already familiar with The Shondells' version, I took more of a shine to the flipside as most little boys encountering a song called "Superman" will.

Why this adenoidal treasure was relegated to b-side status at the height of the nasal propelled yummyyummyyummychewychewy era is a mystery but the song, if not the band, would be given its chance to fly with a cover by REM that neither improved upon nor detracted from the original. That it did not inspire me to tie a towel around my neck should not be held against it as I'd simply found other means of elevation by that time.

Have a super weekend.