SUPERFUNBIGLIST: For the second in an occasional series of fantasy American Idol theme nights, Adam and I have chosen The Songs of SubPop.
SubPop is a national treasure, though it frequently reminds us that it is worth practically nothing (t-shirt mottos -- in 1990: "What Part of We Have No Money Don't You Understand"; in 2008, "Going Out of Business for 20 Years"). It started as a 'zine, then a column in a free weekly, then an infrequent mail-order cassette compilation, and didn't become an actual record imprint until the release of the seminal SubPop 100 compilation. Much of what we associate with SubPop's heyday actually isn't -- Geffen bought out Nirvana's contract and released Nevermind (with a SubPop sticker and some royalties); Soundgarden released its first album on SST and everything thereafter on A&M, using SubPop only for a few singles, songs on compilations, and an EP; SubPop’s Green River never reached the popularity of its progeny, Pearl Jam and Mother Love Bone; etc. Meanwhile, SubPop soldiered on, collecting bands that moved the label away from its early homegeniety, tentatively at first (Afghan Whigs, Velocity Girl) but eventually completely (Postal Service, The Shins). Can a bunch of kids who grew up at the same time as, but not with, the label do it justice? Probably not, but here's how we suggest they try:
Rounds:
All she wants to do is belt. Fine. "Bear Up Bison," Shonen Knife, which has the Lil-appropriate lyrics "He's on the way to extinction/We only want what's best for him." Or Velocity Girl's lead single off Copacetic, "Crazy Town", which is going to take some effort to bring from Sarah Shannon's opera-trained register to be Lillified, but since Lil can't do anything else well why not give shoegazer pop a try? -- Adam
For someone who yells so much, she's remarkably difficult to assign a SubPop song. Mudhoney, no. Blood Circus, no. Tad, Spinanes, Hazel, SDRE, no. Iron & Wine, God, no. I guess I'd slow the poppy, featherweight "Sliver" by Nirvana down just a touch, give it a shuffle beat, and pray for the best. -- Isaac
Giraud:
Highlights from "Flower," Soundgarden. Does he have the stones? Arranged correctly, this actually probably wouldn't need to be much different from this week's "Stayin' Alive." -- Isaac
Um, yeah. I clearly haven't figured him out at all. I'm going to recommend the pop standard "Cry Me A River," which the retro-lounge band Combustible Edison recorded for their first album, and since Susan Boyle sang it too he's going to get some residual dap. -- Adam
Desai:
"New Slang," the Shins. This is an easy song to sing, and a nice crowd-pleaser. Anybody who says "it will change your life" will be referred to with derision at ALOTT5MA headquarters. – Isaac
"When It All Comes Down," Unrest, off the Afternoon Delight compilation. (Listen here.) Just a silly little pop song, which is about all he's got left -- Adam
Iraheta:
L7, "Shove". If L7 is ever getting on the show, it's through the Magenta Spitfire. Either that or Velocity Girl's "Crawl" off the split single with Tsunami -- one day I'll make a boy cry, one day ... -- Adam
"Ohio," Damien Jurado. To please KCosmo, this would be a complete 180 for her. Can she show a softer side? I'd like to hear those pipes wheezing softly for once. -- Isaac
Gokey:
I'm going to hate myself for doing this, but I'll give him a good song -- Sebadoh's "Soul and Fire", which on the album is about 1/3 slower than this live version, and gives him more chances to be plaintive and beseeching, which is totally his ballpark. Either that or "It's So Hard To Fall In Love." -- Adam
"Love Buzz," Nirvana. I don't think he can pull it off. But they can't do a SubPop night without it, and other than Lambert he's probably the one most capable of the shameless overthetopousity this song requires. It would probably sound like every other uptempo song he's done. – Isaac
Allen:
"Such Great Heights," Postal Service tempo; Iron & Wine instrumentation. I just linked to the delightful uke tube version of this a few days ago. I'd rather hear him doing this than anybody else on this list doing anything else listed. – Isaac
"In A Ditch," Scud Mountain Boys. Really, most of the album Massachusetts is perfectly in his acoustic Americana wheelhouse. So would the new Fleet Foxes LP -- "Winter White Hymnal"? -- Adam
Lambert:
It would be wrong not to give him a Nirvana song. "Negative Creep" gives him plenty to work with. -- Adam
"The Most Beautiful Girl in the Room," Flight of the Conchords. A pretty song, funny without being kitschy, and plenty of opportunities to go back and forth between falsetto and regular voice without screaming (seriously -- watch the damn video and imagine Lambert singing it). Though if he wanted to go old school, "Aneurysm" by Nirvana would work just fine. – Isaac
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