Power Pop

Überscenester was a power pop band I saw in Minneapolis opening for the band that opened for Archers of Loaf, who I’d never gotten around to seeing while I lived in NC. They were very good with a short, peppy set that was a perfect opener. (Creeper Lagoon, named all too well, followed with an interminable mope that drove me to buy ear plugs, which the (pre-)Wife had smartly purchased on the way in.) Überscenester’s performance led me to half-assedly search for one of their recordings for the last six years. And last month I finally found their only album (they also produced two EPs, the first a test-run for the album) in the Cheapo bins.

The “Shooting Stars” LP (their quote marks) was recorded and released in the twin cities in 1999 (the label) or 2000 (web) on El Basso Records, which appears to be defunct, as does the band. Unfortunately, the recorded songs don’t measure up to the live versions. You know how you don’t really notice lyrics so much at a show; it’s the guitar crunch that catches you, and you enjoy that on nearly every track. Sadly, the witty band name did not translate into witty words, or even clever pseudonyms: Al Grande, Matt Young, Davin O and Mike Suade. (I know all the good punk surnames haven’t been taken; even the Scandinavian Hives came up with some snazzy ones at about the same time.) Advice for Matt: eschew clichés, nothing good ever came of “apple of my eye” or “wish upon a star.” A band with the moxie to name themselves Überscenester ought to have damn cool lyrics. (Lifter Puller’s subject matter lives up to the name far better.) That said, every song provides some listening pleasure (melody, guitars, noise) and a moment to wince (lyrics, earnest singing). Oh yeah, the City Pages’ readers voted them sixth-best (tied) new band in 1999. Listen yourself:

Uberscenester - Going Out With Him

Conversely, the Weakerthans (judging from an admittedly small sample of tunes) have some of the best lyrics I’ve heard from the new millennium, including this, my favorite breakup song I’ve heard in a long while:

Weakerthans - Plea From A Cat Named Virtue

It’s a fucking anthem! In a cat’s voice! I found this song incongruously tucked in Punk-O-Rama Vol. 9, amidst bands who apparently believe that Minor Threat is the apotheosis of (semi-)popular music. (Maybe they got onto this comp sound unheard since some of the band came from Propaghandi.) Also excellent is Our Retired Explorer (Dines with Michel Foucault in Paris, 1961), from the same album, Reconstruction Site (2003), which I’m going to buy when I get myself back to a record store.