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Author: breno
Date: 07-07-12 15:54
http://www.npr.org/2012/06/14/155014576/the-mix-100-essential-noise-pop-songs?ps=mh_frhdl4
The Velvet Underground, sure, they're required. But "Rock & Roll" as their most essential "noise pop" song? Huh? That's NPR's go to track for the Velvets "expertly mixing melody with dissonance"? I love the song, but it's about as noisily dissonant as "Take It Easy" by the Eagles.
And Big Star mixes melody with dissonance, but apparently Jimi Hendrix, the Byrds, 13th Floor Elevators, Roxy Music, Brian Eno, Can, Bowie, Talking Heads, Joy Division, the Cure and the freaking Beatles didn't? Really? How does one assemble a list of "100 Essential Noise Pop Songs" and claim to go back to the beginning of the sound and then not begin the damn thing with "Tomorrow Never Knows"?
I can only assume Big Star makes the Noise Pop list mainly because they have been canonized so thoroughly alongside the VU as the sole inventors of Alternative Rock that they are required to be included on any alternative/indie list, even though it would make every bit as much sense to include Badfinger or the Shoes.
In fairness, though, it's for the most part a pretty sweet list. Take off the pointlessly non-noisy Velvets and Big Star tracks and begin it with The Feelies and then choose from the Cocteau Twins, the Dream Syndicate, Rain Parade, Ride, Curve or Lush (or even, gasp, Prince) to fill in in the two vacated spots and it wouldn't be bad at all for what they're trying to do. By trying to go back and prove their historical bona fides and doing a woefully inadequate job of covering the roots of the sound they made themselves look dopey.
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Author: erikalbany
Date: 07-07-12 16:19
"The Ballad of El Goodo"??? That's essentially a straightforward rock/pop song. I'm not sure what malfunction led to such a misleading and poorly conceived list.
What about Third/Sister Lovers? That would be a good starting point for noise.
"Radio Free Europe"? It's not even like some of these are arguable--it just shows a complete lack of understanding regarding the topic.
Typical NPR. There goes my blood pressure. (Deep breaths.)
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Author: totaji
Date: 07-07-12 19:55
I kind of get it. Add it Up, Beatnik, El Goodo don't use distorted guitars. They achieve a lo-fi fuzzy dissonance more from the production. Are they more dissonant than say a Kinks record? Not really but they fit that sound/scene/style. Sure I would never throw the Femmes in a Noise Pop discussion but I am guessing thats the idea.
I think the Television Personalities should have been on that 70's deprived list. They were quintessential Noise Pop.
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Author: erikalbany
Date: 07-07-12 20:13
No Spacemen 3???
I really need to stop reading this list; I can't take the aggravation (though it seems to improve as one enters the 1990s).
Post Edited (07-07-12 22:58)
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Author: hoip chiggs
Date: 07-08-12 07:59
You know how noise - er, newscasters are.
Recently on The Today Show, some chick announced this story: "Punk princess Cindi Lauper is on a mission. What, you may ask? Why to save the LGBT homeless generation, that's what."
Now, who ever called Cindi a punk princess?
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