To the Nth Degree

Every now and then a band comes along that makes you stop. And. Say. Oh Yeah....

This edition's version of that band is called Morningwood (get it?). Despite the sophomoric name for the band, their sound is all out fun rock n' roll, a nice break to my ear from the house music I'm usually so obsessed with. The sound calls to mind the latest craze of danceable rock a la Franz Ferdinand and the Killers, but the lead singer here is a woman who works it out. Their recently-released eponymous album is a kick in the pants from the start to finish, esp 'Babysitter' (inc. the lyric 'don't you need someone to tuck you in....your momma shouldn't let me babysit....) and 'New York Girls' (n-n-n-n-New York Girls... you know you're hot... a-a-a-a-attitude.... and that's what makes you rock!)

But the best song by far is called 'Nth Degree' and the video is even better. The song is a groovy combination of rock and disco (Smashing Pumpkins' '1979' had to be an influence here) that is fun in itself. The video starts with a record rack and as the person pulls each album cover out, its a walk through the history of music over the past 30 years. Each vignette has the members of the band in some typical video frame of the decade. Pissed off punk of the late 70s? Check. Aerobics of the early 80s? Check. Heavy metal concert videos of the late 80s? Check. Rap videos of the 90s? Check check check. They are all here, with many others and its result is deliriously genius. Watch it here and pay attention to the different ways 'Morningwood' is spelled out on the various albums.

Is it music that will be remembered 20 years from now? Probably not, but its still fun. Its this type of combining the best of different elements to make a new one (read Matt's entry on The Gorillaz, another hybrid band that is mega-popular right now) that's also happening all over the Web as well, known as 'Web 2.0'. As long as it produces results like this, may such innovation continue to prosper.