Supergrass - Diamond Hoo Ha Man

[My Life Is A Stereo]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diamond_Hoo_Ha_Man

This song is the first single off of their latest album , Diamond Hoo Ha, from the British rock band best known for their mid 90's hit "Alright". This song is one of my favorite driving songs right now. It'll probably get sadly overlooked on US radio but I would love to see it get some pickup.

[Nicholas2.0]

I hated "Alright" when it was out, but by '97, "Cheapskate," despite my initial resistance due to who it was, eventually won me over. MTV2 also played "Richard III," though I don't recall it being a U.S. single. Then I instantly loved "Late in the Day" and "Sun Hits the Sky." I wound up buying In It for the Money by the end of '98.

That's a good-ass album. I started listening to it last year to refresh myself with it, but after the first couple of songs, I never got back to it for some reason. Too many 2007 albums, plus, after I made my list of my Top 100 albums of all-time at the end of '06, I then proceeded to listen to all 100 of them last year. So that took awhile, too. I should refresh myself with it now, since they've been brought up again.

[oscillations.]

You should get their GH package. It's pretty much a perfect listen straight through.

I remember MTV2 playing "Pumping Up The Stereo" a bit back in 2000/2001.

[Pipa]

"Pumping Up Your Stereo" is the only song by them I know. Maybe I'll give this a listen.

[oscillations.]

Are you sure you haven't heard "Alright"?
It's been in a shitload of commercials and movies:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_e4PxtQ-Fw

The video is pure camp. Love it.

[Pipa]

I've pretty sure I've heard it before, but I never cared about it.

[oscillations.]

frequenzeindipendenti.blogspot.com/2008/03/supergrass-diamond-hoo-ha.html

[jazklash]

Here's one band whose appeal to my ears was definitely dependent upon age. As a 15/16 year old teenager in 1994/95, songs like "Alright", "Caught By The Fuzz" or "Lenny" sounded like Teenage Heaven to me. And let me tell you: "Alright" was indeed one of the European Summer's unofficial anthems. They definitely still held appeal to me until 1999, when singles like "Going Out", "Richard III", "Pumping On Your Stereo" or "Moving" seemed ubiquitous on MTV Europe.
But then a lot of things happened. I got older, my own tastes evolved somewhat. And most importantly, I've come to really discover all the inspirations for their music. And it became hard not to look at Supergrass (and a lot of other Britpop alumni) as mere recyclers of past glories. And who needs that when a lot of exciting things were happening in other fields which definitely felt much more like "the sound of Now"? Oh well...

[My Life Is A Stereo]

^^^ Just curious, but have you even heard this song ^^^^^ Because if you dont think this sounds like the "sound of Now", I would love to know what you're listening to. If you need a really simple comparison, this song would have fit in perfectly on the White Stripes latest album. If you dont like it, that's cool, im just wondering if you're not liking it because you feel you shouldnt like Supergrass anymore???

[jazklash]

It's simple: electronic music, for the most part. That's where I (still) feel the Really New Thing being made. And, until 2005 or so, mainstream hip-hop and R&B. Right now, on mainstream terms, the Timbaland/Danja/Xenomania et al connection is where I'm feeling the most effort to create something that doesn't try to emulate the past, but just take inspiration from it.
As for the White Stripes or Supergrass, I already explained. As much as they have four or five killer songs, none of them feels like music that couldn't be made in any other time than NOW. I mean, fine. But why giving so much quota to Supergrass, when The Who, The Small Faces, or any number of late 60's/early 70's FM-rock bands were doing the exact same thing, and sounding exactly the same? What's the use, really? I want the music being made now to actually REFLECT the times, not to be some facsimile of past glories. For that, I'll listen to the original sources and find out where true greatness really lies.
And since this is an Alternative/Rock board, the true "sound of Now", when it comes to guitar music, lies in stuff like Battles, Holy Fuck, Boris, Final Fantasy, Grizzly Bear, Fuck Buttons, Black Dice, Gang Gang Dance or Om. Those, for me, are bands which take inspiration from past sources, but actually create something theirs with it, therefore sounding totally like their own, and especially like something that just couldn't have been made at any other time than... you guessed it, Now. :)

[My Life Is A Stereo]

Ok.....interesting way to look at it. That's really kind of sad that you feel that just because someone did it before that they did it better.

But for the record, when you talk of the "sound of now", you are talking only of YOUR "sound of now". Everyone has a different slant on that kind of thing. Please dont say that the true sound of now is anything other than your own. Honestly, just because anyone is doing something different doesnt mean its good. And even if it is , how is it the "sound of NOW" if no one hears it, outside of any certain scene (ie. New York Underground or anything like that). I've followed music fairly closely for nearly 25 years and although it difficult to follow everything that's going on in all areas, I've never heard of ANY of the alt / rock bands you mentioned, except for Battles. I'm not saying any are bad(how can i when I've never heard of them), I'm just saying if they are really the sound of now, dont ya think they'd be out there a little more in the general public eye? Experimentation is a funny thing, some people love it even if it sucks, just because its different. Seems rather peculiar to me.

I do have to say I find it funny that you list Timbaland and his posse as the innovators of mainstream right now. Honestly , mainstream hasnt been more bland in YEARS. You dont need to look any farther than "Apologize" for that . I could have done that with a Casio and a hangover. So how exactly they arent emulating the past is beyond me, they arent doing anything new, they are just doing it for a new generation.

As for "why" to give "quota" to Supergrass above The Who, Small Faces.....I guess the simple answer is because they actually have a new album out.

And I'm not trying to be an ass here , Im just playing devil's advocate, to try and better understand. It's part of my nature.