Fountains of Wayne- Out of State Plates

Now here is a two disc set that didn't need to be released. I did not read the notes very thoroughly, but gave both discs a run through. It seems to be a compilation of recordings that were made but never released or only saw limited distribution. As a whole, it is entirely forgettable, but upon closer inspection, there are a few noteworthy tracks, albeit for completely different reasons. Of the 30 tracks on this set, only 28 are songs, and a few are remakes. Oddly enough, those seem to be the best of the bunch, with a major exception. For some reason these guys decided "..Baby one more time" by Britney Spears deserved to be remade. This is a song that didn't need to see the light of day the first time around. On a more positive note, Trains and Boats and Planes, a Burt Bacharach tune has a nice "Simon and Garfunkle" sound to it. There is a nice ELO remake of "Can't Get it out of My Head" as well.

Disc two has even less worth mentioning. Today's Teardrops, an old Gene Pitney tune once performed by Ricky Nelson is a nice change of pace, as is Half a Woman. Those are pretty much it. There are a couple decent Christmas tunes and an absurdly short Chanukah piece mixed in as well.

Overall, I have to give it a C. Maybe these guys should have waited a few more years to put out this type of release.

NO NEWS on Hurricane Katrina here.

With that out of the way, I can get to the business at hand. New review! But first, a little shoutout to the person who left a comment about The Cubby Creatures. Thanks! I don't dance, but Wallet would make me dance as well. Music has a much different effect on me. It inspires me. It moves me. It brings me "up". Some of my more often listened to people/groups are--

Frank Zappa
The Beatles
Gorillaz
Black Eyed Peas


Those are probably the specific ones I can name without just listing genres and stuff.

Anyway, today the disc is Le Fun by The Tah Dahs.

Le Fun is Le Correct! This isn't bubblegum pop by any stretch of the imagination. It is fun, interesting, lyrics driven pop that is very rewarding if you take the time to listen to the lyrics. They are simple yet thoughtful. They are fun without being over the top. Nothing stands out as a hit single, but there are some catchy tunes on this disc. I would definitely like to hear a future release from these guys. ---Grade --A

My picks on this disc are--

Alcoholic
Why'd it take so long for you to fall in love with me
New York
The Clap