Every now and then, we all need a good bit of cathartic energy, I find. Last week, I was talking about how music choice can be driven, in part, by external influences, such as the weather or really anything happening in day-to-day life. But there is also the other route, where we need a pick-me-up or a calm-me-down to push us to where we are aiming.
Maybe you listen to the Lion King soundtrack to get up in the morning. Maybe you pull up Marconi Union’s “Weightless” to bring down your pulse in the evening (CAUTION: “Weightless Part 1” has scientifically been proven to be the most relaxing song, and is not advised to be listened to while operating a motor vehicle). Maybe you bump some upbeat electronic tunes to get your butt off the couch and go to the gym.
Some albums, for me, hit that perfect pace to get all hyped, and up and running, and ready for whatever is up next. Personally, I would say that more often than not these are upbeat records that have some solid shout-along qualities.
When I first came across the Canadian band PUP, l had read about their sophomore album “The Dream Is Dead” and how it was born, in part, out of the harrowing experience of being on a month-long, non-stop tour promoting their debut record – they did more than 400 shows over less than two years, to give you a better sense. The album opens with one of my favorite opening tracks out there, especially considering the circumstances: “If This Tour Doesn’t Kill You, Then I Will”. Definitely helps set the scene.
PUP make driving punk rock with an attitude that fully fits the mold, and brings often biting, self-reflective lyrics with a ton of tongue-in-cheek humor. The name PUP comes from the lead singer’s grandmother telling him that pursuing a career as a musician was a “Pathetic Use of Potential”. The album title for their sophomore is taken verbatim from a doctor commenting on him having damaged his vocal cords while on tour.
In solid punk-rock fashion, none of this has stopped them. In fact, it seems to just help fan the flames – they are, of course, still going strong! (Heck, when I saw them a few years back, the lead singer prefaced the show by saying his voice was fried from a cold he had caught, and then continued to walk across a sea of hands mid-set, to sing the chorus with an audience member on the balcony who he climbed up to, only to then throw himself back off and crowd-surf back to the stage.)
All that, I feel, helps illustrate the cathartic energy I was referring to earlier – Screw it, let’s go! Kick some butt out there, this weekend
Coryphe 