By: David de Young
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From first listen to the Shins music, I was enthralled. There was both freshness and a certain nostalgia in their songs for the music of my "youth," the early and mid 80's when bands like the dB's and Let's Active weighed in heavy on the college charts. Although frequently compared to the Beach Boys, especially for their melodic progressions and harmonies, it would be a disservice to suggest that they are merely an updated incarnation of the spirit of Brian Wilson.
The Shins lyrics are often as hard to decipher live as on their recorded work, which made it hard to peg the actual songs without a setlist. Vocalist and chief songwriter James Mercer frequently evoked comparisons to Robert Smith of the Cure's vocal style from about 1986, though is less whiny. And with his overly wide glasses and small stature he looked like a geeky version of David Byrne in the Talking Heads "Once In A Lifetime" video. Musically, the band at times evoked comparison with American Analog Set (whom they once shared members with) Marty Crandall's Roland filling the roll of AAS's trademark xylophone. It is in fact the ever-so-artful combination of Crandall's keyboards and Mercer's guitar that distinguish the trademark Shins sound.
About midway through their set they played what is now their biggest hit to date, the single that led them to their Sub Pop recording contract, "New Slang," recently featured in a McDonald's TV advert. Towards the front of the crowd, the whole audience was swaying. Funny though that a song adopted for a McDonald's commercial would contain the line "dirt in your fries." (See the lyrics link for the whole song.) Of course, this is just another example of how corporate America uses music to promote their products with zero concern for the song's content, only wishing to cash in on it's vibe or popularity. Sadly, the consumer of both McDonald's food and a lot of indie rock pay exactly the amount of attention to the content as the advertiser wants them to, i.e. none. How many indie or even top 40 rock songs actually sing the praises of fast food and gas-guzzling minivans? To quote Warren Leming in the April, 1997 edition of Chicago Ink, ( http://ink.uchicago.edu/page_olga_made/archives/april97/) "Teen Spirit ends at Wal-Mart." Clearly someone is being hoodwinked here. I'm just not sure who.
Despite the fact that some wise-ass girl behind me kept telling us to ask them if they couldn't "supersize" that, "New Slang" was a set highlight.
Other set highlights included "Girl Inform Me," "Pressed In A Book," "One By One All Day," the song from which the album's title is culled. Here and there a couple of older songs by Flake Music were interspersed. The set proper ended with "Caring is Creepy," the striking album opener, and a well chosen Jesus and Mary Chain cover, "A Taste of Cindy."
To paraphrase Oscar Wilde, The Shin's music is exquisite, and leaves one unsatisfied.
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Minneapolis Set List Pressed in a Book |
Location Info:
400 Bar
Artist Info: The Shins
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