Ought “Sun Coming Down”

Ought

Sun Coming Down

[Constellation; 2015]

Rating: 9

One look at the presidential race in the two respective parties, and it is easy to assume that the United States has lost its mind. Leading the GOP is Donald Trump, a megalomaniac millionaire who trumps himself daily with more and more offensive/ludicrous statements that somehow only bolster his standing with conservatives. Young democrats have found their flavor of the week in Bernie Sanders, a self-declared socialist whose idealistic platform seems highly unachievable in a beltway that is more partisan than ever. One can’t help but wonder how these two unlikely candidates have gained such a following.

I like to believe it’s not so much the message of this duo that has excited the American people – it’s the fact that they are outsiders. Both candidates have refused to take money from corporate entities and special interest groups, the usual suspects who have put a stranglehold on the government, making citizens feel frustrated and powerless.

The Canadian quartet Ought have mirrored this frustration in both of their releases on Constellation Records. On 2013’s More Than Any Other Day, the band boiled down this helpless feeling to a life where shopping for milk is a highlight in a world where we can only assure ourselves that “everything is okay” while always “sinking deeper.” It’s common for bands today to focus on the dystopian, apocalyptic downfall that lies ahead, yet Ought have remained focus on the mundane patterns of everyday existence that we have all passively agreed upon.

Video Clip of the Week: Me nombre es Eddie Vedder

One look at a list of this fall’s new television shows and it is once again made clear how unoriginal Hollywood is these days. “Charlies Angels”? Again? Oh, but one is black this time, so that makes it different, right? Oooh, but there’s a new Tim Allen show about a man being a man! (cue animal sounds). The critics seem to like “Pan Am”, a show about 1960s stewardesses making it in a male chauvinistic world. That’s TOTALLY different from “Mad Men” because it’s about women in the 60s…not men! Go get’em gals!

But the new show that has been overdone beyond necessity is Simon Cowell’s “X-Factor”.  He claims that it will be a completely new twist on the singing competition, but one look at the line-up of judges and it’s pretty obvious that not much has changed.  Sure, America loves a good singing competition, but why not truly do something different? Take Chile’s show “Me Nombre Es…” where Chileans step onto the stage and try imitating American music icons. Just check out this clip of Javier Diaz, some dude from Chile who wails out the best Eddie Vedder impression I’ve ever heard.

Watch out Eddie…don’t forget how easily Journey ditched Steve Perry for a Filipino kid.