Aural Fixations

STEW
Something Deeper Than These Changes
(Smile)
Hi, there. My name is Stew. I am a songwriter and singer best known for membership in the provocatively named psychedelic pop band The Negro Problem. Too bad, because as much fun as TNP is, my best work can be found on my solo albums, of which Something Deeper Than These Changes is my third (or fifth, if you count the homemade collections I sell at shows and on my website). This one is a little more sparse and acoustic than my previous records, and the lyrics are a little more straightforward as well. I still like my infamous cryptic imagery, but hell, since y'all don't seem real interested in giving my words any real thought, I figured I'd spell it out a little more clearly. But don't worry, I've got the same beautiful melodies and soulful singing that I always include, aided, as always, by my lovely assistant Heidi Rodewald on harmony vocals and various instruments. So now maybe y'all will recognize my genius. I mean, let's skip any false modesty here: I'm probably the best goddamned songwriter in America. My tunes have the perfect balance between indie rock experimentation and classic pop accessibility. My lyrics mess around with the sounds and meanings of words, but still have emotional heft and real heart. Check out this record—who else is gonna come up with songs as beautiful as "Love Like That," "Tomorrow Gone" or "The Constellation Jeeves?" Who else is gonna write lines as quietly brilliant as "Love is not the instrument of pain/It's your own mind?" Not too many folks, lemme tell ya, especially now that Elliott Smith is dead. It just doesn't get better than this—I'm like Elvis Costello without the condescension, Burt Bacharach with substance, Ryan Adams without the constant allusions to other songwriters. I've got it goin' on, people. If this record doesn't make you bow down, I won't give up—I'll still make these albums for myself and my cult, and the rest of you will just have to live your sorry lives without the melodic enlightenment I've got to offer. Hell, most of you still can't get over the fact that I'm African-American but not a soul man; those few of you who do accept it still compare me to Arthur Lee, as if because we're both black and fond of psychedelia, we're just alike. I mean, Arthur's great and everything, and every songwriter worth his salt has Love's Forever Changes in there somewhere, but come on, I'm not a retro-stylized hippie throwback. I'm me, a modern, contemporary, relevant-to-tomorrow's-times-and-beyond kinda guy, and you should all get with the fuckin' program. I'm one of the greats. Something Deeper Than These Changes is awesome. Buy it and give me the wealth and fame that genius of my stature deserves, so I can continue making brilliant music without having to worry about affording bread and milk. Thank you.

(OK, so Stew didn't really write this, as his modesty probably wouldn't allow him to beat his chest quite so vigorously. Plus he'd be a lot cleverer about it. But we'd like to think he'd appreciate the sentiment, regardless. Go buy Something Deeper Than These Changes. Really.) Michael Toland [buy it]