The Music Elitist

Source: Spin.com

Spin.com released new information about the upcoming debut album from Tinted Windows. In case you somehow missed my last post, Tinted Windows is a ridiculously awkward looking supergroup consisting of James Iha (Smashing Pumkins/A Perfect Circle), Taylor Hanson, Bun E. Carlos (Cheap Trick) and Adam Schlesinger (Fountains of Wayne):

Earlier this week, a promo clip surfaced, previewing the power-pop band’s new tunes “Kind of a Girl” and “Messin’ with My Head,” complete with ’80s-to-the-max visual effects. Watch below.

And yesterday, more news about the band’s self-titled debut surfaced. Produced by Iha and featuring vocals by Hanson, the 11-track self-titled debut (out April 21 via S-Curve) was written in large part by Schlesinger, Fountains of Wayne’s core songwriter, who said the project represented a departure for him.

“This was much more straight-forward musically and lyrically,” he told Billboard.com. “They’re just pop songs.”

Schlesinger, who was also nominated for an Oscar in 1996 for penning the title track to the Tom Hanks-directed film That Thing You Do!, said that though most associate Hanson with “MmmBop,” a lot has changed since the hit song’s 1997 release. “It’s a shame that when people think of Hanson, they think of Taylor as a teenager. But he’s a grown man, and he’s capable of doing so much.” And Schlesinger kept Hanson in mind during the songwriting process:  “We have Taylor with this incredible voice so I had the idea of doing something with a lot of energy.”

Well, at least the mystery of who is to blame for this manufactured monstrosity is over: S-Curve Records. Their roster also includes such wonderful acts as the Baha Men and We the Kings. I don’t know much about the Baha Men (aside from the fact that if I ever hear “Who Let the Dogs Out Again” there will be f*cking murders) but I do know that We the Kings is definitely a “product” of S-Curve Records. And by product, I mean S-Curve made changes to the band’s line-up before signing them. And by changes, I mean S-Curve made them kick out their bass player because he was ugly.

And I may have a little bit of insight for Mr. Schlesinger on why people only think of Taylor Hanson as a teenager…the last time anyone cared about who he was or what he was doing, he WAS a teenager. When the only song you’re known for singing was released before your voice changed and is titled “MMMBop”, you’re gonna have a hard time getting anyone to take you seriously in a “real” music project when you get older