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March 07, 2007
Retrohump Day - Unrest
During the actual NCAA tournament, down time is filled with ridiculously sentimental features about how this team fought back from their point guard's traumatic carpal tunnel, or how this 7 foot center is really a concert pianist who performs for poor orphans in his free time. Now imagine what would happen if you were a douche-y TV sports dude, and you had completed one of these segments to air in the second round, only to have your piece on the obese head coach and the plucky team who inspired him during his bout with the gout become useless due to a hasty first round exit?
Well, seeing as Friday's showdown with Bjork will probably be the last this contest sees of lovable indie pop romantics, Unrest, I figure I better get this Retrohump out of the way right now. They suffer from no disability but relative obscurity, and the collective love of Icelandic pixies, but Post is still gonna eat their lunch...
Unrest - "So Sick"
(Live @ Go! Records, Arlington, VA 5-14-93)
Despite being the recipient of some modest MTV play for the super catchy "Make Out Club," Unrest's 1993 album Perfect Teeth has not yet made it to the You Tube promised land. The first piece of footage from the D.C. stalwarts to emerge is this stripped down acoustic version of album track "So Sick" from a '93 in-store. This sweet and unpretentious pop song might not have the flash of other nineties favorites, but it's as charming as it is simple. There's something to be said for Mark E Robinson's clear, timeless voice. I do wish that there was more video material to be had, but we'll just hope for the uploaders to correct this slight. As the album itself is still shamefully out of print, it might be a long-ish wait.
The acoustic performance captured here is most closely approximated by this version of the song, released originally as a b-side, and given an extra so.
The longer, fully realized version that appeared on Perfect Teeth, has a bit more spring in its step, and is better all around, so here's that one too.
As a delightfully decade appropriate bonus track, I give you the band's version of the post-punk gem "Debbie Harry" by a band called Family Fodder. As you may have noticed, this cover has been amended and renamed to reflect an adolescent love of that late 80's early 90's indie icon of choice, Winona Ryder. Coming from a band who recorded an pro-offing yourself answer song to the imaginary anti-suicide anthem from Heathers, the infatuation should be no surprise.
Bonus: Unrest - "Winona Ryder"
Previously: Songs from an array of Unrest albums, including "Teenage Suicide" and Perfect Teeth's finest "Make Out Club," in a post I felt clever for calling ...and Here's to You Mark E. Robinson, even though that was a totally obvious title.
// Unrest - BPM (1991-94) buy
// Unrest - Imperial F.F.R.R. buy
Posted by Jeff Klingman at March 7, 2007 11:59 AM
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Comments
Is this album really more deserving of a bid than Weezer's blue album?
And yes, it has been an easy week at work.
Posted by: Randall Monty at March 7, 2007 12:03 PM
I'm not "the decider" here (or even on the committee), but I have both albums and I say yes. Go to the other post and listen to "Make Out Club" before you dismiss out of hand
Posted by: Jeff at March 7, 2007 12:14 PM
P.S., it'd be fine with me if Weezer took Tori Amos' 5 seed, and she sulked off into the night...
Posted by: Jeff at March 7, 2007 12:15 PM
