Tuesday, July 14, 2009

My Favorite Band In the World (This Week): Tinted Windows

Let's roll out another weekly feature here on the blog... I love the obsession phase with bands or musicians where you can't hear them enough. This week my obsession is Tinted Windows. It's the power-pop formula (crunchy guitars plus sweet melodies) blended like a fine scotch... or maybe a bottle of Ripple at the Jiffy Mart. Either way, it tastes good.

It's also a supergroup of sorts -- the guitarist from Smashing Pumpkins, the bass player from Fountains of Wayne, the singer from Hanson (!), and on drums, the immortal Bun E. Carlos from Cheap Trick. Any band with Bun E. Carlos is all right with me.

Ladies and gentlemen, "Kind of a Girl."



So what are you listening to these days?

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Right now I'm into the Texas music scene, not country, not rock, not alternative, not pop, just good music. Bands like Cross Canadian Ragweed, Reckless Kelly, Micky and the Motorcars, Stoney Larue, Wade Bowen, Bleu Edmondson, Ryan Bingham, The V-Roys, Brandon Rhyder just to name a few.

Anonymous said...

I am all about Chickenfoot lately. Red Rocker, Michael Anthony, Joe Satriani, Chad Smith.

Anonymous said...

Wow, Tommy.
Can you say "bubblegum"? Obviously Hanson is the big influence with this band...

Unknown said...

to "bubblegum" guy:
tricky topic, as there is lame bubblegum and, shall we say, "arte" bubblegum... i might put the original Cheap Trick in the latter. and it's not a bad thing. it's power trio rock, with a bubblegum vibe, but executed by what i would classify as "cerebral, smarty pants, artists" who know that they are delivering a bubblegum vibe, but do it with a tinge of irony, awareness and i-don't-care-what-you-think. plus a pinch of metrosexual camp. you could arguably put some of early VanHalen/DLRoth in that camp. it's a tricky walk... finally, to really end on a contraversial note, i am a card carrying red meat, hetero, skynyrd lovin, pro rasslin watching beer swiggin jackass, but i'm here to tell you: Hanson was a good -- almost great -- band. teeny bubblegum? for sure. but they delivered power pop, heart, and finely executed classic (50s reminescent) 3 piece sound. there. i said it. Tommy, I'm on board with this pick.

tommy tomlinson said...

Grossman, I'm with you. We all need a little Mastodon in our lives. But every so often it's OK to mix in some Matthew Sweet, you know?
The larger point: Never apologize for music you like. Unless it's Neil Diamond. Then, um, apologize.

Algernon said...

A different Cake CD occupies each of the 6 slots in the exchanger these days.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nbzt1HnVzIQ

I didn't put them there, but I am in no hurry to take them out either. Of course there is also an unopened duo of wacky packages wedged in so tight to keep it from rattling about, you'd think Cloris Leachman was sneaking in my garage and rubbing her face on it at night.

I like Neil Diamond without apologies.

Anonymous said...

I just had the world's most powerful speakers installed in my ride, and I'm driving over to Tommy's 'hood tonight to cruise and play "Kind of a Girl" over and over ad nauseum.

Anonymous said...

Appatently Michael Jackson wasn't alone in his infatuation with young males.

Lynne Stevenson said...

Sammy Hagar's recent incarnation, CHICKENFOOT totally rules! I am going to see them at the HOB in Myrtle Beach at the end of August. Will be the third concert of Sammy's I have seen. Like fine wine, he only gets better with age.

Algernon said...

That's interesting you post that about Hagar. I have one of the original pressings of the Montrose Debut album, still unopened.


We just pledged it to a charity function and got in to the van hagar discussion.

Great performer.

Unknown said...

Oh Anonymous -- it was all nice discussion about the various forms of great music... and then your inner 5th grader took over. Let's see, do fans of the Texas scene therefore have twisted "infatuations" with longhorn beef or Ann Richards? Do fans of Reckless Kelly have an infatuation with hanging out with just their bro-dudes posing (see all their promo photos)? Anon -- you took it down a notch. Which is a shame. Most of us see the money shot in American Pie, and think "comedy". I guess you think "autobiographical documentary". I've said too much, taken too long, and your recess is over. Finish that juicebox, and head on back to homeroom.

Anonymous said...

Tommy, take a moment and download some Pete Yorn!

Anonymous said...

Grossman, first of all the question was what are you listening to, not who do you want to criticise for the music they are listening to, therefore I answered, I am liking a lot of bands/musicians coming out of texas. Have you even listened to any of them or have you just glanced at promotional photographs and tried to judge a book by its cover. There is alot of good talent that doesn't get recognized in every genre of music which I think was the whole point of this discussion which you have yet to contribute to other than criticising what everyone else is listening to. Did I claim that their music was superior to anyone elses, no. I was the first one to post discussions about what we were listening to, so about bringing it down your wrong again there (I think we are starting to see a pattern). I am open to any form of music, and I was looking forward to what other people had in their car or ipod playlist. You may consider me a 5th grader but at least I'm still grown up enough to respect others.

Anonymous said...

What am I listening to...Chuck Mead of course and his new cd Journeyman's Wager.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFQJo2jZCvU

And here's Chuck and his former band BR549 with the Avetts
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvNtPCZULlE&feature=related

Thanks for the link to Tinted Windows. They're good. The vocals are a little sugary but the band is good.

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