Electric President - Metal Fingers

I was having dinner with a friend at Red Robin, enjoying one of my favorite salads, when something different came over the PA. It was some poppy electronic stuff with a fair share of glitches, synths and video-gamey sounds. Maybe it only sounded so great in the context of the generally bad piped-in music, but it was enough to get me to ask if my friend knew who the band was. "I think this is Postal Service," she said.

And like the painter who thought he created a whole new art movement by splattering paint on his canvas because he had never encountered Pollock or the Ab.Ex'ers, my jaw didn't quite drop far enough for me to pull my foot out of it. (And I told the waiter no crow on this salad!)

So maybe I'm only half a hipster. I might let a band's reputation and fanbase keep me from actually checking them out, but if given a chance I will honestly assess how much I actually do like them. (And I could list off a ton of "lame" bands that I actually love... bands I'm "not supposed to like." And in full disclosure I often feel just as guilty for liking bands I'm actually supposed to like.)

I got the second hand details of conversation two friends of mine were having the other night. Essentially it was one of those uber-music-nerd debates over Jenny Lewis versus Neko Case. Now I don't think either of my friends would say that these two singers are mutually exclusive, but to sum up one end of the argument, "Why would I listen to Lewis when I could listen to Case?" And I'm not sure I have an answer. I know that I would, given the choice, go for Jenny before Neko... but hey, that's just me.

But it seems to bring to light some other issues, especially considering my Postal Service story. When I was bit younger I read a review for Zoinks! which described their music as "what Green Day would be playing if they had remained punk." In hindsight, that's probably the stupidest thing I've ever heard, but my 15-year-old self thought that sounded like the perfect band. I might secretly like this "sell out" band Green Day but if I say I like Zoinks!, I am that much more punk... that much cooler. (But then I actually ended up really liking Zoinks! but never forgetting that silly review.)

So on the way to work this morning I was listening to my new Electric President CD and I thought to myself, 'You know, this sort of has a Postal Service vibe going on.' But of course, Electric President's self titled release is on Morr Records based out of Germany, so I'm still cool. (And if someone in another car overhears what I'm listening to I don't look bad... c'mon, you know you think about this too!) And then I start to think about how ridiculous all that is. I start to think about what it is about Electric President that I like, rather than what he sort of sounds like.

Linda Rondstadt sort of sounds like Carol King and maybe Neko Case sounds something like Jenny Lewis, but that really doesn't mean all that much. A lot of oil paintings look like other oil paintings, doesn't mean that I don't respond to one artist over another. I think that you can like Picasso and Braque. It's just a shame really that more people know Picasso.

You can like Postal Service and Electric President. It's just a shame that any mall rat knows about Postal Service but Electric President, who are from Florida, have to have their record released by a German imprint. And like every artist's hand is different, every artist's view of the world is unique and every artist has something to say, I won't respond to everyone's work. Some bands work for some people.

The beauty of this current re-invention of the singer/songwriter with Pro Tools is that more and more folks like you and me can create quality, challenging and expressive music. I'm not going to be into every post-emo kid with a computer who puts out a record...but if it's good, I just might be. So don't hate on Bob Motherwell for Franz Kline; you can be down for both... and you don't have to be down for either. But don't suggest that everyone should pack up their paint cus Bob and Franz, Pablo and George, Electric and Postal, did it all before.

(Buy Electric President at Amazon.)

PS... I had my very last painting critique this week which means that I have now lost my outlet for artist, art movement, and obscure critical theory references... so expect a whole lot more to follow in the coming days. Bear with me as I adjust to a more concrete reality.

[Ed. Note - After writing and posting this I discovered this band has been featured in a Fox television series named after the place I'm from... which I think casts my argument in a whole new light.]