Shark Jumping: Part 2Sometimes a band just can't catch a break. The label picks one track from the first album that's a standout single, shills it mercilessly and once everyone's sick of the song they zip up, leave a few bucks for cab fare and split, leaving the band to fend for themselves. This is especially true for the talented, hardworking guys from Marcy Playground. Their first self titled album was dripping with quirky, grungy alternative pop. They had bombast, good 'ol American style and a sense of humor. They were the rockin' medieval nerds of the 90's and "Sex and Candy" was their swinging noose.
On "Marcy Playground" the only track that really doesn't sound like Marcy Playground is "Sex and Candy" and that's the track they lead with, forever labeling them as lazy, smarmy stoners. The song did nothing to flaunt singer John Wozniak's vocal range or songwriting skills and, while it was a very catchy song, misrepresented the band as a whole. However the album became a hit and eventually went platinum, which set them against their next foe, the "One Hit Wonder" label.
Their attempt to shed this crippling distinction was 1999's "Shapeshifter", an album filled with big songs and psychedelics. This album got me through most of 2001 and I consider it indispensable. Despite being panned by critics there was still a core group of fans who praised the album as the superior to their self titled debut. The songs were more diverse, the themes more bizarre and the guitars more fuzzed out, making "Shapeshifter" the next logical step in the band's progression.
After a five year wait, which is almost a death sentence for most bands, Marcy Playground released their coyly titled third album "MP3" to an generally unresponsive audience. There was no tour and despite numerous singles and a handful of very decent tunes there was no radio play and the album was considered almost a non-entity. While the band hasn't officially split there is no word on a fourth album and the band is currently not touring.John Wozniak is releasing a solo album due out sometime in 2007.So them's the breaks. They never were able to shed being tagged as one hit wonders and their reputation suffered for it. They, like Ron Jeremy to follow, were killed by Sex and Candy.Stay tuned for tomorrow's exciting continuation with: Part 3....
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