Stimulation, I need some action.

If you haven't noticed, I love the Teenagers and I find that I have to write about them pretty often to relieve myself of the need that builds up inside me like steam in a kettle (as I did here and here). There is just something so fun about their minimalist blend of pervy lyrics, distinctive bass lines and tinny programmed drums. Sometimes I imagine that if it wasn't for vocalist Quentin's affected French accent the band would be rather plain, but after seeing them live I was totally enthralled. I think they are the kind of band which work better in a small venue rather than massive settings, as with my experience with them they made the stuffy Birmingham Academy 3 into the coolest party that you've ever been invited too. They are a band that actually appear to be having a good time on stage, especially Quentin who excels himself pulling (admittedly camp) shapes at the first sign of a camera from a hand sticking out of the crowd.

You may have heard 'Selflove', an album demo which was floating around on the blogs a short time back, but with the release of their latest single for Merok, Starlett Johansson, the band have renamed the track and unleashed it under the title of 'Full Flavor'. It is, as far as I can tell, a song about masturbation; a topic which seems rather fitting for a band who are renowned for writing rude songs. 'Sunset Beach' is an older song of theirs, but I still love it like I would I small child who happened to be mine. It sounds like the soundtrack to an American 80s TV show which you happened to stumble across on cable in the early hours of the morning, still feeling the effects of the heavy evening of drinks from which you haven't recovered. And then you wake up and realise it was all a dream, and you are sitting in your underpants in the living room, the TV throwing out nothing by static.

According to the band another single is in the pipeline, as well as an album, which will be on Merok.

mp3: The Teenagers - Full Flavor

mp3: The Teenagers - Sunset Beach

Is yours a shower or a grower?

Your preference that is? Do you like yours to impress straight away or do you prefer it to grow to be fully appreciated. I’m definitely a fan of growers when it comes to my music – yes, music! I wonder at the amount of bands and albums and songs that I have dismissed after only one or two listens that could have become all time favourites had I just been prepared to give a little more time.

“BARR is really good”. This is what I’ve been saying to people when I’ve been giving them mix-cds. “Forget everything else, track nine, Half of Two Times Two, love it!” I feel obliged to give it special mention as it is definitely, for me, a grower and I would hate for anyone to not give it the time it deserves and, in my opinion, needs to be fallen in love with. But how do you define a grower? It is not simple because I believe there are many different types.

They can be ‘slow burners’ – you’ve been listening to a highly recommended album for a few days now, perhaps not giving it your undivided attention, you may not even realise it is mind blowing till a break in a song or a chorus. You sit up, not sure where this has come from. You re-start the track and listen to it fully and it slowly dawns of you that you’re listening to something really special.

They can be ‘leapers’ – albums that you listened to a few months, maybe a few years back and you enjoyed it but to no great extent. Leap forward to today, bored of what you’ve been hearing over and over again recently you go back and delve into your shelves for something you’ve not heard for a while. You replay the album and like a fine wine its matured into something wonderful. I’m not sure if in the dormant period the music has made a concerted effort to get better or in the time between listens subconsciously your brain has made sense of it all and has been awaiting the chance to listen again properly.

They can be ‘clickers’ – you’ve listen to a few songs by some group for a day or two just before you’re about to give up and consider it for recycling suddenly everything falls into place and all the stuff Pitchfork or that blog or what your mate has been saying makes sense. “This band is awesome!” A treasured favourite is born.

This is what BARR (Brendan Fowler) was. When first recommended to me, I didn’t think much of him, then another friend recommended him and I said I’d listen again. After a friend, with whom I had previously agreed BARR was nothing special, turned around to me and say he’d been converted I went back and was determined to discover what the fuss was about.

CLICK! The stripped down production with spoken word delivery at first seemed too bare but now beautiful. CLICK! Initially Fowler’s voice felt monotone and inexpressive but now subtle yet acerbic. CLICK! I got what he was actually talking about and who he was talking to, this opened up all his songs and his style became so much easier to understand. I think he has to be seen live to fully grasp what he’s about. Having now fallen in love with him I have to say his album Summary, one of my favourite albums this year (cover below), is definitely worth getting and giving it a few listens to – or however long it takes.

1. First
2 The Song Is The Single
3. Summary
4. Complete Consumption Of Us Both
5. Untitled
6 Half of Two Times Two
7. Was I? Are You?
8. Piled On Piles On Head
9. Context Ender

The best thing about a grower is you feel that you’ve really earned it. With the music not immediately brilliant and the time needed to be given to fully appreciate how good it really is you feel like you’ve come away with something both you and the artist have put effort into making and it this creates connection between yourselves. For me it creates one of the strongest relationships with a band I can have.

I played it to a friend and she loved it straight away. She totally missed the point.