call and response - Two Door Cinema Club vs. Friendly Fires edition

I do believe I have a new favourite band. for the moment anyway, until some other bands put out their next albums.

I have been entrusted with a sampling of Two Door Cinema Club's debut album, 'Tourist History', to make its debut on 1 March 2010, the same day I am in Fairfax, VA seeing Muse. I've been listening to the sampling of songs on repeat for the last couple of days, following on for a near fast of everything musical except Morrissey and the Smiths. (I was in a weird mood when I came back from Boston.)

I got this idea from Eddie Argos of Art Brut. in addition to being an exceedingly nice young man (he wrote me and Tweeted me with get well wishes when I injured my knee!) , he has a side project with his gf Dyan, Everyone Was in the French Resistance. and what they are doing with their music is all about responding to stories in songs we never knew the ending to. For example, what happened to Jimmy Mack, and did he ever come back? for more info on their amazing work, read his blog here.

I won't divulge too much what I think of TDCC's songs b/c I'm saving that up for the review I will unleash to the world on TGTF the first week of 2010. but I will say that their song "I Can Talk" seems to me a chilling, almost vengeful response to the almost happy-go-lucky "Skeleton Boy" by Friendly Fires.

ok, first watch and listen to FFires's "Skeleton Boy":



okay, so my impression of the song is this. he's been wronged by his gf, yet he wants to give her another chance. being on the dancefloor takes his mind off what's going wrong in their relationship/his life, so he lets the music take him away ala Calgon. I particularly like the chorus "your love is out / believing despite it all / give me your hand / let's face this night and see it through" because it's incredibly optimistic. he wants to see if giving the relationship time will allow it to continue. frankly, if this guy was my mate, I would have already clawed out this girl's eyes out already.

and now we get to TDCC's "I Can Talk":



the lyrics? ouch. whoa mama.

you won't believe what I tell you
white coats and clever minds will choose
you get a lot from this
loose tongue and arrogance
it's not appropriate
don't think that this is it

now I can talk, no one gets off
(I know how you like to)
now I can talk, no one gets off...

obvs this guy is pissed. he's been wronged all right. and his girl has an acid tongue. THWAP there's your slap in the face, biotch.

the song is so ingrained in my head, it's crazy. I shouldn't be singing such a vitriolic song with such excitement, but what can I say. total earworm.

(may I also mention that the way people keep saying TDCC sound like Foals is driving me crazy. I don't think so. so stop already. if *anything* they sound KIND OF like Vampire Weekend.)

not sure which band would win in a fight, but surely 3-on-3 basketball would be hella interesting. COMMENTS/OPINIONS WELCOME.

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and oh yeah, have I mentioned how annoying Kanye West and Justin Timberlake are? they (or rather the people who actually write stuff on their Web sites) both have given props to FFires and Kanye likes TDCC. would you guys stop trying to jump on the bandwagon? you're too late, all right? thankyouverymuch.