Will Ferrell's skit on Saturday Night Live with Blue Oyster Cult and the "more cowbell" shtick is now part of the pop culture landscape, yet for some reason I felt the need to explain the joke before I told it. I'm like that. I can be very funny but I can also ruin funny faster than anyone I know. So...what was the joke? We need more glockenspiel!
How many pop songs have great glockenspiel? Not enough. I'm reminded of how great glockenspiel is every time I listen to Doves' "Snowden." My sidekick 11 thinks all albums should be produced by Brian Eno. I think all songs should have glockenspiel and have the words "punk ass" in them. Is it any wonder I'm not in a band?
"Snowden" was released as a single in 2005 when the band released Some Cities but I don't know that it made much of a dent on the British charts. One of the things I like about it is the way it blossoms from ambient to anthem. The song opens with ambient noodling and continues to build until it sounds like controlled chaos.
Doves are one of the best bands that you're not listening to. "Snowden" is a great song and it's not a bad introduction to what these guys can do. I'd also recommend "Jetstream" from their latest, Kingdom of Rain. You're also going to have to own a copy of their classic The Last Broadcast, which is still the best thing they've ever done. If you've never given Doves a chance, today would be a great day.
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