To kick things off I thought I’d post a tune that to me just feels like it should have been a massive hit. The song is called “Teenage Wristband” by the Twilight Singers and is from the album Blackberry Belle, which was originally released in 2003. I first heard the song on the late, great independent radio station WOXY out of Oxford, Ohio. It was an easy target for them, given band leader Greg Dulli’s history as the frontman for The Afghan Whigs, easily the best thing to come out of Cincinnati and southern Ohio other than Jungle Jim’s marketplace (Seriously, look at that).
Aside from that it’s just a great recipe for rock and roll success: it talks about staying up all night with a woman who already has a boyfriend, not having any money to burn, going for a ride, etc. It has backup singers, a sweet little piano ditty, big guitars, and Mr. Dulli’s soulful bad boy voice building to a pitch at just the right place. Honestly, what else do you need? Click the links to stream and/or download and take a listen. The file quality is a little weak, but you’ll still get the point.
Blackberry Belle
Stream at muxtape.com (click the title to play/pause)
Download The Twilight Singers – \”Teenage Wristband\”
But here’s the problem: even I didn’t buy this album. Why? I don’t know. I think I was a poor grad student at the time, but that’s no excuse. However, other outlets should have been crying to get their hands on this song. It’s insanely radio friendly. It has that reckless summer feel to it that should have made it ripe for television commercials, movie trailers, or at the very least one of those soundtrack/comps from the show “The O.C.” It would have fit in. Heck, it’s got the word “teenage” right in the title.
So see if it doesn’t stick with you and also check out the Gutter Twins, Dulli’s collaboration with former Screaming Trees frontman Mark Lanengan. Some good stuff up on their MySpace page.
As a little something extra here’s a live performance of the Twilight song “Esta Noche.” More tomorrow.
3 responses so far ↓
moorhead // July 23, 2008 at 12:51 pm |
First!
Oh wow – I really like this. Is the rest of this album as good? Sounds like a beach album. Like a song I would’ve listened to after totally striking out with the hottest girl in school and nursing a hangover on the beach right after high school graduation.
But that is all conjecture, of course, as I NEVER struck out. Right bros? Right?
holepuncher // July 23, 2008 at 4:42 pm |
I don’t actually own the album. Just this song. Part of this post was to help fuel guilt-inspired purchases. So, when I get it I’ll let you know. Or you can buy it and we’ll get a headphone splitter and listen to it together on the beach.
There would be nothing curious about that whatsoever.
Sigh… « Holepuncher // August 19, 2008 at 7:11 am |
[...] come after me yet so let’s get to today’s song. I started this blog with a post about the Twilight Singers and made mention of singer Greg Dulli’s side project with former [...]