Barenaked Ladies
By: Lauren
The Barenaked Ladies are very well known in Canada, however, in the United States, they are really only known for their catchy and fast song 'One Week.' The Ladies started in the early 90s when they recorded the song 'Be My Yoko Ono' for a radio contest. They won the contest and became a huge hit locally. The group then signed with a record label and made their first album, 'Gordon'. Gordon was full of upbeat pop songs but also had slower, mellower songs in the mix. The Ladies continued recording more albums such as 'Maybe You Should Drive,' 'Maroon,' 'Stunt,' and their latest album 'Everything to Everyone.' The Ladies' sound is bubbly and catchy for the most part, yet they still have a softer side with songs like 'Call and Answer'. In concert, they'll keep you hooked on their music with not only their catchy songs but also with their unbelievable performances. In their song 'Shopping,' they perform synchronized swimming with shopping carts. Now how many groups can claim to have done that?
Recommendations:
"One Week" – The Ladies biggest hit from their 'Stunt' album. With fast, yet random lyrics; this song covers everything from making mistakes to "chicky china, the Chinese chicken?" "Falling For the First Time" – "I'm so cool; too bad I'm a loser." The whole song is filled with oxymorons that actually make sense, and that everyone can pretty much relate to; well at least I know I can. "The Old Apartment" – This song isn't as upbeat as the other songs on this list, but the band creates a song that you can rock out to, yet still possesses deep and powerful lyrics. "Life, In a Nutshell" – This is my favorite song. It's not a huge hit by them, and I can't understand why. The song's message is simple and upbeat about a guy and a girl that don't care about what other people say. Other songs you should check out: Light up My Room; It's All Been Done; Pinch Me; Testing 1, 2, 3; Never is Enough; The Humour of the Situation; and Who Needs Sleep? There are still a lot more great songs by them so check the rest out.
