I was trying to describe the Features to a friend tonight and I was having a pretty hard time. I said something like, "Well, they're like rock and roll, with some punk...or maybe '80s pop rock with a little metal, or maybe it's indie rock with a bit of disco mixed in, or maybe...ah fuck it." I got really frustrated and just said "You'll just have to hear them." Maybe you all have talked about this before, but I was just wondering what you'd call the Features' style of music. Can it be put into words? I usually just like to say "They're awesome."

Industry cats love the so-and-so meets so-and-so description, so I'll give you mine.

1/4 Talking Heads + 1/4 Roxy Music + 1/4 The Kinks+ 1/4 nameless garage bands= The Features

what a nice equation......

i have had this problem numerous times. i like the quation, and im still tryihg to come up with one of my own. . . so i can be original like that.

When I first heard them live I thought they were an amalgam of The Monkees and Queens of the Stone Age... upon listening to their recordings I decided that the Queens of the Stone Age weren't quite a proper fit... I would say they are poppy new wave indie. that's about as good as I'm going to come to describing them.

i always say they're pop punk indie rock but not too punk, but not too pop, a really clean mixture of both, and hardcore fun but not angry, just good fucking music.

I have the perfect answer: The Cars meets The Muppets

hahaha...that was brilliant.

seems like i've heard mod-wave applied to them before. it's as good as anything i guess

that sounds pretty good to me.

dave matthews band meets the grateful dead

I always say they are one part The Kinks, one part The Cars, and one part Mid-90s alternative rock. Its worked thus far for me.

Will

I've always described them as my Dad on steroids meeting up with the Cowsils and putting Jim Nabors on lead vocals. It seems to me to be pretty fitting, but I've never converted any new Features fans with that.

Like the Gin Blossoms? Or Goo Goo Dolls?

The Gin Blossoms are vastly superior to the Goo Goo Dolls. "Found Out About You" and "Til I Hear It From You" are good songs, darnit

The Gin Blossoms were actually my first musical love (circa 5th-6th grade) so I'll always have a special place in my heart for Robin Wilson (or as IWantElvis calls him, "monkey boy") & co.

Did you ever hear the Gas Giants, Digsy? I think they were the Gin Blossoms minus one guy, or something like that.

For a brief period of time, I did love the Gin Blossoms.

The very first concert that I ever went to un-chaperoned was the Spin Doctors, the Gin Blossoms, and Cracker at Starwood in 1994. Good times...

On the album liner for New Miserable Experience, there's a picture of a sign advertising a show with the Gin Blossoms and Toad the Wet Sprocket. I think that would've been a pretty cool show to see.

Yes I actually own the album "From Beyond The Backburner." The Gas Giants were originally called Pharoh 2000 or something like that as well...

The single "Quitter" was really good and I also remember liking the 'funny' song "I Hope My Kids Like Marilyn Manson." Other than that the album didn't stick with me. But I just read in Entertainment Weekly that The Gin Blossoms are reuniting to record another album and New Miserable Experience has been re-released.

Actually I'm thinking more along the lines of Weezer, Nada Surf, etc. I dunno, the sort of stuff that fell between grunge and late 90s badness. Not a perfect fit for The Features, but in the context of The Kinks and The Cars, it does the trick to get people from thinking that the band sounds straight out of yesteryear.

Will

When I poorly attempted to describe their sound to one of my cousin's, I did use the Cars+Kinks+Weezer equation. Since I know just as much as the average joe about the first two bands in the equation, I try not to use that one that much.

My mom actually says that the Features sound better than Weezer.

I thought this was common knowledge . . .

maybe not to a mom...

The "doot doo doo's" on "Blow it Out" seem very Weezer-ish.

The Gin Blossoms = the best redneck band ever

Robin Wilson = sounds soooo much like Seth Timbs

Congratulations I'm Sorry = not a good record

New Miserable Experience -- ahh, the memories! I like that one.

The Goo Goo Dolls = sell-out crap from the bowels of hell

Weezer + Features --the influence is definitely there, but I prefer the Features. They haven't released their 3rd or 4th album yet, but I'm sure they'll out-do Weezer's 3rd and 4th.

Doesn't redneck kind of hold a southern connotation? And I mean, southern like traditional southern (southeast) as opposed to sunbelt southern (like Arizona, where I think the Gin Blossoms are from). My vote for best redneck band is The Allman Brothers, despite their jam band leanings. You have to talk about drinking, your dog and possibly your father getting shot down in the Bayou to truly be redneck.

That's what I think. And the GBs are from Tempe if I do remember my 6th grade report on the band.

Not to sound really old, but one of my more enjoyable nights in college was partying with the Gin Blossoms. The radio station I worked at sponsored a show of theirs in late '92. After the show they asked me to take them to the diviest beer bar I knew of. I took them to a place next to campus where all my friends were. Questions such as "Hey, who are your friends?" were answered with "The Gin Blossoms".... "Yeah right" would be the reply, I'd bet a pitcher of beer on it and the lead singer, Robin something I believe his name was/is, would sing the chorus to "hey jealousy" and we'd collect a pitcher. They ended up passing out on my townhouse floor. The next morning the guys in my house woke up to the bassist making pancakes for us... wacky night.

The SE is far from holding a corner on rednecks, though the southern form is probably the most famous, as well as the most influential on the rest.

I think they have redneck tones. Almost every song that wasn't a single (and that was about two songs on NME) had a bit more of a country feel, I think. They definitely covered drinking, touched on the dog somewhere along the line, and you could just tell that at least two band members drove beat-up pick-up trucks. Maybe they're the best redneck band because they removed themselves from the sound. Or maybe I am indeed an idiot, and comparing them to a redneck band is totally inaccurate. Maybe like saying that REM, those dirty Georgia boys, are the best redneck band ever.

I can agree that the southeast and rednecks aren't mutually exclusive, its just common juxtaposition. I can also see C&W influences on Gin Blossoms songs. However, I just think for the title of best redneck band, the sound/feel/composition of the group should be much more overtly redneck. Personally, I'm a redneck because I have a southern accent, lack perfect grammar and go to MTSU. Oh, and I have a double-cousin.

allright, another "celebrity" story from the frog! at least you'll have proof about the features someday when you finish yer little movie.

I know.. I was waiting for that one. Unless you want spared from more "celebrity" stories (like the Gin Blossoms count) pretty much stay away from mentioning any band that toured between 1992-94 and played Chicago. With the notable exceptions of U2 (had to go to a wedding) Pearl Jam (my boss pulled rank) and REM (ditto)

i llove yer celebrity stories, esp the one with cobain and taco bell

keep them coming

I feel so special...

One time, I heard Peace Frog was on tour with Sammy Hagar in the Philipines, and Sammy said he wouldn't go on without a wine glass full of brown M&M's. So Peace Frog and Bob Dylan had to go into this little candy store and fight the store owner and their Bengal tiger.

He had to beat him to death with his own shoes, too.

I know, I totally butchered that whole thing.

peacefrog is the only person i know that has more rock n roll footnotes than me. got any celebrity fight stories?

where have i heard this before? what movie is it from, its really going to annoy me.

Wayne's World 2. Even if you've seen the film but once, you've heard it at least 5 times...

Brilliance!

Will

Sorry Sina... no celebrity fights per se. But, after getting brushed from backstage at an Alice In Chains show (before even the meet and greet) I got into it with their road manager. Lotsa yelling and name calling that ended up with me yelling at the top of my lungs, "I bet if I had a big bag of horse, they'd let me stay and cut a stinger for my station!" Needless to say I was quickly and efficiently removed by the AIC security team and unceremoniously dumped in the alley. I still had my pass, so I got back into the show. Two weeks later, Staley is in rehab. I take it you have one? Please share.

(Edited by Peace Frog at 10:04 pm on Feb. 19, 2003)

THANK YOU! god that was irritating.

oh my dear go how great is that! the thing is, you're probably right.
brown sugar, why do you taste so good?

no for real i was watching the exit/in video today and the resemblance between Rollum and Animal is uncanny.

Rory should definitely chain Rollum to his kit.

and dangle his cigarettes just out of reach...

I can picture it now:

Rollum: "I want to---EAT drums!" (bites into cymbal)
Rory: No, Rollum, BEAT drums! Beat drums!

Ok, while we're on a new topic, this could get interesting....which muppet would be which feature?

I see Parrish as Rolf the dog, but I'm drawing a blank on the others.

Roger as Gonzo, but mostly just because he loves chickens

Matt is Scooter. Scooter is a leader, but he's also sort of timid.

thank goodness for somebody who knows his name...so many people think rowlph's name is ralph...i guess it's a pet peeve of mine.

Matt=Kermit. I agree with the Parrish/Rowlf and Rollum/Animal thing. Roger=Fozzie.

I agree with the Matt/Scooter thing, but I can also see the Matt/Kermit as well.

And I also originally thought of Roger/Fozzie over Roger/Gonzo. I think of Roger as more of a funny guy than a straight-up weirdo I guess.

I can see that too......kermit is more of a leader than scooter.....

While we're on the subject of Muppets I would like to take this opportunity to say that richarddawson looks like Sam the Eagle.

I think Rollum could be Kermit just because they have really skinny arms.

If Features fans were Muppets, I would be Waldorf or Statler because I'm realtively old and I like to heckle the people on stage.

Particularly if "the people on stage" are Ingram Hill?

God, that experience still weirds the shit out of me.

Will

man i wish dr teeth and the electric mayhem would open for the features.

damon and I have a theory that dr. teeth is based on captain beefheart.....dr. teeth looks just like beefheart circa 1974.

dr. teeth is the coolest...

are those the two old man muppets that sit in the balcony? because if so, i'm really scared of them and they are what prevented me from being a muppets fan. i think it was a promotion for one of the muppets movies where they yell "did you say get a free watch?" that did it for me. i know that sounds weird. but i'm sure that if i met tom foolery and he asked me about a free watch i would still be a features fan...

Did you say get a free watch?!?

yep, i still love the features.

hmmm, i can see matt as kermit or scooter, both good calls. roger is def. fozzie, and for some strange reason parrish makes me think of professor bunson honey dew. this could be bc im exhausted and i think parrish is probably smart.

the electric mayhem kicks so much ass. i really want the car that they painted in the muppet movie.

I really enjoyed poking fun at Ingram Hill... they provided so much material. But I've been known to heckle The Features a bit, too.

I think Rory is more like Scooter than Pelham. I'm trying to figure out who Matt Meeks could be... I want to say Beaker, but I don't think that would work.

(Edited by Tom Foolery at 10:42 am on Feb. 25, 2003)

...damn you Brother Love. And Ray Davies too, who I know is laughing on the inside. I remember the Kermit the Frog/David Letterman shirt that "Mean Gene" Ray Davies used to wear. Excellent times.

those were the carefree days of our youth........

Ahhh... memories.

My sister had that same Kermit Letterfrog shirt. I remember I used to borrow it from her and wear it in my gym class in 7th grade. What a coincidence! ... And, if my freakishly detailed memory is correct, I believe Brother Love (who was in my gym class) commented on it one day when I was wearing it. Hmm...this is all very interesting.

(Edited by Sexy Sadie at 1:10 am on Mar. 3, 2003)

I remember that!! I don't remember saying anything to you about it but I do remember you wearing that shirt.

Hmmm...Yeah, you more than likely didn't comment on my shirt. I think I'm confusing that pleasant situation with the more likely situation that some butthole made fun of it.

I think that is a pretty good comparison, Stalker.

I think Parrish looks a lot like the Swedish chef.

Oh my...I was going to say that exact same thing. Only, Parrish would have to not talk because once he opened his mouth the resemblence would probably deminish.

(Edited by Sexy Sadie at 12:40 am on Mar. 4, 2003)

Tom Foolery, I must say that your member title is correct. absolutely love the avatar.

Parrish would look even more like the Sweedish Chef if he were to say "the film is oompty doompty"...

(Edited by Sexy Sadie at 12:44 am on Mar. 4, 2003)

But where's Parrish?

Parrish is in the avatar, just wait.....he's the one right after rollum......he's the long haired one with the beard.....he looks like a knight of the round table in that picture.....

(Edited by ray davies at 12:48 am on Mar. 4, 2003)

My computer must be warped or something because it just goes from Roger to Matt to Rollum then it stops and goes back to Roger again. Oh well.

wow.....to imagine the features without parrish is quite upsetting......

That is very strange, indeed.

I would argue that Parrish makes the Features special. Yes, they're all talented musicians, but without the sound that Parrish adds with his keyboards, they'd be just another kit/bass/guitar outfit.

Amen,brother. That is why I think that Parrish needs a rocking 3-minute keyboard solo (maybe during "Bring on the Night"?). Heck maybe one day he could utilize the Keytar....

Parrish is one of the most important elements in the features. he has an integral role in the band.

Awww....I'm glad to see so much love for Parrish. I personally adore Parrish. He's so sauve and cool. He just sits there on his little stool, swiveling around making wonderful music.

...and he claps, too. Don't forget the clapping!

wow, roger looks 15 in that picture.

Yeah, that would be a trip. Hell, anybody playing one of those things is a trip. Chris James used to play one in "Trunk Fulla Amps." And I heard that Thom Yorke sported one for "Scatterbrain" on Radiohead's Summer 2002 Europe dates.

He used to get them when Matt would have technical difficulties. Amazing, I remember a time when we got a one or two minute improve instrumental from the rythym section at least every other show. They've really cracked down on the mishaps.

man, fuck a 3 minute solo. i'm screaming for In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida next time. he's earned that shit.

I enjoyed watching them struggle under the pressure of filling a two-minute gap while Matt re-tuned his guitar. But you're right; they really have reduced the amount of technical difficulties. Did Matt get new strings or keys for his guitar, or has he adjusted his style of play so he's not so rough on the instruments?

i dunno, but it's nice not having to worry as much about a show ending early because he goes through all of his guitars. that always made me sad...

i was listening to "found a job" by talking heads today, and it hit me that david byrne sounds a lot like matt during this one line in the song: "it's not a major disaster".....the way david byrne says "disaster" in that line...it sounds just like pelham. it was a pelhamism.....

i think i just created a new word......

pelhamism.......

I was doing a little research through old bootlegs for Will's site tonight, and I found it almost laughable how some songs would have over a minute between of Matt tuning and strumming. It has gotten sooo much better.

A Haiku for you:

ray davies today,
no life? or inflating posts?
quoting oneself. weak.



seriously though, no hard feelings, but the one line posts that say "I agree" or "you're right" are getting a bit annoying.

Taking the crown from JC is a noble thing. Let's just not have to put an asterisk by it like Roger Maris.

Of course I'm just a bitter old man, so what do I know?

(Edited by Peace Frog at 11:37 pm on Mar. 6, 2003)

hell yeah! roger marris was the man! i was disapointed when his record was broken.

Has there ever been a better example of one bright shining moment in an otherwise cloudy existence than Maris's 61 season? Maybe that one time I had sex.

ceeze, you totally could have scored with that girl and her guy friend back in chattanooga...but i don't really blame you from turning them down sorry, i still think it was really funny.

the roger maris example made me think of fat old pete rose in his player/manager years. he had no business starting at that point, but he went for the hits record, like a dirty bastard. i'm not sure how that relates to anything, though.

(Edited by damon at 12:40 am on Mar. 7, 2003)

I could have gotten you in on the action as well Damon. The guy was a whole lot of man. Luckily enough, I hadn't been drinking that night, or I would have been much more receptive to the offers I recieved.

he was a whole lot of man. i'll bet he had more girth than we could have handled collectively.

you know damn well that mookie wilson's the man. i want a t-shirt with '86 topps cards of mookie, rollie fingers, whitey herzog, & moose haas printed on it.

i guess this board sways from music to wrestling to baseball. it's a beautiful thing. if i had a shirt with any player on it, i'd have to go with some of the uglier atlanta braves from the 90s...maybe a otis nixon, jeff blauser, or mark lemke. whoever it was would have to have a massive dip in their mouth. big league chew is for kids and pansies like me.

better yet, i'd sport a "coach emanski" shirt. i'd have to say that fred mcgriff's endorsement of that fundamentals program was the funniest thing i've ever seen on television. athletes were never meant to have speaking roles in commercials...save for maybe yogi berra.

(Edited by damon at 12:58 am on Mar. 7, 2003)

does anyone remember the knockoff popeye brand of big league chew gum.....it was green. looked like spinach.

I always enjoyed Billy Martin speaking in commercials. The funniest part of the Fred McGriff is his cap. I mean, what the hell. The ugliest baseball player of all time is clearly Willie Mcgee though, look it up if you don't believe me.

willie mcgee was an ugly man- i can't dispute that. i still hold mark lemke up as the undisputed ugliest ball player ever.

i'd have to answer yes to that question. all i do is go to class and listen to albums.

This may not humor anyone but me, but as recent as last year, Mark Lemke was back in the Braves minor leagues trying to become a knuckleball pitcher.

hahahahahahaha...are you serious? but he's so old...

i remember that stuff. i also remember popeye brand wheat puffs, rice puffs, and spinach. andy capp has hot fries(one of the most relevant snacks ever), garfield had that nasty microwavable lasagne, and smee claims that the ninja turtles had pizza crunchabungas.

(Edited by exliontamer at 1:30 am on Mar. 7, 2003)

Shit, I'd forgotten all of that (selective memory, perhaps?). That was funny.

Will

he also has cheese fries.....andy capp brand snacks kick ass.

...if not the most relevant snack. as ray davies could testify, i am a big fan of hot fries. cheddar, salsa, and bbq fries never hooked me, but i'd be lying if i said that i've never woken up with orange hot fry stuff all over my mouth, wondering where i was and what had taken place the previous night. i'm an addict... A-D-D-I-C-T. however, at the moment i'm a recovering addict...

don't lie, damon. i found your stash.

i don't know what you're talking about... ...(aside) are you trying to get me kicked out of here?

You know, they still make that stuff. A lady bought a couple of cans of it from us the other day. I looked at after I scanned it and said, "I didn't know Popeye was still popular." She just looked at me. Ah. I got humor out of it.
But, yeah, it's still sold around here. Then again, it IS East Tennessee, and we are certainly behind on the times. Know what I mean?

East Tennessee? Behind the times? No way Stephanie, that's crazy talk!

Will

Ray,

Don't take my haiku personally... it fit the 5-7-5 rule. I was just calling you out on what looked like a grab for posts. It was the equivalent of an old Charlie Hustle going for the hits crown (much better than my Maris comp, he didn't want to break Ruth's record). Show up to the ballpark like Gehrig and Ripken Jr. and play.

You add a lot to this board, and I know when I read a Ray Davies post I'm going to get something insightful and informative. Maybe that's why I was a bit dissappointed in the worthless posts yesterday. I was a bit harsh, sorry. Anywho, as an olive branch (or hops branch) of goodwill, I'll buy ya a beverage of your choice tonight.

ELT... I LOVE MOOKIE!!! The Mets have been my team since birth. A very odd story as to why, to say the least, since I grew up in Cardinal and Cub country. My dad followed them as an expansion team when Casey Stengal was their skipper. We went to a cardinal/mets and cubs/mets series every summer until I was into high school. My dad was/is a baseball fanatic. I remember him dragging me down to St. Louis to watch Hank Aaron play, so I could say I've seen Aaron hit a home run. I have. Years later I found out that little trip was a very big sore spot between my parents. My brother was just 4 weeks old, and they barely had enough money to pay the bills. I guess a baseball trip wasn't in the budget.

Better make it nonalcoholic, or BrianW might get all up on your ass. Just kidding Brian, you know I love you, man.

Yeah that bastard can be such "The Man". I better change that to a mixed drink so he can't rat me out.

why thank you, peace frog. i didnt take it personally. i knew you were kidding around, but you'll have to save that peace offering for sometime later since i am underage and won't be at the show tonight.

but thank you anyway....

Otis Nixon was quite possibly the ugliest baseball player ever. Looking back on it, everyone should have known he was a crack addict.

He was also (kind of) from Murfreesboro.

i always believed secretly that otis nixon could be like that guy in ripley's believe it or not who could eat his own face. for whatever reason, he always seemed to have a face capable of such feats...