Fathers Hide Your Synthesizers — There's New Music From The Rentals!

Normally I wouldn't hype something on my blog that I myself am not involved in, but given my new commitment to up my blogging, and the fact that I'm incredibly excited about this, please excuse my HOLY CRAP THERE'S A NEW RENTALS ALBUM COMING OUT!

MOOGS! POWER CHORDS! LOTS OF LAYERED HARMONY ON FEMALES GOING "OOOH"!

C'mon, that was catchy, right? It's like...all the power-pop goodness that we all still want out of Weezer, but sadly never get. It's simple, sure, but with these tiny artistic / experimental embellishments — which is precisely what I love about The Rentals.

Which makes sense, of course, because Matt Sharp formed the band as a side-project back when he was still playing bass and supplying quirky falsetto background vocal embellishments in Weezer (his departure marking the beginning of their steady decline), and he's remained the only consistent member of the band (as well as its lead creative force). Weezer drummer Patrick Wilson and Indie Rock Violinist Sisters Extraordinaire Rachel and Petra Haden and even actress Maya Rudolph (because I guess she has a Moog?) have been among the band's rotating members; their upcoming album includes Patrick Carney from The Black Keys. The Rentals released their first album, Return Of The Rentals, in 1995, and it's an irresistible explosion of power-pop hooks, Moog synthesizers, and enough female background vocals to make Brian Wilson cry. It's certainly reminiscent of Blue Album-era Weezer, but with less angst and pop sensibilities cranked up to 11. It's almost overwhelmingly upbeat and catchy, not to mention incredible simple and just plain fun. Here's the lead single from Return Of The Rentals:

And now you're probably like, "That was stupid. Also brilliant. It was so...simple! Why is this in my head?! Why won't it go away and why do I like it?!," to which I respond, EXACTLY. They followed that album up with Seven More Minutes, which is bit more rockin', while also drawing on some Americana influence for the folky "It's Alright." They released Songs About Time in 2009, which was a whole multimedia project consisting of three mini-albums released every three months, 52 black and white short films scored and arranged by the band and released every week, and 365 photographs released every day for one year. They compiled some of the best parts into a single album, which leans more heavily on the strings, pianos, and acoustic guitar sounds. It's a gorgeous record, but I'm also excited that their new album is sounding like a return to form for their more rock-oriented sounds.

Despite the mild radio success of "Friends of P," The Rentals haven't been hugely successful, but I wish more people were aware of them, because I find them to be an absolutely irresistibile medley of many of my favorite musical things. So check 'em out if you have the chance (or, ya know, Spotify 'em or whatever)!

"I'll Fight A Whedon For You," My Newest Nerd Rock Single

 A few years back, my friend Jeremy and I were joking around and discussing our adoration of Maurissa Tancharoen, a TV writer on Dollhouse and Spartacus and now one of the showrunners on Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., plus an occasional actress in her own right on Dollhouse and Dr. Horrible's Sing-ALong-Blog. On top of all of that, she's also (sadly) married to Jed Whedon, brother of Joss. And she's just super cute and lovely, so Jeremy and I talked about writing a nerd rock song called "I'll Fight A Whedon For You," a sentiment which in our circles is pretty much considered the pinnacle of romantic sacrifice.

Well, I finally got around to actually making that song happen. I wrote the lyrics up for a Five By Five Hundred post a few weeks ago (and I'll include the annotation below, after the jump), and recorded the entire song at home over the last week or so. I play everything on the tune except for bass, which comes to you courtesy of the inimitable Jake WM. (okay I didn't technically so much play drums as I did edit and re-arrange pre-existing Logic Pro drum loops but it's pretty much the same thing.

Please feel free to download and share with your friends!

Annotated Lyrics

The first time I saw you in pony tails,
that Horrible Doctor's fan, -- in DR. HORRIBLE'S SING ALONG BLOG, she played one of the"Fans," and wore pigtails. "Ponytails" just fit the rhythm better. I knew by your groove when you sang that tune that I wanted to be your man.

But then your Commentary made me Asian Aware-y -- the DVD Commentary for DR. HORRIBLE'S SING ALONG BLOG is a full musical entitled, naturally, COMMENTARY: THE MUSICAL, and Maurissa sings a song in it called "Nobody's Asian In The Movies," because, well, she's the only Asian in the movie. and I knew what I'd have to do:

I'll fight a Whedon for you: Zak, Jed, or Joss, -- The Three Whedon Brothers, Jed being her actual husband, Joss being the more famous one, and Zak being, well, I just didn't want to leave him out. Yeah, you know that it's true. There's more a chance I'll see DOLLHOUSE renewed -- I think I was one of 11 people who watched that show when it aired. I REGRET NOTHING. But it's true: I'll fight a Whedon for you.

Echoes remain from that song that you sang as Kilo the cutest Doll. -- Uhh, well, she sang a song called "Remains" in an episode of DOLLHOUSE, which was written by her and Jed. She also had a recurring cameo as a doll named Kilo, and the protagonist on the show was a doll named Echo. I'm too poor for STARZ or for SPARTACUS, but you know that I'll give you my all. -- Pretty safe explanatory there. She worked on SPARTACUS; I never watched it.

No, I'll never yield; I'll back AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. -- She's now showrunner on Marvel's AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.LD., and the original S.H.I.E.L.D. comics used the catchphrase "Don't yield! Back S.H.I.E.L.D.!" because it was the 60s until Agent Coulson dies (I mean, again, like, for real this time) -- Technically, Agent Coulson already died in THE AVENGERS, but he's mysteriously back to life on AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. You're Pretty In Pink, I don't care what they think -- She was apparently in a girl pop group called Pretty In Pink, according to Wikipedia. I don't know. Then I saw you with another guy. -- Being her husband, Jed, because I'm clearly working in the established trope of heartbroken nerd rock power pop songs here

Even though you have lupus -- Uhh, well, she has lupus.  I thought we could this but then werewolves devoured my heart. -- Sometimes I genuinely get confused between "lupus" and "lupine," like a werewolf. Whoops!

But I'll fight a Whedon for you: Zak, Jed, or Joss, Yeah, you know that it's true. There's more a chance I'll see DOLLHOUSE renewed But it's true: I'll fight a Whedon for you.

Did you know that our birthdays are one day apart (except plus or minus ten years)? -- A fun fact that I discovered while trying to find something to write for the bridge: her birthday is in fact on November 28, 1975, whereas I was born on November 29, 1985. Which I guess is like a sign or something? And sure, Jed is hot -- what's he got that I'm not? I mean, like, besides his career -- Pretty self-explanatory there, I think

So Mo, won't you go with me, baby, you know we'd be cool (ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)

But I'll fight a Whedon for you: Zak, Jed, or Joss, Yeah, you know that it's true. I hope AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. makes it past season 2 -- The show only just got picked up for a full first season order, and Whedon shows are kind of infamous for being prematurely cancelled. 'cause it's true: I'll fight a Whedon for you.

Damn you, Jed.

The Art of Rock N Roll

Many people overlook the nuanced art of rock n roll, both within the songs*, and within the performance itself. Consider then: the set list. A good set list (or track listing**, for that matter) is a thing of beauty, complete with its own narrative arc of musical peaks and valleys that carry the audience through a complete cathartic hour-long rock n roll experience. But I realize that it's an art form that not many have mastered. And so this week on Five by Five Hundred, I've offered my assistance in a very public format. So you're welcome, Aspiring Rock Stars. Go forth, and make rock!

"Set List For A Washed Up Rock N Roll Band" on FiveByFiveHundred.com

*Perhaps another day I shall blog at length about the importance of the narrative arc in song arrangements as well, in which case I'll be mostly using Weezer's Blue Album as a perfect example.

**Foo Fighters' "The Colours & the Shapes" has the best non-concept album track listing ever. I'll fight you on it.