The New Pornographers – “High Art, Local News”
Matador, 2005
Acquired: Love Garden, New, 2005
Price: Free
I think the greatest compliment I can pay to the New
Pornographers is to say that they produce great
b-sides. The best b-sides, really. I can’t think of another band who has
released more single-quality tracks on castaway promotional singles,
compilations, and iTunes exclusive downloads. “Graceland,” “Speed of Luxury,”
Toronto cover “Your Daddy Don’t Know,” and “High Art, Local News” are absolute
monster jams worthy of mass radio airplay. Granted, it’s not that surprising or
special considering that the New Pornographers make albums that are loaded
front to back with monster jams. Still, I got this one-sided 7” for free with
my purchase of Twin Cinema and it
straight up kicks ass. The New Porns’ grip on modern power-pop may have slipped
over their last couple of albums, but Twin
Cinema was one of the catchiest, most rockin’, most fundamentally enjoyable
records of the mid-00s and this b-side so craves to be on the album’s tracklist
proper. There just wasn’t room, I suppose, and that’s fine because there’s a
certain thrill that comes with discovering that some castaway b-side is
actually something mammoth. Actually, it’s like digging up a wooly mammoth
while doing some routine gardening. “Wow, I was enjoying this but HOLY SHIT A
MAMMOTH!” Thrilling. Scintillating. And now I’m going to have this rollicking
song lodged in my head all day.
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