The Not-Pop Jukebox

The Libertines made decent rock, but the whole “sex, drugs, and rock and roll” concept rather went to the heads of some members, or at least to their egos. It's too bad, because songs like Narcissist prove that the group made a solid songwriting team. They actually managed to make a grungy, almost rockabilly song that doesn't wallow.

I like a little social commentary with my pop, so this song won me over to the Libertines' side of the fence (musically speaking, if not politically). While the band did meander into melancholy, The Libertines offered generally interesting, and often smart, lyrics as the cake to hold up their musical icing. They do a very old-school sound, with guitars straight out of the 70s. That's enough to earn them a spot in the jukebox!

For a new reboot, I'm going to start a new series: creepy songs about obsessive love. Stalker songs have long been popular, some more subtly than others. Night Vision Binoculars is not one of those songs.

I quite enjoy songs where the lyrics are in direct opposition to the feel of the music. Passenger has captured this juxtaposition with creepy, psychotic lyrics over bouncy, jangly pop music. Night Vision Binoculars sounds rather like a Vampire Weekend tune, but the lyrics belie the happy beat. I love it when they do that.

For all its reference to restraining orders and the titular spying apparatus, it remains a feel-good tune. Unless, that is, you actually have a stalker, in which case it might lead you to invest in some heavy curtains and avoid leaving the house altogether.

It's time to plug the Not-Pop Jukebox back in, and what better way to do that than to go back to my first song and re-post the song with a new way to listen to it? As far as I can tell, no alternative to the wonders that were Grooveshark are going to arise and I miss posting so we're going with videos. The post went thus (I used to be more succinct):

I remember when Dance the Night Away was a old David-Lee-Roth-era Van Halen tune. I can admit that I rather liked it then; I'm old enough not to blush about my occasional enjoyment of hair band hits. But the song was due for an update. Along came the Forces of Evil in 2003, with their ska rendition of the song on the album "Friend or Foe".

I'll add to my original blurb that Dance the Night Away was Van Halen's first hit, when I was but a wee music fan, and that the story behind it could only have come from a group that paid their dues playing dive bars. Whoever that woman was that inspired the song, the world of rock and roll thanks you.

It's surprising how many people think Howard Jones was a one-hit wonder, based entirely on the beautiful Everlasting Love and the lack of other hits from the "Cross That Line" album. Now, I adore the album because Howard Jones has an amazing talent that doesn't get enough appreciation, but I can see why he didn't dance all over the Top 10 with the songs on it.

I spent a good chunk of the 80s basking in the warm, rich sound of Howard Jones and this album saddened me, not because it wasn't beautiful and deep but because I knew it would spell the end of his popularity. By the mid-90s most people had forgotten the hits off "Dream into Action" (and what an amazing crossover that album made) and, when they heard his name, Everlasting Love was the only song they remembered. Ah, well, at least it was a song well worth being known for, even if it was the best you'd ever made.

This may actually be my longest post title, ever. The song's good enough to support one twice this length, though. I realized that, now that I'm finally getting around to making and posting videos for some of the songs I haven't been able to find on YouTube I should probably share them here as well as at Google+. Rather than start from scratch (any more than I already have) I thought I'd just embed the post here. Enjoy!