Saturday, November 5, 2016

Click (Music): Japandroids, Stranger Things, Day Wave and Spicy Mac and Cheese

"Near to the Wild Heart of Life" by Japandroids

When I was a child, I ate like a child. My mac and cheese came powdered or in a squeezable foil packet. Now that I am a man, I eat like a man. My mac and cheese comes from cashews, contains Brussels Sprouts and is spicy as hell. This manly version of mac and cheese cooks up so well with "Near to the Wild Heart of Life" by Japandroids. First, there's the constant reference to fire in the song (including the repeated "and it got me all fired up"). That's the same fire that bites my tongue and stabs at my cheek with each bite I take. Then there's the ever present "I used to be good but now I'm bad." Despite the fact that the powdered and foil wrapped processed version of mac and cheese is full of dyes and junk and nothing nice, my friends and family continue to try and convince me just how "good" these versions are. They refuse to even give the time of day to my cashew laden, protein packed, veggie filled version. Fine, you continue to be "good." I'll put that life in the rearview and hang out here on the "bad" side of the dining room table.



"Make it Better" by Hazel English

I'm putting the pieces together of this mac and cheese and it comes time to dump in the chipotles. While I'm thinking two is fine, I realize that the can I just opened will sit in my fridge until it gets moldy. No way am I wasting food. So I live a little and dump that entire can into my blender. I puree that s*** up, pour it into my mac and cheese and take a bit. Holy hell I start to cry. My chest burns, my eyes water and no amount of soy milk can take this sting away. I'm forced, for the remainder of the pot of mac and cheese, to eat it cold. Not sure how many of you like your mac and cheese cold but I'd not recommend it. So, as Hazel English suggest, "Make it Better." I took her advice and made sure that the next time around I only put in two chipotles.



"Wasting Time" by Day Wave

Put Day Wave's shimmering new song "Wasting Time" into a duct taped paint can, swirl it around with some green food coloring, add a little announcement that he has just signed to Harvest Records and voila! You've got Toxic Wasting Time Mac and Cheese. It's perfect for keeping all those hangers-on away from your Thanksgiving table.



"This Glimpse of You" by You Are Number Six

Perhaps it is slightly too warm and not quite dark enough the deeper you get (think more of the rainbow that comes right before the cloudy day dissipates versus being solely the cloudy day) but if I was putting together the sounds for season two of Stranger Things, I'd have to look long and hard at "This Glimpse of You" by You Are Number Six. The layers of synths fit with what I imagine will be more dark unknown creature entertainment. The machine like hums work too. Even the hypnotic vocals that speak of demons and wanting more and feeling the changes would seem at home on the screen backing either monster or Eleven. If that doesn't work for the Duffer Brothers, how about a scene where Dustin makes some mac and cheese? "This Glimpse of You" is just filled to the brim with versatility.



"Public Display of Affection" by Eat Fast

Eat Fast don't just eat fast, they hit the top of the Hype Machine fast. In just 24 hours "Public Display of Affection" hit number one on the artists chart. Fast? Yes. But their rise to the top did take about 86367 seconds longer than it took Travis M. to eat a box of that crappy...er...krafty mac and cheese.



Videos:

"Joyride" by Ceasefire

Ceasefire took the boxed macaroni approach for their latest "Joyride" video. Instead taking a lot of time traveling to a bunch of different locales for "fast paced" shots around the globe, the band just had members of their Ceasefire militia send them their way. The result is a much quicker boil and pour video. I will say, despite the fact that this video came from a box, it seems to be a much healthier boxed version (like that organic one with a bunny on the box).



"Real Thing" by Pale Honey

I drove to my friends' house to watch game seven of the world series (yeah, I don't get regular television stations around these parts) and I noticed that they had built Castle Byers in their yard. Too bad Pale Honey's video for "Real Thing" wasn't one of those boxed mac and cheese ones like "Joyride." I so could've sent in a clip of their front yard and it would've gone perfectly with Stranger Things theme of this video. I could've also filmed their neighbors house because they had the whole alphabet and christmas light thing going on.



"Setting Fires" by The Chainsmokers featuring XYLO

"Setting Fires" is the last single to hit the internet from The Chainsmokers 2nd EP Collages. Some fun notes courtesy of Alex and Drew:

1) Drew sprained his ankle recently at a show so he will be sitting in a stool at their next shows like a wimp...
2) They are performing Closer with Halsey at the AMA's 
3) Closer is now 11 weeks strong on Billboard Hot 100 which is the longest streak of the year for any song

4) Alex is scared of Drains



"Domino" by Animal House

Have you ever wondered how a Domino plays soccer, eats waffles, buys coffee, deals with discriminatory restaurants, gets drunk and fails to make friends? Animal House delivers all these answers, and more, in their new video.



"Bad Catholics" by The Menzingers

The mac and cheese and deviled eggs have been laid out on the picnic benches. All the church members take their places for some food and communion. As you are about to dig into that bowl of cashew cheesed noodles you look across the way and see a lost love. You steal a glance at some of the people around her and they are all extolling her Catholic virtues. But you know a different side of her. You know the "Bad Catholics" side. Shaking your head you go back to looking at the kid across from you with his orange soda mustache while scooping out the cashew mac and cheese with the edge of your spoon.




 Get All of 2016's Click Tracks (when available) in One Spotify Playlist:

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