"Pumped Up Kicks" by Foster the People
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This song is so good, it almost makes me want to visit Los Angeles.
Almost.
If you didn't catch their appearance on Saturday Night Live on 8 October 2011, I'd recommend you check it out while you can. While I like the official version above, the live one was even better.
And my goodness, their second performance of the song "Houdini" was almost as memorable, if for no other reason than the Rehabilitation of Kenny G!
You know it had to be good if it caused me to sit through a Ben Stiller Zoolander sketch.
Or any Ben Stiller sketch for that matter.
3 comments:
One of my satellite radio channels has been playing a live, pared-down version of this for months which I LOVE LOVE LOVE. It even makes me forget for a little while how much I hate gun violence. But as much as I wanted to see them on SNL, I couldn't quite bring myself to sit through it, which has been my SNL attitude for about a decade. But getting back on topic, WOO HOO, Foster the People!
It's a funny, strange song, isn't it? Melodic, which I love, but underneath, this really dark lyric. From what I've read the band member who wrote it says he was trying to get inside the head of a teenage killer to highlight the issue. Well, maybe. But I appreciate the effort all the same.
I don't know if it quite works in that regard, as it's so upbeat that you're likely to mess the message. However, I always think the best pop is kinda bipolar--exhilarating in sound but often mournful in its message, even when it's trying to convince you it's nothing more than a happy little ditty. Seriously, this is why I like ABBA. I know!
Oh, by far my favorite self-defined genre of music is the "upbeat song with bitter, miserable lyrics". I actually created a compilation this summer called "malcontent stew" that had mostly that type of tune. Things as diverse as Martina McBride's "Independence Day" and Julian Casablancas' "Out of the Blue". I've make ya a copy ;)
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