Nada Surf Still Exists
Posted by Troy | Filed under Music
That song “Popular” was popular right around the time I graduated high school.
It was obviously a one-hit-wonder from some random Brooklyn band that no one would ever hear from again.
Or so we would have guessed.
I don’t know that Nada Surf has ever had another radio hit, but their entire body of work and career since “Popular” has been respectable and timeless. (Their live album
So far this year I’ve seen stripped-down-reigned-in albums from Rogue Wave, Shout Out Louds and Band of Horses. If I Had a Hi-Fi
and along with those others, this album is simple and jangly enough to have come from any of the past four decades but will forever be the part of my soundtrack that is twentyten.
Cover songs are rarely worthwhile in my opinion… however… in some of those magical moments they really work.
(the I’m Not There
This is the very rare occasion where a whole album is covers that work. Every single one.
It’s probably because rather than attempting to cover iconic songs by iconic artists they’ve covered some obscure tunes by a handful of artists of whom you’ll probably only recognize a couple (Depeche Mode, Spoon).
I’m not sure exactly, but it’ just good stuff.
I’m kind of glad Nada Surf didn’t stay in the mainstream after their big hit. I like them better out here.
If I had a Hi-Fi Tracklist (with original artist)
- Electrocution (Bill Fox)
- Enjoy the Silence (Depeche Mode)
- Love Goes On (The Go-Betweens)
- Janine (Arthur Russell)
- You Were So Warm (Dwight Twilley)
- Love and Anger (Kate Bush)
- The Agony of Laffitte (Spoon)
- Bye Bye Beaute (Coralie Clement)
- Question (Moody Blues)
- Bright Side (Soft Pack)
- Evolution (Mercromina)
- I Remembered What I Was Going to Say (The Silly Pillows)
Check out Nada Surf’s website to see the back of the album’s art. pretty cool.
Tags: brooklyn, Music, nada surf
