Labelling yourself a new wave artist basically means I have no idea what you’re attempting to sound like. In the case of Scott Boehner, also known as Maple Plain or Scotty and the Help, new wave music sounds very glitchy and beep laden while maintaining a strong melodic narrative. Think the Killers meets Dntel meets Joy Electric meets a Commodore 64. If that’s not confusing you enough then I need to try harder in my future reviews of new wave musicians.
All that aside Scott Boehner writes vignettes about being kidnapped for love, what Robinson Crusoe would do if he was on Mars, pleading with Jesus to save us as Santa is dead, or other such slightly off kilter storylines. Although it would appear on the surface that he doesn’t take his music very seriously I would say it is anything but silly computer blips a kid looped together with Acid Pro. Granted, Scotty and the Help isn’t a sound for everyone in the world, but there is a maturity of composition and melody mixed in with his sense of humour. Three of the tracks below appear on Scott’s 2006 release Creature or Companion (iTunes).
mp3 : Scotty and the Help - Santa Claus is Dead
mp3 : Scotty and the Help - Kidnapped For Love
mp3 : Scotty and the Help - Mr. Atomic
mp3 : Scotty and the Help - Robinson Crusoe on Mars
Recently a friend of mine who maintains a video blog {not the traditional ’save britney’ or ‘this is my life every day… it’s dull’ type of vlogging. more of a video archive} took the trailer for I Am Legend and put Scott’s song Last Man on Earth {written and recorded in 2006} to it. It’s gotten a bit of attention over on YouTube. You should check it out here. It’s strange how perfectly the song fits the premise of the movie.
For those of you who still aren’t sold on Scott Boehner you can check out his side project, Maple Plain, which he describes as “a very Eels/Pedro/Okkervil River-inspired thingy.” I’d say that description pretty much hits the nail on the head. With this outfit Scott creates a slightly melancholic brand of folk music filled with simple, but somehow tragic, layers of sentiment and longing.
mp3 : Maple Plain - On The Inside
mp3 : Maple Plain - What I Came Here For
Personally I feel as if What I Came Here For is the best track of the bunch I put up here. At times I could see this track even reflecting the modern day resurgence of gypsy, carnival, eccentricism found in acts like Beirut.
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