Crazy Zany Radio Sunday

I run a Dutch music blog, as you might perhaps know or not, and for that I started a new column. And since it features one of our favourite Moggers (Anna) and one of our favourite former Moggers (Jon aka Sureshot) I translated it all into English so everyone can enjoy it on here as well! If you want, we are still looking to add one or two people to this column, so hit me up for details if you want to join in. One song per week, nothing much demanding. Anyhow, the colum:

The concept is quite simple: five people are listening to the same song and give their opinion as if they were in the same room listening to the radio at the same time. Stein said a bus is a bus is a bus, some said it was post-modernism, others said it was unreadable. Duchamp's The Fountain is called art by some, nonsense by others. Stein hit Duchamp in the nose and put it the wrong way up, Stein thought it to be hilarious, Duchamp not so much. In short, everyone has a different view on what is fun, art, or beautiful. So that's why we will weekly gather five opinions in five styles, and by all means, put your opinion in the comment section, or if you know you are going to follow this weekly, simple join the team! And yes, mostly everyone will disagree, but that keeps the music in flux, no?

The song: 'Autumn Beds' van Modest Mouse

Average grade: 5.3

Linda (IKRS contributor): Oh, an acoustic song by Modest Mouse! What a great song to start this column with! At least, it was, right until the banjo popped up. I've got an irrational hatred against the banjo. Other people have something against people cutting in lines (Isaac Brock apparently not, he creates queues so that other people can cut them), I've got something against banjo's. But despite the prominent aforementioned instrument it still is a Modest Mouse song, and you can't go wrong with that, can you? Grade: 7

Anna (she interviewed Placebo you know): I can't decide what irritates my ears more: the pretentious trembling vocals in combination with the banjo, or the fact that it is basically a nearly 4-minute pile of monotonous and sleepy (pun intended) nothing.

Caution: autumn beds are closer than they appear.

Grade: 3.42 (that's how long it lasts, right?)

Irene (history student and music fan): The lyrics of 'Autumn Beds' mainly consist of one line, over and over again, which makes it pretty dull, pretty fast. The banjo gives the song a weird little twist, but other than that the composition is quite nice. I will, however, never really become Modest Mouse's biggest fan as I can't quite stand the singer's voice. This, naturally, is personal, but it does mean that the voice is grating for me in this slower song. Grade: 5

Jon (blogs on Rebellious Celluloid): It conjured up images of Richard Farnsworth in David Lynch' Straight Story chugging along on his John Deere lawn tractor. Like the afore-mentioned film the pace of this track is slow, but I never grew tired of it. The banjo fits the title of the song well, creating a spookily realistic autumnal feel. Is that Johnny Marr, playing it? He couldn't be separated further from his roots if it is. If there's truth in the saying "variety is the spice of life"... Modest Mouse are the music equivalent of vindaloo. Grade: 8

Stef (IKRS contributor): The variation! It starts so calmly, and then the poise and venom in Brock's delivery comes in. And the band speeds it up in the last minute, and Brock tags along with it full emotion, how delightfully wonderful! And yes, I know that actually I'm describing a song from their previous album, but there's just so much more positive things to say about that one than about this la-di-da tune. Autumn as a metaphor for bad times coming? What a stroke of genius… Grade: 3