How well do you know your music? Let’s find out with a quiz that accompanies this week playlist.
The subjects du jour are : Hot Hot Heat, The Wedding Present, Dj Shadow, Stylophonic, The Knife, Lowgold, The Charlatans, X-Press 2, Benga, Sparks, Howard Blake, Hope Of The States
They are the performers of twelve (animated only) music videos that reached the charts from the eighties to the noughties.
1. What genre does Hot Hot Heat incorporate into “No, Not Now”?
- A Jazz
- B New Wave
- C Reggae
2. Who is the narrator longing for in “Blue Eyes”?
- A Alexandra
- B His high-school crush
- C An ex-girlfriend
3. Which musician produced “This Time (I’m Gonna Try It My Way)”?
- A Max Weisenfelt
- B Count
- C DJ Shadow
4. Which music style best describes “Soulreply”?
- A Classical
- B House
- C Rock
5. What unique feature is associated with the song “Like a Pen” by The Knife?
- A An acoustic version
- B Body imagery in lyrics
- C A guest vocal performance
6. Who produced Lowgold’s “Mercury”?
- A Tony Lash
- B David Gedge
- C Shaw Petronio
7. Which instrument is prominently featured in “Try Again Today” by The Charlatans?
- A Saxophone
- B Wah-wah guitar
- C Accordion
8. What was Kurt Wagner’s contribution to “Give It” by X-Press 2?
- A Bass line
- B Chorus vocals
- C Drum beats
9. Why is “Night” by Benga & Coki notable in dubstep history?
- A Its promotional music video
- B First dubstep track to win a Grammy
- C Early daytime radio airplay
10. On which US TV show did Sparks perform “Perfume”?
- A Gilmore Girls
- B Friends
- C The Simpsons
11. Who originally sang “Walking in the Air” for the film adaptation of Raymond Briggs’s book?
- A Peter Auty
- B Howard Blake
- C Samuel Herlihy
12. How was the single “Black Dollar Bills” uniquely packaged?
- A In a digital format
- B In a hessian sleeve
- C With a perfume scent
Tracklist
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1 . Hot Hot Heat – No Not NowFeatured on the 2002 album “Make Up the Breakdown”.
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2 . The Wedding Present – Blue EyesFeatured on the 1992 album “Greatest Hits”.
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3 . Dj Shadow – This Time [I’m Gonna Try It My Way]Featured on the 2006 album “The Outsider”.
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4 . Stylophonic – SoulreplyFeatured on the 2002 album “Man Music Technology”.
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5 . The Knife – Like A PenFeatured on the 2006 album “Silent Shout”.
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6 . Lowgold – MercuryFeatured on the 2001 album “Just Backward of Square”.
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7 . The Charlatans – Try Again TodayFeatured on the 2004 album “Up At The Lake”.
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8 . X-Press 2 – Give It (w/ Kurt Wagner)Featured on the 2006 album “Makeshift Feelgood”.
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9 . Benga – NightFeatured on the 2008 album “Diary of an Afro Warrior”.
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10 . Sparks – PerfumeFeatured on the 2006 album “Hello Young Lovers”.
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11 . Howard Blake – The Snowman ~ Walking In The AirFeatured on the 1982 album “The Snowman: Soundtrack”. |
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12 . Hope Of The States – Black Dollar BillsFeatured on the 2004 album “The Lost Riots”.
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And the correct answers (in case you missed one or two) are:
1. Hot Hot Heat’s “No, Not Now” incorporates new wave elements, a sound choice that echoes influences from The Cure and Elvis Costello through energetic rhythms and synthesizers.
2. The narrator of “Blue Eyes” experiences regret, reflecting on memories of an ex-girlfriend while being with his current partner, Alexandra, lamenting the overlap of emotion and memory.
3. DJ Shadow, also known as Josh Davis, produced and arranged “This Time (I’m Gonna Try It My Way),” chalking up to his eclectic blend of hip hop, funk, and organic grooves.
4. “Soulreply” by Stylophonic exemplifies house music, incorporating electronic beats and vocal samples, tapping into early 2000s club trends.
5. “Like a Pen” by The Knife stands out for its vivid body imagery in lyrics, enhancing its layered electronic soundscape with Karin Dreijer’s distinctive vocal treatment.
6. Tony Lash produced “Mercury” by Lowgold, bringing the track to life with his production skills on the album “Just Backward of Square” in 2001.
7. The Charlatans’ “Try Again Today” features a wah-wah guitar, among other instrumentation, creating a distinctive groove within its Beatlesque ballad vibe.
8. Kurt Wagner’s contribution to “Give It” by X-Press 2 is his notable vocal delivery, particularly in the chorus, complementing the club-oriented track’s overall feel.
9. “Night” by Benga & Coki achieved early daytime radio airplay for dubstep, a landmark moment for the genre, setting it apart in popular music history.
10. Sparks performed “Perfume” on the season 6 finale of “Gilmore Girls,” an instance of musical intersection with mainstream television.
11. “Walking in the Air” was originally sung by Peter Auty for the 1982 animated adaptation of Raymond Briggs’s book, accompanying the iconic flying sequence.
12. “Black Dollar Bills” by Hope of the States was uniquely packaged in a hessian sleeve, each hand-sewn by band members, adding a tangible layer to its limited release.