Popular - Music
Popular by Nada Surf
Nada Surf
Artist Biography For Nada Surf
Nada Surf Is An American Alternative Rock Group That Was Formed In 1992. The New York Band Consists Of Matthew Caws Guitar Vocals Ira Elliot Drums Vocals And Daniel Lorca Bass Vocals . Their Debut Album Titled 'High/Low' Came Out On June 18 1996 And Featured Production Work From Ric Ocasek Of The Cars The Band Is Best Known For The Song "Popular" Released As A Single From Their Aformentioned Debut. The Song Reached #11 On The US Billboard Alternative Songs Chart And Propelled The Album Itself To #63 On The Billboard 200. Each Of The Verses In "Popular" Are Extracted From The 1964 Guide 'Penny's Guide To Teen-Age Charm And Popularity' A Work By Former Teen Television Actress Gloria Winters And The Lyrics Are Sarcastically Spoken With A Calm Deadpan Voice Used Initially That Gradually Builds Kinison-Style In Teen Angst And Rage. The Groups Follow-Up Effort An Album Titled 'The Proximity Effect' Failed To Garner As Much Attention Due To Music Industry Shenanigans. The Band Explains On Their Official Website Nada Surf Recorded The Proximity Effect In 1998 With Fred Maher Luna Lou Reed Matthew Sweet . It Was A Mighty Fine Record. Elektra Now Part Of Atlantic Claiming They "didn’t Hear A Single " Asked The Band To Go Back In The Studio To Hunt For One. As This Was Months After They’d Handed The Record In The Band Refused And Were Dropped. It’s Pretty Safe To Say Though That Elektra Didn’t Appear To Be "listening" Very Hard. The Proximity Effect Was Released As Scheduled In Europe. Critics Loved It And Fans Bought It. Elektra Still Didn’t Care But The Band Still Did. So After Wrestling The Rights Back Nada Surf Released The Proximity Effect Stateside In 2000 On Their Own Label MarDev Records And Toured Accordingly... After A Three-Year Wait The Group Released Let Go Through Barsuk Records To Positive Reviews. The Song "Inside Of Love" Received Some Airplay And Even Reached #73 In The United Kingdom A Feat Which Neither "Popular" Nor The Other Two Previously Released Singles From Let Go Achieved. On The Strength Of The Single The Album Reached #31 On Billboard's Top Independent Albums Chart. The Band's Fourth Album The Weight Is A Gift Was Released In Germany On September 5 2005 By City Slang Records In Japan/Australia September 12th And In The US September 13th By Barsuk And In The Rest Of Europe September 19th By V2/City Slang. It Was Produced By Chris Walla Of The Band Death Cab For Cutie Louie Lino And Nada Surf. The Album's Lead Single Is "Always Love." In 2008 Lucky Was Released. In 2010 The Band Returned To The Scene Triumphantly With The Cover-Album If I Had A Hi-Fi Revealing A Diversity In Source Material Whilst Re-Moulding It Into Trademark Nada Surf Songs. The Band Announced A New Record Will Be Released In January 2012 Called " The Stars Are Indifferent To Astronomy." The First Single Is Called "When I Was Young" And Is Available Free To Download From The Band's Website. On Oct 24th 2011 The Song Was Also Featured As An NPR "Song Of The Day"
Frogtoon Music - Song Info: Popular
Nada-Surf - High/Low
Popular Is Nada Surf's First Radio Single Released In June 1996. Each Of The Verses In Popular Presents In Spoken Word Format Sarcastic Advice To Teens. Initially Offered In A Calm Deadpan Voice The Lyrics Gradually Build Kinison-Style In Teen Angst And Rage. The Song Reached Number 11 On The U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks Chart And Propelled The Album To Number 63 On The Billboard 200. Popular Was Also A Big Hit In France Reaching The Top 10 With A Total Chart Run Of 15 Consecutive Weeks In The French Top 50. It Was Also Used In France In A TV Commercial For The Radio Station Fun Radio Which Was Then The Most Influential Radio Station Among Teenagers. The Whole Song Except For The Chorus Is Made Of Parts Of A Book Penny's Guide To Teen-Age Charm And Popularity Gloria Winters 1964 Prentice Hall Whose Advice Are Taken Sarcastically By Matthew Caws. Those Parts Are Spoken And Not Sung. A Rerecorded Version From 2007 Appears On The Band's MySpace. Video And Controversy The Video For This Song Directed By Jesse Peretz Was Shot At The Bayonne High School With Administration Approval And Showed Football Players And Cheerleaders Wearing The Uniforms Of The School As Well As The Three Members Of The Band Matthew As A Teacher Daniel As A Security Guard And Ira As The Football Coach. The Vice Principal Of The High School Later Launched A Controversy In Mid-August 1996 By Raising The Issue That The Last Scene Which Shows Football Players Staring Suggestively At Each Other In The Showers Was Homoerotic And Thus Offensive Towards Bayonne High School As It Suggested Some Of Its Football Players Could Be Gay. According To Nada Surf The Shower Scene Was Never Intended To Suggest Homosexuality. Indeed Both The Song's Lyrics And The Bulk Of The Video's Imagery Are Predominantly — And Blatantly — Heterosexual. The Video Features Passionate Heterosexual Kissing Scenes For Example Which Go Well Beyond Any "suggestive" Smiles That So Offended The Vice Principal. Significantly The Band Members Quickly Took Exception To This Homophobic Attack. During An MTV News Report On The Controversy Nada Surf Lambasted The Vice Principal's Ignorance — Calling The Vice Principal "small Minded" For Singling Out "homoeroticism As More Offensive Than Straight Eroticism".
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Biography - Nada Surf
Nada Surf Is An American Alternative Rock Group That Was Formed In 1992. The New York Band Consists Of Matthew Caws Guitar Vocals Ira Elliot Drums Vocals And Daniel Lorca Bass Vocals . Their Debut Album Titled 'High/Low' Came Out On June 18 1996 And Featured Production Work From Ric Ocasek Of The Cars The Band Is Best Known For The Song "Popular" Released As A Single From Their Aformentioned Debut. The Song Reached #11 On The US Billboard Alternative Songs Chart And Propelled The Album Itself To #63 On The Billboard 200. Each Of The Verses In "Popular" Are Extracted From The 1964 Guide 'Penny's Guide To Teen-Age Charm And Popularity' A Work By Former Teen Television Actress Gloria Winters And The Lyrics Are Sarcastically Spoken With A Calm Deadpan Voice Used Initially That Gradually Builds Kinison-Style In Teen Angst And Rage. The Groups Follow-Up Effort An Album Titled 'The Proximity Effect' Failed To Garner As Much Attention Due To Music Industry Shenanigans. The Band Explains On Their Official Website Nada Surf Recorded The Proximity Effect In 1998 With Fred Maher Luna Lou Reed Matthew Sweet . It Was A Mighty Fine Record. Elektra Now Part Of Atlantic Claiming They "didn’t Hear A Single " Asked The Band To Go Back In The Studio To Hunt For One. As This Was Months After They’d Handed The Record In The Band Refused And Were Dropped. It’s Pretty Safe To Say Though That Elektra Didn’t Appear To Be "listening" Very Hard. The Proximity Effect Was Released As Scheduled In Europe. Critics Loved It And Fans Bought It. Elektra Still Didn’t Care But The Band Still Did. So After Wrestling The Rights Back Nada Surf Released The Proximity Effect Stateside In 2000 On Their Own Label MarDev Records And Toured Accordingly... After A Three-Year Wait The Group Released Let Go Through Barsuk Records To Positive Reviews. The Song "Inside Of Love" Received Some Airplay And Even Reached #73 In The United Kingdom A Feat Which Neither "Popular" Nor The Other Two Previously Released Singles From Let Go Achieved. On The Strength Of The Single The Album Reached #31 On Billboard's Top Independent Albums Chart. The Band's Fourth Album The Weight Is A Gift Was Released In Germany On September 5 2005 By City Slang Records In Japan/Australia September 12th And In The US September 13th By Barsuk And In The Rest Of Europe September 19th By V2/City Slang. It Was Produced By Chris Walla Of The Band Death Cab For Cutie Louie Lino And Nada Surf. The Album's Lead Single Is "Always Love." In 2008 Lucky Was Released. In 2010 The Band Returned To The Scene Triumphantly With The Cover-Album If I Had A Hi-Fi Revealing A Diversity In Source Material Whilst Re-Moulding It Into Trademark Nada Surf Songs. The Band Announced A New Record Will Be Released In January 2012 Called " The Stars Are Indifferent To Astronomy." The First Single Is Called "When I Was Young" And Is Available Free To Download From The Band's Website. On Oct 24th 2011 The Song Was Also Featured As An NPR "Song Of The Day"
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Popular is Nada Surf's first radio single, released in June 1996. Each of the verses in Popular presents, in spoken word format, sarcastic advice to teens. Initially offered in a calm, deadpan voice, the lyrics gradually build Kinison-style in teen angst and rage.
The song reached number 11 on the U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and propelled the album to number 63 on the Billboard 200. Popular was also a big hit in France, reaching the Top 10 with a total chart run of 15 consecutive weeks in the French Top 50. It was also used in France in a TV commercial for the radio station Fun Radio, which was then the most influential radio station among teenagers.
The whole song, except for the chorus, is made of parts of a book, Penny's Guide to Teen-Age Charm and Popularity (Gloria Winters, 1964, Prentice Hall), whose advice are taken sarcastically by Matthew Caws. Those parts are spoken, and not sung.
A rerecorded version from 2007 appears on the band's MySpace.
Video and controversy
The video for this song, directed by Jesse Peretz, was shot at the Bayonne High School, with administration approval, and showed football players and cheerleaders, wearing the uniforms of the school, as well as the three members of the band, Matthew as a teacher, Daniel as a security guard, and Ira as the football coach.
The vice principal of the High School later launched a controversy, in mid-August 1996, by raising the issue that the last scene, which shows football players staring suggestively at each other in the showers, was homoerotic and thus offensive towards Bayonne High School, as it suggested some of its football players could be gay.
According to Nada Surf, the shower scene was never intended to suggest homosexuality. Indeed, both the song's lyrics and the bulk of the video's imagery are predominantly — and blatantly — heterosexual. The video features passionate, heterosexual kissing scenes, for example, which go well beyond any "suggestive" smiles that so offended the vice principal.
Significantly, the band members quickly took exception to this homophobic attack. During an MTV News report on the controversy, Nada Surf lambasted the vice principal's ignorance — calling the vice principal "small minded" for singling out "homoeroticism as more offensive than straight eroticism". Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.