Wow. Here’s an oldie. That is, a 90s power pop gem from the olden days when college radio didn’t completely suck and I actually listened nightly to 105.9 the Lazer from Lawrence, Kansas. In those middle school days of the early to mid-nineties, grunge was on its downslide.
But with power pop bands like Weezer and Matthew Sweet combining elements of crunchy garage rock and that California slacker vibe, it was still a good time to be a fan of popular rock music. And shockingly enough, it was PLAYED on the radio, so kids like me were able to, you know, hear it.
I had all but forgotten about Matthew Sweet and his single off of 100% Fun, “Sick Of Myself” until about two months ago, when some blog posted a live studio performance by Death Cab for Cutie covering this song. But once I refreshed my memory, I was reminded how much I enjoyed it when I used to own this album. It’s a perfect combination of simple chord changes, driving beat, sad sack outlook, and killer hooks that will have you singing along.
By today’s standard, it’s not experimental, challenging or even all that original, but who gives a crap? That does not diminish it’s status as a very agreeable rock confection; one I certainly wouldn’t turn off if it popped up on my car radio. That is if a) they played this sort of thing on the radio b) I had a car.
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Other random thought: Was this video really directed by Roman Coppola?