My iPod #241: Franz Ferdinand - The Dark of the Matinée

"The Dark of the Matinée" was the second single from Franz Ferdinand's debut album, released in February 2004.

According to Kapranos, or what I could make from him before he introduced this song at a festival, the track is about skiving off school and hiding away in the shadows of the matinée. Every music channel showed the song as simply "Matinée" which is (I'm guressing) what everybody generally calls it. Maybe even some Franz Ferdinand fans if they're too occupied to say the full title. Either way it is the same song, but it is the darkness of the matinée which is being specified that is being established as the hiding place, and not just the building itself.

Whatever.

It is remarkable to think it has been ten years since I first heard this. This was one of my favourite songs at the time. I thought the video made the song even better. The 'robotic' choreography, Alex Kapranos' fringe and the huge painting of Terry Wogan during the final verse. I had daydreams of being in a band and making a video like it. I wanted Looking at it now makes me want to that eight years old who would wake up early in the morning to watch MTV2, actually watch music videos and discover bands for the first time all over again.

It wasn't as successful as "Take Me Out", which I'll get on to ages from now, but to me it certainly brings back some good memories.

My iPod #240: They Might Be Giants - Dark and Metric

"Dark and Metric" is a track from the album "Long Tall Weekend" by They Might Be Giants.

Again, I'm left with little to say about this one. If only I actually knew more about music like modes, and steps etc. etc. I would be able to tell you a lot more. But there's something about the way it sounds that didn't feel right when I first listened to it. There's no phasing, panning or any special effects, just the vocal, keyboard and the rhythm section which are then joined by a slide guitar nearing the end. It leaves the song sounding a bit empty, and quite uneasy. It grew on me eventually.

The melody's perky but matched with lyrics about living in a town where nothing happens; the narrator puts on a brave face but inside knows that they will become miserable at some point.

See ya.