Scouting for girls: she’s so lover-ly
Something disturbing has been happening in recent months. A steady trickle of bands has emerged with an image loosely themed around being the nice boy you can take home to meet the parents. Is this some sudden cultural backlash to the recent heady mix of misogynistic rap lyrics, EMO suicide baiting and the antics of indie darlings Amy, Pete and um, Peaches (the Geldof variety)? I don’t know, but strangely there seems to be about one band for every David Cameron empathy speech.
I want to keep this post short, because I find these bands so so upsetting that ironically, i may need to turn to drugs and violence. I’m not going to spare the Hoosiers, One Night Only or The Feeling, but for now I’ll start with this one song, and i may just have to revisit the others in short bursts because, kids, we can’t get complacent.
Scouting for Girls appear to have difficulty with basic language skills. They wouldn’t last 2 minutes amongst northerners (where’s the ‘er’ in lovely?). And apparently their name is a play on words from the original Scouting for Boys handbook. Not so much a play, more infant school nativity.
They must have thought they were on a roll and came up with the rhyming genius that is “she’s pretty, a fitty” followed soon after by ” A stunner, I want her, was she this fit when she was ten years younger”
I haven’t time to tear into all the lyrics, so here in all their glory are the musings of Scouting for Girls:
http://www.lyricsmania.com/lyrics/scouting_for_girls_lyrics_8995/scouting_for_girls_lyrics_29337/shes_so_lovely_lyrics_499200.html
Back to the ‘nice’ theme, The full extent of their lyrical risk-taking is fancying a girl who may be a bit older. But check out the video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X95ycVOPcP8) and the line about wishing she was 10 years younger suddenly sounds more sinister.
The case for the defence? Some of the insightful customers of Amazon claim they are fun, and what’s wrong with a fun music, happy music? In my correct opinion, that’s what cheese is for. I always found James W and his love of cheese beyond anyone else disturbing, yet he has persevered with me, making me CDs with the same pride as the best indie mix tape.
And in honour of his passion for the cause I’ll leave you with some cheese, just to prove that fun does not equate to a thoughtless basic assault on intellect. It’s a song about a man struggling with the adult dilemma of how to leave a girl but not hurt her in the process. Whilst being buried up to his neck in sand. Enjoy!
Neon Neon
I would normally put this under Hypewatch. But the thing with Gruff Rhys and any project he turns his hand to, is that he never gets overly hyped, yet not a single review can find fault in his work. He is simply a music genius, with a very geeky Welsh voice.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4lZqDmCO9c
Fans of all things super, furry and animal-like will not be surprised to hear that the boy has gone all 80’s and electronic, or that there’s a drop of hip hop in this project. You’re not going to put this pigeon in a hole.
Here’s their best tune: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vJi1fmdYbg&feature=related
And unlike the numpty charged with the eventual naming of Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong, the name captures the essence of the music.
Recommended for:
Sarah T – I’m cheating, I’ve previously convinced you about this lot
Justin – If the Pet Shop Boys were a bit more alternative, this is what you may get
Sarah L – It’s not that he’s Welsh, its that he’s God.
Ben – He’s Welsh
Vicki HF – Swindon’s close to Wales…
Russ S – You may appreciate the film homage to Back to the Future
Hypewatch – Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong
No one likes a smart arse.
Joe Lean? That’s not clever even in music circles.
And the Jing Jang Jong just sounds racist.
Boys, you have a hell of a challenge to get back some credibility so your tunes better be flawless…wait, come back, where are you going, oh, a flaw you say?
I admit, I’ve not given much time over to these guys to fully critique their music, but to be honest with such an appalling name they’re lucky to have got a record deal. Their PR person has certainly earned his/her bonus this year.
