There have been Hits and there have been Misses. The sad truth is that too often a hit overshadows a budding artist. Certainly, when the anti-Lewinsky screed, "Monica," or the pro-cocaine smashup, "Lit Up," caught the airwaves, neither Before Dark or Buckcherry could imagine that the newly-arrived fame would effectively end their respective careers. This is Recess' shoutout to the bands that are still dutifully working their magic, whether in or out of one-hit wonderdom.
Some bands can reach you from the musical grave and beyond. L'Trimm's "Cars With The Boom" might've been the group's only single to chart, but their entire late '80s oeuvre of work contains truly vintage pop-rap. The same goes for Aqua; "Barbie Girl" was their mega-hit, but other tracks such as "Cartoon Heroes" capture catchy bubblegum better than any other '90s pop outfit. Others like Portishead epitomize whole genres. With two albums (Dummy, Portishead), the group scored its only radio-friendly single with "Sour Times." Today, its influence reverberates within both British and American musical spheres.
At the same time, other one-hitters are still busy making music. When Nada Surf first appeared on the scene with the emo-thrasher, "Popular," comparisons to Weezer were inevitable; however, with 2002's critically-acclaimed Let Go, the band stepped into its own with mad indie rock love songs like "The Way You Wear Your Head."
Sweden's Cardigans underwent a similar transformation. Sure, "Lovefool" packed a one-two melodic whammy, but '50s lounge tunes had staled long ago. The next LP saw the group experimenting with a darker, trip-hop informed palette, while their latest release Long Gone Before Daylight out May 25 features a sound closer to Kathleen Edwards on saccharine.
Evolution is a common theme in PJ Harvey's songs. "Down By The Water" branded her the one true rock goddess, but it also remains her only single-on-radio. Over the years, however, she's continued to explore the sonic landscape, including a guest appearance on Josh Homme's stoner rock project, Desert Sessions Vol. 9-10.
Stoners and ne'er-do-wells are Macy Gray's basic subject matter on her three released albums thus far. Famous for the mellow tune, "I Try," Gray has continued weaving her sometimes stumbling, sometimes lilting vocals over hazy numbers filled with mesmerizing lust and drizzling rain. While record sales of each subsequent record, including last fall's The Trouble With Being Myself, have declined, each LP discharges decidedly more critical praise and smoky whispers of sweet nuthins'.
Yet another stoner hit, "Because I Got High," sparked Afroman's career. With the single's success, Universal quickly signed the rapper to a six-album deal. His sophomore set Afroholic, a likely bomb, debuts April 20.
Who let the dogs out? Woof.
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