OK Go - OK Go

MINE

So long before this band became famous for this video clip, YourZ and I were sitting at home with another friend (hi, Dave!) and listening to a freebie compilation given away by Q Magazine.  A rock collection, if memory serves me.  And while most of the rest of it was unremarkable, one song made us sit up and listen.  (This video isn't quite the version we heard, but it'll do.) So we played it again, and then again.  And I believe later in the night we played it once more!

And then for quite a while I searched for the album it came from, believing it would be filled with similar gems.  And when I found it, I was a little disappointed.  But re-listening to that album now, I see I've dismissed the other songs too readily, because they're also great.  Sardonic, and at times weirdly reminiscent of The Cure, for some reason.  I love You're So Damn Hot and Don't Ask Me, but really they're all good.  So I can't call it a Forgotten Gem - but maybe it's a Rediscovered Gem?  Pop-rock heaven, anyway.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

YOURZ

I was pleased to finally land on OK Go so I could write about our collection of great CDs we've got for free from various music magazines.  As Mine says, we picked this track up from one such CD and I do believe we played the song possibly even more times.  I have a distinct memory of our friend requesting the song many times over the night.  And I think he laughed and sang along loudly each time.

I was sold on this band the first time I heard What To Do.  There was no way who ever wrote that song was going to write a one hit wonder.  I'd seen the album around when it was first released but didn't take much notice of it.  But I'm so pleased we sought this great band out.  This, their debut, is full of smart, wry pop rock gems (yeah, try saying that five times quick).

Again, as Mine says, they're more known for their clever videos.  Their domination of YouTube changed the landscape of the music industry.  And it won them a Grammy too.  Thankfully, they have continued to write the same smart music while making some fantastically inventive videos over the last few years (I reckon you could probably tell a lot about a person by what OK Go video they liked the most).

I listened to the CD twice through but was still wanting to hear more after the second listen.  And frankly, I'm a little surprised we haven't added anything more of theirs to our collection.  Guess these are going to be another addition to that list, Mine.

VERDICT:

For more information go to http://www.okgo.net/