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#702: The Shins – Kissing the Lipless

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I’ve tried to get into The Shins but I’ve long conceded that their albums don’t do that much for me. Long ago I downloaded Oh, Inverted World and Chutes Too Narrow because I’d seen that they were praised very well. I do think Chutes is better – I deleted Inverted because I never returned to it – but even then there are two tracks on there that I listen to.

‘Kissing the Lipless’ starts off Chutes Too Narrow, an album that is now reaching twenty years since its release. It probably means a lot to many people. Been the soundtrack to many a formative year and important moments. Can’t say that for me. I’ve got to admit that I haven’t even listened to this song many times to properly gauge its meaning. I just really like James Mercer’s vocals on this. Usually, his vocals are what prevent me from really getting into a Shins song – but he sings the melody so strongly and with pure gusto that it’s hard not to feel some emotion from it.

In terms of what it’s about….? I can’t go into too much detail without copying it from somewhere else. But I believe it’s about a friendship that has ended and all the memories that it once contained. Something along those lines.

#700: Kings of Leon – King of the Rodeo

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This is another one of those songs where I was actually alive and could remember its video showing on the TV as opposed to finding it years later. One thing I remember about this track is that I, somehow, always managed to change the channel to MTV2 when the video for this song was almost finishing. I don’t think I ever saw the beginning until YouTube came along. Or maybe it was on the band’s official website when bands used to have their music videos on their in a .wmv format back in the day.

‘King of the Rodeo’ is on Kings of Leon’s second album Aha Shake Heartbreak, released in 2004. It was the album’s third single. I still don’t really know what Caleb Followill is saying throughout this thing. It’s never come to mind that I should find the lyrics and truly understand what he’s singing. I’ve always appreciated the sound of his voice here. The coarse tone, the breaks when he’s reaching for the high notes. It’s a characteristic that made the Kings of Leon those days very exciting to listen to. Yes, I’m one of those people. I think the real main highlight in the track is the guitar work of Matthew Followill. While Caleb pretty much plays two chords for the whole song, Nathan keeps the momentum going with the crunchy riffs and string bends. It’s in the left speaker if you’re using your headphones. Or the right, if you’re watching the video.

Now, I have read the lyrics. Apparently, there are a few references to the film Withnail and I in the track. I wasn’t expecting that. Other than that, there’s not much meaning to the lyrical content. I’ll take it that about they’re about some relationship between a guy and a girl in the South.

#698: Neutral Milk Hotel – The King of Carrot Flowers, Pt. 1

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While I may not see In the Aeroplane Over the Sea as the classic, iconic indie album as a lot of people do – it’s not my go-to when I want something to listen to – I can still appreciate the musicianship and all those elements that make good songs.

‘The King of Carrot Flowers, Pt 1.’ is more or less the introduction to the record, detailing an abusive relationship between two adults while a young boy falls in love with a girl. I would say it’s actually my favourite song on the whole thing. You may find that strange; I won’t argue with you. It just provides a homely and warm vibe straight away from the busy acoustic guitar riff that starts things off. The repetitive melody within the verses become so familiar after numerous listens. I’ve also always liked how the track builds as it goes on, with an accordion added in for the second verse before everything climaxes with those rising horns. It’s beautiful stuff.

It carries on into Parts 2 and 3 where everything takes a left turn. The whole band joins in for a raucous and messy performance. I don’t like it as much. Not because of its rough style. Could never just get into it….. But it’s down there for you.

#695: The Wombats – Kill the Director

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Haven’t written about The Wombats in a while. Last time I did was in 2014. ‘Backfire at the Disco’ was a track I did a blog on here too, talking about how much I like it, why that is and so on and so forth. Some time between then and now I grew tired of it and it is now off the phone. That was The Wombats’ first single, I believe, and I remember seeing its video on MTV2 most of the time. It was all right. But it was the next single that got me thinking ‘This band might be onto something here’. Or something to that equivalent when I was 12 years old.

‘Kill the Director’ is the first ‘proper’ song from the band’s debut album, apparently inspired by the rom-com film The Holiday from 2006. It’s basically about the feeling of futility that one can feel when it comes to dating, trying to put on an act to try and impress a girl and failing in the process. The message is all in the song’s main refrain – “If this is a rom-com, kill the director”, roughly bows down to – if this is what love is meant to be like then end it now because it’s not worth it.

It works great as the opener, coming through with these alternating bass and guitar chords alongside Dan Haggis’ busy drumming. It’s fast, fast, fast stuff, exploding into the song’s chorus each time with the ‘ooh-ooh’ backing vocals that are a staple throughout the album. The ‘This is no/Bridget Jones’ coda gets a bit stale after a while for me, it doesn’t have to be repeated that many times or the line could have started just a few measures later, but as a whole the track doesn’t disappoint in delivering a hook upon hook in just under three minutes.

#694: The Who – The Kids Are Alright

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During the summer of 2010 I began listening to The Who. I was fifteen, heading into my proper GCSE year in secondary school, and thinking that things from that point weren’t going to be the same. I had to get my shit together. I think it was a random choice that I just started searching for The Who songs on YouTube one day, and that just sent me into a spiral. The Beatles had been my new discovery for year 10. In year 11, it was all about The Who.

The video for ‘The Kids Are Alright’ was on YouTube all those years ago. Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, John Entwistle, and Keith Moon are in a park somewhere miming to the song and don’t particularly look like they’re having the greatest of times. Despite this, the song itself sounds very bright and quite cheerful. One of the best melodies that Pete Townshend wrote in the group I think, and its enhanced by the three part vocal harmonies that are present throughout the track.

The lyrics however tell a different story. All this time I thought it was commentary on the hip young groovers of the 60s and somehow saying that the older generation have no need to worry because ‘the kids are alright’. But after actually doing some research, it may be about a man who wants to pursue his dreams and leave his wife at home with the children. She can see other guys and he’ll go crazy if he doesn’t get away, but it doesn’t matter because at least the kids will be okay. That situation does make a lot more sense.

In the end, the interpretation doesn’t alter the way I feel about the music. It’s a great jangle-pop classic. From about 1968 onward, the band didn’t care to make these types of power pop singles again so it’s always great to see and hear how they started out.