MP3s of the Week - New Counting Crows
Let the 90’s nostalgia begin! With the possibility of another Clinton in the White House - though, thankfully Barack Obama’s trouncing of Hillary Clinton in South Carolina may slow that train - new albums by 90’s rock bands are the next indicator of a revival of the decade of my 20s. This week, 90’s icons Counting Crows released two new tracks for free ahead of their new LP due in March.
When “August and Everything After”, the Counting Crows debut LP, was released in 1993 I tossed them into the same dustbin as Bush, Stone Temple Pilots, and the other try hard grunge bands that were littering the record store shelves at that time. It was something about the white-boy dreadlocks that Adam Duritz sported and that overproduced video for “Round Here” that MTV couldn’t get enough of that just stunk of artifice.
But over the years, Duritz and Co. have really endeared themselves to me. Their particular brand of Americana inspired rock served as the soundtrack to more than one drive during my exile in the Midwest. Despite being left and right coasters, Counting Crows wrote midwestern ballads that would impress John Cougar Mellencamp. Over here in Blighty, a Counting Crows track never fails to inspire a little pang of homesick patriotism. They may have been posers at the time, and I do think they were, but they had - and still have - some great chops. Enjoy “1492″ and “When I Dream of Michelangelo” and look out for the new one in March.
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Awesome. Good to know that Counting Crows have a new album coming out.
While I do agree that Mtv used to play videos, and that this one was repeated solely for about 6 months, I would have to disagree with the Poser comment…..But it is your site.
28 Jan 2008 at 5:58 am
i’m always surprised at how much i like the counting crows, coz i’d never list them as one of my favorite bands if someone asked. but some of their songs are freaking great–”hangingaround” and “colorblind” are two of my faves.
p.s. go obama, go!
mjrc’s last blog post..Falling At Your Feet
29 Jan 2008 at 4:21 am
Pleased to hear of Obama’s recent victory…..we do hear of these things here you know…..
Interesting that you should post ‘Counting Crows’. I happened to say to an ex school friend on the weekend that they ‘don’t write songs like they used to’. To which she replied, in true Python style, ‘except for Counting Crows’…..and then we had to add Snow Patrol and Damien Rice.
But apart from them……..:-D
arizaphale’s last blog post..Best Shot Monday: Why wear an apron?
29 Jan 2008 at 12:57 pm
Yeah, Duritz can write a great song. It’s mostly those fX*&in’ dreadlocks that do my head in. I mean, you’re a white dude from Maryland and your surname isn’t Marley. He’s getting a bit chubby these days so it looks more happy hippy but back in the 90’s it drove me crazy.
30 Jan 2008 at 5:59 pm