Not Just 90s Mailbag

In our inaugural edition of the Mailbag (not actual segment name) we'll answer the story behind the phrase in a popular Christmas song. Please note that this wasn't actually sent to this blog, but rather posted open and publicly on Facebook (and not really addressed to me).

Michial Farmer (of "Ladder on Wheels" blog) writes:
A question (and for some reason I'm assuming @Al Kammerer will know the answer): In the Chuck Berry Christmas classic "Run Rudolph Run," who or what is Randolph, as in "Run, run, Rudolph / Randolph can't be far behind"?

Here's my answer:
It's a reference to Randolph Hearst's attempt to gain control of the Christmas business from Santa Claus & Co. A big part of this was that Hearst claimed his delivery system would be faster and more efficient. One year in particular, Hearst and cronies challenged Santa's crew to a "delivery race." Randolph Hearst lost, of course, but the race was close at one point, and Santa's crew really did know that "Randolph can't be far behind."

Need music questions answered? Need your taste challenged or confirmed? Send me a note or post a comment.

Busy Billy Corgan

Ever one for grand statements, Billy Corgan recently announced that the forthcoming Smashing Pumpkins record will, in fact, be a series of songs released free via the internet, sold as veryvery limited edition EPs, and eventually collected into a boxed set album. While most of his fans would just be content for a lot less grandeur and bombast at this point, Corgan hath decreed that the 44 songs of Teargarden by Kaleidyscope will somehow tie in with the Tarot characters and represent the human journey of life.

In all seriousness (and while I can't help but be skeptical about this project), I have to admire Corgan's approach to releasing his new work. Given the record industry's continuing efforts to shoot itself in the head, his plan to give away music in hopes of luring fans to buy the collections serves as another example of creative ways to show fan appreciation while also trying to make a living from music (Radiohead, NIN, and even His Name Is Alive have also shown great ideas). Many music fans were disappointed with Corgan's recent appearance in Congress to support one of the RIAA's recent attempts to kill its own industry (though the idea of artists/authors getting paid for their music to be paid on the radio isn't necessarily bad in and of itself), so the current project news should be especially welcomed.

One last piece of news: On 09/09/09, Mr. Corgan launched "Everything From Here To There," a website dedicated to thoughts on spirituality and "Mind-Body-Soul/Spirit integration" in particular. Topics so far include Jesus Christ, lunar phases, the Wizard of Oz, war/fighting, and The Beatles. The site might be summed up by one of its best phrases so far, "my new found affinity for God and His Magic Kingdom."

A brief editorial: My generation is steeped in sarcasm, irony, and skepticism. That's who we are. Most of our writing reflects that, and I'm no exception. The recent trend of "New Sincerity" (or whatever you want to call it) notwithstanding, most of us can't help but love jokes at the expense of those who dare honesty and sincerity, something most of us are either afraid of or have no idea how to pull off ourselves. With that in mind, I really do honestly admire what seems like genuine sincerity on the part of Mr. Corgan, even when it comes off as "a bit much" or appears to just ask for mockery. He could have long ago taken the route of easily jaded alt.rock star and chosen more predictable paths, but no matter what else I enjoy or don't enjoy, I admire this particular aspect about him. I think what won me over more than anything was his appearance on the final episode of "The Bozo Show," where he sang "Forever Young" amidst the clowns.

Short Mixtape for St. Valentine's Day

The NotJust90s St. Valentine's Day mixtape includes a few different emotions, from the contrarian "not in love" to the smooth, the silly to the sappy. I've placed all the songs onto a YouTube playlist to make it easier for everyone ((note: may not be 100% safe for work, depending on where you work). Contrary to this blog's claim of "not just 90s," I did stick with only songs from the 90s in this case, basically so I wouldn't still be working on the list come March. Tracklist and "liner notes" below.



1. Belle & Sebastian -- "I Don't Love Anyone"
For me, any decent 90s mixtape automatically includes at least one Belle & Sebastian song. In this selection, we start the mixtape with the antithesis to love songs.
2. Neutral Milk Hotel -- "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea"
This song feels like being in love, full of lyrical fantasy, ridiculous ideas, and musical richness.
3. Sade -- "I Couldn't Love You More"
We shift to a track that runs in the opposite direction in every way except the sentiment; with a somewhat minimalist paint-by-numbers jazz production behind Sade's creamy vocals delivering very straight-ahead words that, while not exactly poetic or clever, are somewhat refreshing in their attempt to just say something without resorting to meaningless cliches (at least not too many).
4. The Muffs -- "I Need You"
If Sade put you to sleep, The Muffs will wake you back up. Even with a couple men in the band, The Muffs still manage to deliver a love song in true riot grrrl style.
5. A Tribe Called Quest -- "Bonita Applebaum"
Whereas the last few love songs have featured "Me to You" lyrics that can work as a musical valentine, here's a somewhat voyeuristic view into Q-Tip's love for a woman named Bonita, complete with catchy hooks sure to stick in your head...
6. The Magnetic Fields -- "A Chicken With Its Head Cut Off"
We hear Stephin Merritt's fantastic songwriting on display as he provides a fairly accurate - if absurd - portrayal of being in love. My apologies for the disturbing (though work-safe) accompanying video -- this was the only version I could find that would work on the playlist.
7. R.E.M. -- "At My Most Beautiful"
Not a typical R.E.M. track, but one of my favorites; not only for the Pet Sounds style rhythms and harmonies, but especially for the strange blend of sincerity and description of small moments rather than bold proclamations and the usual cliches.

With the economy down the toilet, unemployment rising higher, and a few other difficulties left over from the past 8 years, I understand why so many of us stay stuck in the 90's even when it comes to music. Even so, early in 2009 something changed to give us hope and reason to keep going. That something is Microsoft Songsmith. For those who haven't heard yet, Songsmith is computer software that allows users to record their own vocals, which Songsmith then takes and builds accompanying music around them to create instant songs.
The joy of Songsmith doesn't really lie in the ability for untalented off-key caterwaulers to still make their own music. Rather, the true fun of Microsoft Songsmith comes in taking the vocals from popular songs, running them through the software, then LOLing at the results (particularly when video is involved).

A few of my favorites:

Queen's "We Will Rock You" turned Latin pop.
"White Wedding"...in Kentucky.
"Crazy Train Polka" -- if only we could get Ozzy in lederhosen.
Soulja Boy cranks it Barney-style.
Lil Wayne's "A Milli" remix for entry into the TimeLife Soft 70's Ballads collection. (uncensored)

The Rifles, The Great Escape

Note: This falls under the "something new" category.

Writers who write about music love a good band name, but they love even more a band name that allows them to show off just how clever they are. They live to slide in a pun – even a groaning cliché – that can both describe the music and reference the band’s name all at the same time. Enter The Rifles. A name like that provides so many opportunities it’s enough to, well, make a writer’s head explode: the record starts off with a bang, is loaded with good songs, but in places it “misfires” or “shoots a few blanks”…and so on.
Rather than craft a clever review that would make the NRA proud, though, I’ll just run down a few quick bullet points about The Rifles’ new album, The Great Escape.
 Their mostly guitar-centered sound often mixes abrasive angularity with arena-friendly hooks and choruses that beg for sing-along, i.e. “the world is ours and ours alone” on “Science is Violence.” They’re too slick and calculated to be “garage,” but they play with several different styles from across the “indie” spectrum to varying success.
 Like many other British bands, The Rifles embrace and blatantly display their influences. The Great Escape occasionally features lead vocalist Joel Stoker attempting to channel Morrissey atop dark pop in a Smiths vein, not to mention the occasional nod to Beatlesque psychedelia (particularly “Strawberry Fields Forever”). Their influences embrace them, as well; Paul Weller of The Jam recently joined them onstage for a couple songs.
 3 Tracks I’d Throw on a Mixtape (today, anyway): Science is Violence, The General, Winter Calls

Here's their title track and first video from the just-released album:

Tonic, "If You Could Only See"

I once saw a horrible cover of this song by some anonymous bar band. The original is hardly any kind of zenith in rock history and holds its place amongst the many pop-rock tunes floating along on adult contemporary radio, but watching a group of hacks try and Creed it all up was still really a shame.
“If You Could Only See” won’t ever be considered one of the 90s’ most clever, thoughtful, or consciousness-raising songs, but you won’t find many other full-on rock songs that charted with this much raw sappy sincerity. Tonic’s radio-friendly rock popped up on the charts a few times in the 90s and early 00s, this one landing higher than the rest. Emerson Hart’s vocals waver somewhere between coffee shop singer-songwriter and the post-grunge growl as he tries to convince some unnamed listener that he definitely should do the vague “what I must do.” The video, with all the thin melodrama of a youth group skit or an episode of Melrose Place, leads us to believe that perhaps murder is the case. Without the video, “If you could only see how blue her eyes can be when she says she loves me” doesn’t make a whole lot of sense upon first, second, or three hundredth listen, but it resonates when you’re a teenager whose hormones surge and crest the same way as those slide guitars. As a result, the song soon became vastly overplayed, perhaps as an attempt by deejays to counter the boy band takeover.

Arrested Development's "People Everyday"

One of three Arrested Development singles to wiggle into the Billboard Top Ten charts in 1992, “People Everyday” features Speech’s loose, near-rambling MC style a la De La Soul over peaceful samples, basic beats, a strummed guitar, gospel-style call and response, and handclaps. These elements present a folksy approach to what many would see as just another violent inner city episode; it’s a feel-good song on the surface that ends with an admonition in line with AD’s overall philosophies of community and Afro-centrism.
The original version (appearing on the album 3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life of…) gives listeners a different angle to the same story. Dub/Reggae seasoning mixes with tough urban funk samples and scratches behind Speech’s best attempts to sound “hard,” somewhat of an anomaly on the album as a whole.
Speech has pointed out that before releasing his semi-autobiographical “People Everyday” as a single, they remixed it to reflect their trademark sound that had already brought them success with “Tennessee.” The two different versions magnify the tension present in the song. Even while providing an alternative to the then-prevalent hardcore gangster rap and championing positive lyrics – according to Speech, a direct influence of Public Enemy) – Arrested Development and this song itself seems to admit that sometimes even if you “ain’t Ice Cube,” a guy’s just got to “take a brother out for being rude,” unabashedly using the n-word to distinguish between different lifestyles and behaviors. Knowledgeable hip-hop scholars and artists alike explore these tensions constantly, and truth be told, the issue existed amongst black poets, essayists, and novelists for decades before hip-hop came along. When Arrested Development takes on the topic, however, we also get a video that includes the MC wearing such a great straw hat.

P.S. They're back!