The Toadies

[Semjaza]

I don't know how many people will be familiar with this band, especially since their heyday was in 1995 lol. I don't have tons of knowledge on their history, so I can't pass much on. I'll try.

The Toadies are basically a straight forward rock band. They were known years back for their song Possum Kingdom, which became a rather big hit.

I believe a lot of reviewers at the time found them to basically be too much like their influences. You'll probably be able to pick a lot of them out, but I think they transcend a lot of that due to their writing style.

There are few bands that I feel are as cynical as the Toadies. Possum Kingdom probably doesn't sound like all that bad of a song if you just listen to it... It sounds like he deeply cares about this girl, although you can sense an anger in his voice. But if you know the lyrics, it's obviously very morbid and deals with a murder at a lake of the same name.

The same goes for Tyler, which sounds almost like a nice love song if you're not paying attention, almost like he just longs for her. From what I can tell it's about the rape and kidnapping of a girl.

This is what I love about them. Their songs are so deceptive. Both of those were off of Rubberbeck, their first LP... it followed Pleather, which was an EP.

The band wound up going their seperate ways for several years, but got back together in 2001. They released Hell Below, Stars Above sometime that year. Pretty solid album, I think.

They wound up breaking up for good thanks mostly to their label, Interscope... who did almost nothing to promote the new release.

In 2002 a live album was released, and that was that.

Anyway, anyone else remember or care for them?

[treton_noir]

man, yeah. i remember those guys. Its odd that you mention Possum Kingdom. Tori and i hear that song at the oddest of times and it always seems to stick around for a good minute.


great writing. great voice. a good, solid band.

edit- not really sure why i hit the button when i did.

[Queen Asuka]

[color=hotpink][size=1]Yeppers, I love that song, Possum Kingdom, a LOT. I also listened to the Tyler song and I thought it was okay. But I still liked the other one better.

Whenever I hear PK I always think about when me and my sisters were really young and we would be slideshows on this program called KidsPix Studio. And we used that song in quite a good bit of our slides. Man, we were AWESOME KIDS![/color][/size]

[Semjaza]

[QUOTE][size=1][i]Possum Kingdom[/i]

Make up your mind
Decide to walk with me
Around the lake tonight
Around the lake tonight
By my side, By my side

I'm not gonna lie
I'll not be a gentleman
Behind the boathouse
I'll show you my dark secret

I'm not gonna lie
I want you for mine
My blushing bride
My lover, be my lover, yeah...

Don't be afraid
I didn't mean to scare you
So help me, Jesus

I can promise you
You'll stay as beautiful
With dark hair
And soft skin...forever
Forever

Make up your mind
Make up your mind
And I'll promise you
I will treat you well
My sweet angel
So help me, Jesus

Give it up to me
Give it up to me
Do you wanna be
My angel?
So help me!

Be my angel, Be my angel

Do you wanna die?

I promise you
I will treat you well
My sweet angel
So help me, Jesus
Jesus...[/size]
[/QUOTE]

As cool as Possum Kingdom is, I just think Tyler is much better song. Neither are terribly complex on any level, but they do what they do well. I can't find any real faults with them. Possum Kingdom is one of the first music videos I can remember seeing (well, the most vividly remembered anyway... along with some Genesis song).

Tyler just appeals to me on a far greater level in general. The way it starts off and then goes through a instrumental period before getting to more lyrics works really well. Great song.

[QUOTE][size=1][i]Tyler[/i]

And she runs through her days with a smile on her face
And she runs, and she waits, and I wait

We can drive to anyplace, day or night, across the state
And in the morning, into Mexico, we will wake up

I find a window in the kitchen, and I let myself in
Rummage through the refrigerator, find myself a beer
I can't believe I'm really here, and she's lying in that bed
I can almost feel her touch, and her anxious breath!

I stumble in the hallway, against the bedroom door
I hear her call out to me, I hear the fear in her voice
She pulls the covers tighter, I press against the door

I will be with her tonight!
[/size] [/QUOTE]

All of Rubberneck rocks though, so you might want to pick it up if you can.