Listen to “First Class Riot” by The Tough Alliance [download]
Listen to “Lost and Found” by Taken By Trees [download]
The Tough Alliance is a flamboyant eurotrash synth-pop band from Sweden that I’m in love with. The video to the left is for the song “First Class Riot” off their latest album, A New Chance. They are described by Pitchfork, with complete accuracy, as something like a “Scandinavian Wham! remixed by Simian Mobile Disco.”
Even though they’re one of the most innocuous bands alive, they are criticized in Sweden for being no-good hooligans who glorify violence (after, gasp, swinging a baseball bat on stage), and– this is just unthinkable– performing live with recorded music tracks! But I mean, if you’re going to indulge in music this campy, shouldn’t you be willing to watch them put on airs and dance around the stage, as opposed to hiding behind a drum set?
Whatever, Swedes. You can’t have your cake and eat it too! Unless your cake is delicious pop music, in which case you can make sweet, swet love to it, by listening to The Tough Alliance. Did that analogy just collapse in on itself?
While I was looking around on their label’s confusing website, I came across the video for Taken By Trees‘ “Lost And Found”. Taken By Trees is the new solo project by Victoria Bergsman, the former lead singer of The Concretes, perhaps better known as the chick who sang on the ubiquitous 2006 indie pop hit, “Young Folks” by Peter Bjorn & John. Reviews for Taken By Trees’ first release, Open Fields, have been only so-so– but “Lost and Found” is lulling and dreamy, and the video is hypnotically charming. Check it out after the jump!
oh wow. innocuous…campy…perhaps one should listen a little closer before declaring such…ummm…piffle.
TTA have a huge message (a good reference point to start on might be Guy Debords’s Society of the Spectacle) which sadly seems to be ignored by casual listeners such as yourself. you’d think a song title such as “First Class Riot” might tip one off?
Posted by ugh ugh on June 27th, 2007 at 2:16 am
Are you for reals, dawg? “Campy” is a good thing in my book. Camp is a highly effective tool for artists looking to discuss things like, say, the place of spectacle in late capitalism. Not to say that everything campy is so concerned with subtle over-reaching statements about postmodern society. Some artists use camp for fashion’s sake, or just for fun. Those would be the innocuous ones. And not to say that being innocuous is a bad thing– but I haven’t seen any proof that The Tough Alliance isn’t.
Given, I haven’t read TTA’s liner notes, so maybe I’m missing the manifesto you seem so sure they’re building a pop act around. But to me, this music, yes, may have some glimmers of clever writing, and yes, may even be using detached overproduction as an ironic commentary on capitalism, but compared to artists who have been employing such techniques since the The Velvet Underground, whatever subtext it has lacks much of a punch.
Each artist obviously uses irony in their own speacial way, but you could say that the same implicit criticism of the postmodern condition, which you’re alleging is TTA’s “huge message”, comes across more effectively in the music of Ariel Pink, M.I.A., Laurie Anderson, fellow Swedes The Legends, Klaus Nomi, David Bowie, The Pet Shop Boys, Soft Cell, and dozens of others who’ve played the pop music game since the 60’s.
But does it really matter whether The Tough Alliance are subtle pop music revolutionaries or just fun, dumb, Scandanavian porn star look-alikes? Am I wrong for being a casual listener, rather than scrutinizing their lyrics for something deeper?
i disagree with your description of the tough alliance as “flamboyant eurotrash synthpop”. there’s so much more going on in the music! maybe you should listen to more than two songs?
Posted by psychic_hearts on April 23rd, 2008 at 7:30 am
i, too, am feeling a bit lost & found these days. thanks for that.
oh wow. innocuous…campy…perhaps one should listen a little closer before declaring such…ummm…piffle.
TTA have a huge message (a good reference point to start on might be Guy Debords’s Society of the Spectacle) which sadly seems to be ignored by casual listeners such as yourself. you’d think a song title such as “First Class Riot” might tip one off?
Are you for reals, dawg? “Campy” is a good thing in my book. Camp is a highly effective tool for artists looking to discuss things like, say, the place of spectacle in late capitalism. Not to say that everything campy is so concerned with subtle over-reaching statements about postmodern society. Some artists use camp for fashion’s sake, or just for fun. Those would be the innocuous ones. And not to say that being innocuous is a bad thing– but I haven’t seen any proof that The Tough Alliance isn’t.
Given, I haven’t read TTA’s liner notes, so maybe I’m missing the manifesto you seem so sure they’re building a pop act around. But to me, this music, yes, may have some glimmers of clever writing, and yes, may even be using detached overproduction as an ironic commentary on capitalism, but compared to artists who have been employing such techniques since the The Velvet Underground, whatever subtext it has lacks much of a punch.
Each artist obviously uses irony in their own speacial way, but you could say that the same implicit criticism of the postmodern condition, which you’re alleging is TTA’s “huge message”, comes across more effectively in the music of Ariel Pink, M.I.A., Laurie Anderson, fellow Swedes The Legends, Klaus Nomi, David Bowie, The Pet Shop Boys, Soft Cell, and dozens of others who’ve played the pop music game since the 60’s.
But does it really matter whether The Tough Alliance are subtle pop music revolutionaries or just fun, dumb, Scandanavian porn star look-alikes? Am I wrong for being a casual listener, rather than scrutinizing their lyrics for something deeper?
Thanks for the TTA introduction! Love it. I don’t take them as seriously as ugh ugh would like to, but it’s definitely campy fun :)
i disagree with your description of the tough alliance as “flamboyant eurotrash synthpop”. there’s so much more going on in the music! maybe you should listen to more than two songs?