Sometimes you don't get what you pay for

Occasionally I find myself at my local Half Price Books, browsing their surprisingly large collection of used CDs. When I’m feeling particularly adventurous, I’ll mosey over to the dollar bin and grab a CD or 2 just by the look of the cover. Now I bet you’re not surprised that a goodly number of these picks are what could be described as utter shite. However, what might surprise you is that the quotient of those that aren’t half bad is around 50%. Not bad odds if you ask me, and because of this, I am more than happy to throw down 5 bucks and take my chances. It is within this context that I talk about these next two CDs, both of which happen to be from the HPB dollar bin.

Twice - The Tyde
The band hails from California and most online reviews talk about how much their albums call up the southern California surf mystique. Well, I don’t know about that. Twice is definitely on the more mellow side of the pop spectrum, but I don’t automatically think of palm trees and sand while listening to it, let alone surfing. Then again, I grew up in Texas, so maybe I’m just not in touch with my inner beach bum. Reviewers also speak about its psychedelic elements, a term by the way, thrown around without any real understanding of what it means (Note to reviewers, try listening to a Tomorrow album sometime!) A lot of it actually reminds me of the Housemartins, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Standouts are “Crystal Canyons,” where lead singer Darren Rademaker is channeling his best Velvet Underground era Lou Reed. “Memorable Moments” is a nice little slab of jangle and synths. “New D” is a fun little pop song, think Byrds meet Steve Miller (added bonus - it actually mentions surfing). All in all not something I would necessarily run out and buy if I had heard it playing somewhere, but it’s not a bad little disc.

Sober & Stupid - fortytwenty
Come on, how could I resist a CD called Sober and Stupid?! Not to mention the cover just called to me - old school Fisher Price little people wearing cowboy hats and smoking!! What can I say about the music? Well it is a good representation of both kinds: country AND western!! Booze seems to be front and center here, but they also throw in a few songs with a pancake theme as well (no joke). The band pays homage to the sound of classic county, but does so with attitude. “Walk Out” is a pure dee ass-kicking honky-tonk song!! The steel guitar on the CD just seeps out of the speakers in a way that makes me very, very happy!! This is where taking a chance with the dollar bin pays off. I will definitely be playing this CD - a lot.