Comfort Food for Your Ears

Sometimes--perhaps a lot of times--a band or musician finds a formula, and they stick to it. This can mean one of two things. They're either consistently good, or consistently bad. This post is about some guys that fall into the former category.

The first, Jonathan Richman, is someone pretty much everyone has heard, whether they realize it or not. Just tell someone, "He's the guy who was singing throughout There's Something About Mary" and most people will say, "Oh, that guy." Of course, pretty much anyone who knows about the American music scene beyond top 40 knows who Richman is--he's been around for decades, starting with the Modern Lovers and continuing solo (except for Tommy the drummer). Richman's songs range from sweet, to sad, to novelty, to political, to everything between those ranges. His live shows are unforgettable. I still feel a little sick that I missed out on his latest shows in Boston (which apparently sold out instantly). I challenge anyone to walk out of a Jonathan Richman show and not feel like the world is a better place.

I could wax on for a while about why I like Jonathan Richman, but that's not really what this post is about. J.R. recently came out with a new album, Because Her Beauty Raw & Wild, and I realized something as I was listening to it that it's got a lot of the same...themes as his last album, Not So Much To Be Loved As To Love. Both have a song in French, both have a song in Spanish, and both have songs about artists. Actually artists are a recurring theme for Jonathan. This album brings us "No One Was Like Vermeer" and on the last album we had "Vincent Van Gogh" and "Salvador Dali." Richman also likes songs about parties and the beach, and on this new album we get a double whammy with "Our Party Will Be On The Beach Tonight."

Am I complaining? No. There are plenty of other interesting songs in between the rehashed staples, but I honestly think I like some of the rehashed staples best. Jonathan Richman doesn't have to reinvent himself to maintain his awesomeness. Much like another band that, as far as I'm concerned, is pretty under-appreciated: Nerf Herder.

Their newest album, IV, which came out a few weeks ago, surprised me for two reasons. First, it exists. Honestly, I had no idea these guys were still around. Their last album came out six years ago. Second, I really, really liked this album on the very first listen. Musically, Nerf Herder is no more complex than The Ramones, but dang if these guys can't write a catchy tune. But most importantly, these guys write songs for us, the nerds of the world. "High School Reunion,", "Garage Sale," and "I'm Not a Loser" all hit pretty close to home. Of course, when the name of your band is a relatively obscure Star Wars reference, you have an image to uphold. The apparent single from the album (see nightmarish video below) isn't my favorite song, but it'll give you a taste of their style at least.




Again, no new territory here. These guys are good at writing catchy, punky, funny songs about rejection and being a social outcast. They really don't need to be more than that. I heartily endorse both these albums, whether they're your first tries with these artists or your fourth.

Now, can any of you music nerds out there tell my why it's pretty ironic that I'm praising Jonathan Richman and Nerf Herder in the same post?