Three for the price of two (or how i learned to loathe indie pop)

A quick 1-2-3, bash, bash, bash to shake me from my slumber this morning. Luckily, it's a far less bizarre combination than other multi-song days. To begin with it was

The White Stripes - I Think I Smell A Rat
ORIGINATION White Blood Cells
LAST LISTENED TO a fraction last week sometime
CHANCE OF WAKING TO IT not much
RATING

It begins with a slight Spanish guitar flavour, before moving into the stark loud guitar and drum sound that brought the Stripes fame and fortune. This pattern is repeated several times and constitutes what is a pretty basic song.

Lyrically, it feels just a tad self-righteous, having a go at many kinds of disrespectful youth. Not that that is a bad thing. It just feels a bit wrong.

Next up is

The Levellers - Plastic Jesus
ORIGINATION Five Years After (single)
LAST LISTENED TO kee-ryst knows
CHANCE OF WAKING TO IT bugger all
RATING

Not quite as serious this one and consequently a lot more fun. In fact, it's one of the few moments of levity that i am aware of in the terribly right-on (yes, yes, pot kettle black) career of these yoghurt weavers. I'm all for music with a message, but it needn't always be so damned blatant. Although to be fair it has been a long time since i last bothered to listen to the Levellers' music and when i did last i was pretty naïve myself. So maybe i should give them the benefit of the doubt. Hmm…

Anyway, Plastic Jesus is a ramshackle cover on the b side of a single put out when the Leverllers were at the height of their popularity. It's in much more of a country & western style than anything they had recorded up to that point and thus stands out. Perhaps that's why i have a small degree of fondness for it.

'Plastic Jesus riding on the dashboard of my car.' You know, i kinda want one. Possibly one that lights up. Of course, i'd have to get a car first. And learn to drive. But enough of that, now it's on to… oh no

James - Come Home
ORIGINATION neither know nor care
LAST LISTENED TO pass
CHANCE OF WAKING TO IT if only it had been nil
RATING

Come home? No. Bugger off! We don't want your sort round here.

Regular readers (if there are any) will have noticed that i have a slight soft spot for the Wonder Stuff. Which might lead them to naturally conclude that i'd like James as well. Wrong!

I realise that it's a little like splitting hairs, but i just can't stand James. The Stuffies always had a playful feel and a certain sense of humour. James, on the other hand, didn't. And they recorded (urgh) Sit Down, which is simply unforgivable. I recall to this very day tramping on the hands of fey indie-loving students, as they sat on the dancefloors of dingy clubs. How i loathed them.

Come Home is a lot better than Sit Down. However, it still sounds a bit like it BECAUSE IT WAS RECORDED BY THE SAME PEOPLE (who shall never be forgiven). So, it's not awful, but it reminds me of awfulness. Make it stop.