A day's fascinations, infatuations, distractions, etc...: The Smiths

So many good bands to touch on for this letter.

"S" is for The Second Band - "The Flood"

From their very first full length album The Definite Form comes a delightful video from Sweden's The Second Band. If you're unfamiliar with the band, they offer the following description via their website:

"The Second Band is a popband which consists of about five people. Most of them are nice and easy going, got a decent taste in music and are able to stay in beat for at least four consecutive minutes."

I can only speak for myself, but that's really all I require out of a band. The video was directed by Fabian Lundmark.

I've really been addicted to their new single "No Song", but it's currently without a video. If you'd like to try out the track though, visit their site and enjoy a free download which even includes some nifty cover art.

"S" is for The Shins - "Phantom Limb"

Have you ever seen a school play with better production values? I love this track and it reminds me of my trip to Atlanta two years ago for a music retailer conference. I won the company's Rookie of the Year Award for my management skills at that event, and I got paid to sit on my butt and watch videos (including this one) and other promo material from record companies, got a duffel bag worth of free swag, and then flew home. Not too shabby...

"S" is for The Smiths - "This Charming Man"

Does anyone remember having Daffodil Day when you were in school to raise money to fight cancer? Well, as much as I had the sincerest desire to assist in raising money, my urge in 8th grade to buy lots of daffodils and carry them around sprouting out of my rear blue jeans pocket can mostly be attributed to this band, and more specifically the man known as Morrissey. The Smiths were the band that saved me when I was young! I loved plenty of bands before them, and numerous bands since discovering them, but they were the first band that really had songs that said something to me about my life. I was ackward, shy, dreamed of loving girls but too meek to chase them, I liked hidng in my bedroom with my books and my music. But you have to eventually leave that world, and I think Morrissey's lyrics helped inspire that first bit of courage. He also inspire me to not eat meat for two and a half years, and plaster the deli counter and meat section at the old Mechanicsburg Weiss Market with 50 little post it notes that said "Meat is Murder".

I also tried adding beaded necklaces to my wardrobe for a very, very brief spell, but once you start raiding your mother's jewelry box for the stuff she hasn't touched since the 1970s... well, it's a slippery slope if you're not careful!

So yes, they are still my all time favourite band! So many great singles, and I always loved the album covers with their moody celebrity photos.

Some favourites...

"William, It Was Really Nothing"

"Ask"

"The Boy With the Thorn in His Side"

Okay, at least their songs were well crafted, because the videos are rather dreadful.

Here's some singles covers I compiled though for the sake of nostalgia... see if you remember these!