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Wednesday :: April 16, 2008

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Frightened Rabbit

Frightened Rabbit - "Soon Go"

The Glaswegian crew Frightened Rabbit released their sophomore album The Midnight Organ Fight earlier this week. Elegantly grimy heart breaker "Soon Go" isn't part of the collection, but it is this week's Drop. We spoke with vocalist/guitarist Scott Hutchison about the track, a forthcoming UK 7" B-side. Get your lighters ready.

"Soon Go" opens with a strong, intimate image. It nails a sort of stasis or entropy. What was the inspiration for it?
There's a story behind this actually. I didn't technically write that line. The original line on an old 4-track demo was "someone will tuck you back in," and it was actually my friend Darren who misheard the lyric as "there's someone on top of you fucking." I liked his line better.

It's an unable-to-let-go, but constantly almost-ready-to go song. Can you talk about the narrative? Toward the end, it seems to open up into something else.
I always enjoy leaving an element of hope at the end of a song which could otherwise be interpreted as miserable. It can get a little oppressive and indulgent otherwise, so in the end i kind of try to externalize my inner twists and grunts to apply to a wider section of people. That way anyone can grab hold of that feeling and use it to remember or relive a section of their own life. Everyone has doubts, and that's what this song is about. It's also about saying "fuck it" to those doubts and flying by the seat of your pants.

The "I'll soon go" phrasing has an old-time cadence to it, making the track sound like a traditional ballad. Intentional? "Lost in thoughts of tomorrow" ... but this evokes the past?
Nothing about this song was "intentional" as such. It was the first song I ever wrote (I was about 18 -- I'm 26 now), so in that sense its the most naive song of all of ours. It kind of just appeared without so much as a warning and it was the trickle that started the flood. I like the interpretation on it, but at that point in my songwriting "career," cadence didn't really enter my thought process.


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Chew On This: highlights from the last week
New Wolf Parade - "Call It A Ritual" (Stereogum Premiere) »
After Apologies To The Queen Mary took the indie-rock world by storm in 2005, Wolf Parade's various "side projects" seemed to take the fore, but at long last, the Montreal crew's releasing nine new songs on a still-untitled sophomore epic. This week, we premiered the rollicking, piano-based Spencer Krug-fronted "Call It A Ritual."

New Death Cab For Cutie Video - "I Will Possess Your Heart" »
Folks have generally been confused by Narrow Stairs's 8-minute first single. Maybe the icy, globe-trotting, girl-stalking video will shed some light on the situation. If not, Ben Gibbard's Big Sur-penned essay on Jack Kerouac certainly will.

Weezer Offer A Taste Of "Pork And Beans" »
A snippet from Weezer's forthcoming sixth album suggests Rivers Cuomo & Co. are returning to their earlier, crunchier sound. It's just a tidbit, but commenter reactions have been positive: "This is the best thing to happen in years," "I'm not proud that I did this, but... I almost cried," and "Sounds kinky," for example.

The 'Gum Drop is Sponsored By...
Gossip: Live in Liverpool »
"Live In Liverpool" CD/DVD captures the ferocity and intensity of Gossip's performances with definitive versions of "Standing In The Way Of Control," "Jealous Girls," Wham!'s "Careless Whisper" and Aaliyah's "Are You That Somebody?"

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