MiS | Moving in Stereo

One of the best music videos of the last few years for me personally was Feist’s excellent “1234,” made famous by Apple, and further appreciated for being shot entirely in one take.  Aside from the fantastic use of colors and first rate choreography, Feist released a “Making of” video demonstrating how the entire video was filmed in a single take–much to the surprise of many doubters.

Metric, led by Feist cohort Emily Haines, just released its kick ass new album Fantasies, impressively sold through the band’s website in lossless FLAC for $8.99.  While I am slightly bias, since I interviewed a gracious Chris Taylor, who founded Last Gang Records initially as a vehicle for Metric, for my dissertation, I must applaud the label’s foresight and Metric’s decision to promote FLAC at no additional cost.  It should be noted too, that  the majority of well-known Canadian indies have embraced FLAC (for a $2.00 surcharge)–through the fantastically wonderful digital store Zunior.com (which allows Americans to purchase away).

Getting to the point, Metric’s new video for single “Gimme Sympathy,” not to be outdone by friend Leslie Feist,  Haines & Co. decided they would switch up the one take video by featuring each member of the band supposedly alternating roles during a performance.  Similar to Feist, the band has released a “Behind the Scenes” edition that captures the madness and ingenuity of the film shoot.  Aside from producing what I believe is wihtout a doubt the band’s strongest album, seeing the enthusiasm of the members moving between their filmed roles, makes me anxiously await their live performance next month in Denver at the Ogden.

Metric’s “Gimme Sympathy” (Behind the Scenes)

Most post rock band solo singers never manage to equal their early, rock band years. For example, while Paul Weller has had a rich and longstanding solo career following The Jam (and Style Council), I don’t think anyone would argue he has come close to matching The Jam. I’m still waiting for Grant-Lee Phillips to produce an entire album worth of material as consistent as some of his Grant Lee Buffalo material, although I think he has come much more closer than Weller. Does anyone expect Eddie Vedder to come close to Pearl Jam’s best?

Following his rock band years with Rockpile and Brinsley Schwarz, few artists have so gracefully aged from young long-haired rocker to gray-haired troubadour with such style as Nick Lowe. At one time, Lowe would have probably been at the top of any list of most under appreciated British rockers. That was then though, and this is now. His songs have been made famous by the likes of Elvis Costello (“(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding’), Johnny Cash (”The Beast in Me” and “Without Love”), Tom Petty (”Cracking Up”), The Connells (”Cruel to be Kind”) and countless others. Lowe is one the best songwriters around, bar none. Of late though, his own versions have garnered a rich, expanded reissue with his classic The Jesus of Cool and a new double CD greatest hits, with a limited edition DVD version too, titled, appropriately Quite Please: The New Best of Nick Lowe (Lowe’s previous “Best Of” served as introduction for so many…including myself).

I can honestly say that two of most memorable shows of my life have been seeing Lowe at the Birchmere in Alexandria, VA (2001) and the Boulder Theatre in Boulder, CO just last year. While his music has changed over the years, there’s a easy argument to be made that its only gotten better with age. Quiet Please features the original version of “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout)” from Brinsley Schwarz, Rockpile’s version of “When I Write the Book,” and many of  his more contemporary marvels, such as “Has She Got a Friend?” and “I Trained Her to Love Me.”  Don’t worry, it also has classics such as “Cruel to be Kind,” “The Rose of England,” and “I Knew the Bride (When She Used to Rock and Roll.”  Always writing with a wry sense of humor about his well-chronicled female exploits (married awhile to Carlene Cash, stepdaughter of Johnny). Lowe, while now apparently settled down, and the proud father of 4-year old Roy Lowe (his first child), can still write songs of his labored, lascivious past, like “Long Limbed Girl.” Check out a live performance of it from a couple of years ago in London. And, here’s to Nick.