NEW MUSIC FOR OLDS #31
For those not steeped in Christian Finnegan lore
Oh, hi. You’ve caught me at an awkward moment. I was reminiscing about one of my exes, sweet Paulina.
I hope she’s finally gotten over me. Sorry Paulina, some mustangs weren’t meant to be tamed.
Whoa, who’s cutting onions in here? Shake it off, Finnegan!
Here’s what we have in this namedrop-y installment of New Music for Olds:
A power pop masterclass
R&B, Casey Kasem style
Pure. Audio. Brutality.
A visit to my sitcom past
A pint size rock snob Rain Man
A mosh pit par excellence
But first, a quick reminder that I’ll be running my latest hour of standup at QED Astoria next Thu 5/25, and then headlining Off Cabot Comedy in MA the next two nights, Fri 5/26 and Sat 5/27. I realize Memorial Day Weekend is tough for folks, but I’d really love a few friendlies in the audience!
Tickets and info:
And now, tunes.
GOOD STUFF
Your handy dandy Glossary of Terms.
The Lemon Twigs, “What You Were Doing”
Listen on Apple Music // Listen on Amazon Music
Album: Everything Harmony
Nutshell: Power pop
Voltage: 6
Thoughts: The Lemon Twigs are two brothers from Long Island with a modern take on classic rock, inspired by artists like the Kinks, Todd Rundgren, Wings…heck, name pretty much any 60s/70s artist known for solid musicianship and vocal harmonies. “What You Were Doing” is a low-key gem. Like all great power pop songs, it feels simultaneously fresh and familiar, like it’s somehow always existed. If this doesn’t brighten your day, I can’t help ya, pal.
Pairing Suggestion: Seeing a photo of your parents, young and in love.1
Q, “STEREO DRIVER”
Listen on Apple Music // Listen on Amazon Music
Album: Soul,PRESENT
Nutshell: Commercial R&B
Voltage: 4
Thoughts: The contemporary R&B artists I enjoy tend to be commercially middling “critical darlings”. But every once in a while, mainstream culture and I find ourselves stanning the same king. I learned of Q from the endorsement of some whippersnappers in an NBA-related twitter thread. I didn’t expect much—my taste rarely aligns with young basics who refer to everything as “fire". But Q is the realest of deals! "Stereo Driver" sounds like something you might have heard on "America's Top 40" in 1985, which I promise is a compliment.
Pairing Suggestion: Praying that Casey reads your long distance dedication
Jesus Piece, “FTBS”
Listen on Apple Music // Listen on Amazon Music
Album: …So Unknown
Nutshell: Hardcore
Voltage: 10
Thoughts: Pure. Audio. Brutality. You can view those three words as a warning or as an enticement. Either way, you are correct. As I’ve mentioned in the past, hardcore usually bores me. But when a song/album clicks, it clicks haaaaard. It probably helps (me) that Jesus Piece has one foot in the metal realm. In fact, “FTBS” evokes Pantera more than Minor Threat. And unlike most hardcore albums, the production sparkles—the drums pop and those guitar harmonics leap out of the speakers. As for the vocals? Well, they’re…aesthetically appropriate? Fuck the bullshit, indeed.
Pairing Suggestion: Splattering onto the pavement from a high altitude
Declare yourself!
NOTE 5/18: I messed up and accidentally deleted the results of this poll. Apologies. Just know that your votes live on, in my heart!
Additional considerations?
FOR FANS OF… [70s pop/rock]
A brief tangent, for those not steeped in Christian Finnegan lore:
From 2010 to 2012, I was a castmember on the TBS sitcom “Are We There Yet?”. You may remember this program as:
a) A TV spinoff of the film series starring Ice Cube
b) The sitcom Terry Crews starred in while on his way to becoming a household name
c) That show you probably assumed was a Tyler Perry production, but wasn’t (you racist!).
We shot 100 episodes, which may come as a bit of a surprise. I don’t want to make assumptions about the viewing habits of the NMFO readership, but it’s possible that your primary exposure to “Are We There Yet?” was glancing up at a muted television in your local fitness center or pediatrician’s office. That’s not to say the “AWTY” wasn’t chock-full of incredibly talented writers, performers and craftspeople. Quite the contrary! I was regularly in awe of the people I got to work with.
I played Martin, the classic “best friend”. You know the archetype: romantic hijinks, absurd schemes and lots of wisecracks. AWTY was comfort food aimed at an extremely broad audience, but I’m proud of my work. While I’m no Daniel Day Lewis, I know how to deliver a punchline and show creator Ali LeRoi trusted me to adlib. It was a good time with great people. Plus, AWTY’s long list of guest stars was a murderer’s row of Classic TV icons. To name but a few:
Alfonso Ribeiro
Ted Lange (Isaac from “The Love Boat”)
Eric Estrada
Sinbad
Cindy Williams (playing my mom)
Paulina Poritzkova (playing my love interest—no, seriously)
Jackée Harry (also playing my love interest—no, seriously seriously)
I could go on. How many can claim to have traded sitcom banter with both Karl Muller and Marlo Stanfield?
In between the main cast and the panoply of guests, AWTY featured a few “series regulars”, who appeared in multiple episodes over the course of the run. One such character was Troy, the best friend of one of the child leads. He was played by a kid actor named Michael D’Addario. Michael was an odd duck, who often made you wonder is if he was a bit…touched? Or was he screwing with you? An 11yo Bill Murray character, this kid.
One day on set, I was mindlessly humming a tune in the vicinity of wee Michael—something from Pet Sounds, maybe? Like a rock snob Rain Main, this little weirdo immediately began rattling off high pedigree artists, with an impressive degree of specificity. I assumed he was the product of rigorous parental indoctrination. Michael mentioned he played drums and guitar in a band with his older brother. I envisioned two hyperactive tykes in their basement, brainlessly bashing away on Fisher Price instruments.
“Do you guys have a name?” I asked, dripping with benign condescension.
“The Lemon Twigs.”
Awwwww, how childlike. Best of luck with that, kid! I did everything but pat him on the head.
Fast forward to 2017, I stumble across the music video for a song called “As Long as We’re Together”.
It had a ramshackle appeal, like Flaming Lips covering Hunky Dory-era Bowie for a Record Store Day one-off. Not putting two and two together, I tweeted something complimentary. A day or two later, I received a DM from (still) young Michael D’Addario, reminding me of our shared basic cable history.
Needless to say, I’ve been seriously rooting for the Lemon Twigs ever since. It has not been difficult! Michael and his older brother Brian, still just 23 and 25, just released their fourth album, Everything Harmony. It’s their most cohesive work, reigning in their kitchen sink impulses to achieve a soothing “AM Gold” vibe. But the D’Addario brothers have a tendency to toggle through styles, often within the same song, so who knows what the future holds.
In case you weren’t already hooked by “What You Were Doing”, here are my Lemon Twigs faves, for your edification and enjoyment.
PLAYLIST: Meet the Lemon Twigs
This playlist on Apple Music // This playlist on Amazon Music
SOME BULLSHIT
Finally, I wanted to share the performance from which I pulled that GIF at the end of GOOD STUFF. It’s Jesus Piece at the 2019 “This is Hardcore” festival (something I had no idea existed).
It’s a pretty remarkable video, even if you can’t stand hardcore. Feel free to watch it on mute! The section starting around 11:10 gives you a pretty good taste.
Just a few thoughts, as I watch this for the fifth (??) time:
Kudos to the production crew! This looks and sounds fantastic. Really captures the energy.
I’ve only been in a half dozen or so legitimate “mosh pits” in my life, but this video backs up my theory that a half-empty pit is far more terrifying than a crowded one. More room to swing, kick, etc.
This is the most racially diverse punk rock show I’ve ever seen. Nice to see people bash the shit out of each other in a spirit of brotherhood.
I love how still everyone gets between songs. It’s as if they’re playing “Red Light, Green Light”. Conserve energy, kids!
The vocalist delivers a mini TED Talk around 19:55 that garners a smattering of golf claps. Not sure why I find that so funny.
This video is more entertaining if you imagine that the bassist/background shouter is Kyle Mooney.
Tell me how much you love/hate this.
Okay, I’m tapping out. Hope you enjoyed NMFO #31. Please tell everyone how much you loved it, and NMFO in general, and…ME!
As always, I thank you for your support.
I don’t have such a photo, but I have to imagine one existed at some point.
You need to hear Ted Hawkins “Watch Your Step” (1982). Not new but it’s my newest obsession. Hope you’re well.
I really loved this week's songs. The Lemon Twigs are reminiscent of The Posies. Q is like some synthwave Prince. And Jesus Piece..? They just get me!