New Slang

Last updated

"New Slang"
New Slang Shins.jpg
Single by The Shins
from the album Oh, Inverted World
B-side "Sphagnum Esplanade"
ReleasedFebruary 19, 2001
Genre
Length3:51
Label Sub Pop
Songwriter(s) James Mercer
The Shins singles chronology
"When I Goose-Step"
(1999)		"New Slang"
(2001)		"Know Your Onion!"
(2001)

"New Slang" is a song by American rock band The Shins, released on February 19, 2001 as the lead single from the group's debut studio album, Oh, Inverted World (2001). Written by guitarist and vocalist James Mercer, it concerns his hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico and his experiences there in his late 20s. The lyrics are fueled with "angst and confusion," as Mercer was finding himself constantly depressed and disconnected from his friends and scene. [1] [2] The song attracted attention from Sub Pop Records, who issued the song as a single in February 2001. The buzz created by the song led to positive press for the group's debut album, Oh, Inverted World.

Contents

The song began to be licensed in a variety of media beginning in 2002, including various television programs and a McDonald's advert that aired during the 2002 Winter Olympics. Although the song never charted on any international charts, it became a sensation following its appearance in the film Garden State (2004), where Sam, a character played by Natalie Portman, referred to it as a song that "will change your life." The band saw increased record sales and visibility as a result. Critics were very positive in their assessments of "New Slang", with many calling it one of the best songs from Oh, Inverted World.

The song's music video was directed by Lance Bangs, and features shots filmed in Albuquerque and Portland, Oregon.

Background

It's that end-of-your-20s thing. Before you knew it, my whole life was upside down: I got signed, I quit my job, I moved out of town, the big relationship I'd had for five years ended. All of a sudden my whole life was up in smoke.

James Mercer on the song's impact [1]

James Mercer in 2004. The song explores his feelings on his hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Theshins1c.jpg
James Mercer in 2004. The song explores his feelings on his hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The Shins were not truly a band when James Mercer composed the song, and the idea of making music his career seemed uncertain. The song's creation was partially a reaction to the music scene in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the band's hometown, which Mercer described as "macho, really heavy, and aggressive." [1] He characterized it as a punk rock-esque move akin to giving the finger to the entire town. The song was born out of frustration regarding his personal life and future. "It's definitely a moment in my life, that sort of angst and confusion about what my future was going to be," he remarked. [1] He described it as a "Saturn return" period of his life, in which he felt he could not relate to anyone in his hometown and his life there had become depressing. [2] He had become a "hermit" working on the band's debut album, Oh, Inverted World , and had lost interest in partying with friends. The line "Gold teeth and a curse for this town" refers to his songwriting talent and his feelings on Albuquerque. [2]

Friends of the band, including Zeke Howard from Love As Laughter and Isaac Brock from Modest Mouse sent record labels cassette demos of the band's songs, including "New Slang". [3] Mercer sent a demo to Sub Pop Records in Seattle, Washington, and label co-founder Jonathan Poneman caught a concert in San Francisco while the band was on tour with Modest Mouse. [3] He offered the band a one-off single deal, and the label included it in their Single-of-the-Month series, issuing a 7" single to fan club members in February 2001. [4] Positive press for "New Slang" made the group's debut, Oh, Inverted World , one of the most anticipated indie rock albums of 2001, and Sub Pop signed the band in full. [3]

Reception

Critical reception

"New Slang" received positive critical reception. Stewart Mason of the Weekly Alibi in the band's hometown of Albuquerque called it "the most immediately appealing song on the album," praising it as "simply brilliant, [...] mostly acoustic ballad with the absolute finest melody the band has yet concocted and Mercer's typically oblique but evocative lyrics." [3]

AllMusic called the song a "mid-tempo, strummy folk tune with a real catch-on falsetto melody," giving its 7" single a four-star review, summarizing that the release "could be a lost single from a brilliant, obscure '60s psych-folk band while still sounding far ahead of its time." [5] Rolling Stone ranked it the "most affecting" song from Oh, Inverted World, describing it as "a shuffling folk ballad with a spaghetti-western feel and a somber melody that could have come off an Elliott Smith album." [6] Pitchfork panned the song, deeming it an imitation of Simon & Garfunkel. [7] The New York Times also covered the song, noting that "It has an odd, slightly serpentine vocal melody (it sounds a bit like an adapted madrigal), and the lyrics are absurd and somehow touching." [8]

The A.V. Club called "New Slang" one of the year's "loveliest ballads." [9] Will Hermes, in a piece on NPR's All Things Considered , called the song a "masterpiece," as well as "ridiculously melodic and structurally flawless." [10] Pitchfork later included the song at number 62 on its list of "The Top 500 Tracks of the 2000s," calling it "An agoraphobic bedroom-pop gem that shuffled its way onto a stage larger than anyone imagined possible. "New Slang" paved the way for Norah, Nick, Juno, and the many lovely, odd, and grating mainstream/indie pairings to come." [11]

Accolades

PublicationCountryAccoladeYearRank
Triple J Australia Triple J Hottest 100 of All Time [12] 200972
Pitchfork United States The Pitchfork 500: Our Guide to the Greatest Songs from Punk to the Present [13] 2008*
The Top 500 Tracks of the 2000s [11] 200962
Rolling Stone 100 Best Songs of the 2000s [14] 201157

* denotes an unordered list

Music video

The song's music video was filmed in various locations in Albuquerque and Portland. [4] Among the areas filmed included the Rio Grande, junkyards, and near Mercer's home. The clip was directed by Lance Bangs, an associate of Spike Jonze. [4] It features the band re-enacting the cover art of other bands' albums, including Zen Arcade and New Day Rising by Hüsker Dü, Let It Be by The Replacements, Moon Pix by Cat Power, Double Nickels on the Dime by The Minutemen, Squirrel Bait's first EP, Sonic Youth's Sister and Slint's Spiderland . [15] Shooting in just two cities created logistical problems for album covers originally photographed in cities such as Los Angeles, Minneapolis, and Louisville. For the homage to Double Nickels on the Dime, the band had to track down the exact model of the car featured on the album cover (a Volkswagen Beetle), and Albuquerque happened to have a San Pedro Street, which is featured on a freeway sign on the original cover. [15]

The video was in rotation on M2, Much Music, and on the program 120 Minutes . [4] The clip was also available for download from Sub Pop's website in 2002. [15]

Commercial performance and usage

The song proved to be a "stealth hit," helping Oh, Inverted World move over 100,000 copies within two years, considered remarkable for an independent label; Sub Pop had hoped the record would sell 10,000 copies. [8] The song was also used on an episode of Scrubs , [16] The O.C. , [17] The Sopranos , Buffy the Vampire Slayer , and the MTV reality series Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica . [8] Mercer was positive in licensing the song to a variety of media, confirming to The New York Times that he received more money from touring and licensing than record sales. [8]

The song was featured in a McDonald's advert that aired during the 2002 Winter Olympics. [16] Mercer elaborated on the song's inclusion in the ad in an interview: "That whole thing was just an ad agency that McDonald’s hired to do a “hip commercial,” or whatever. So the kid who offered the whole thing up to us was a Shins fan." [18] Online message boards (many on Pitchfork ) and fans of the Shins criticized the move as excessively commercialist. [17] The band's hometown alt weekly ran an editorial titled "McShins, New Corporate Suck-ass" in reaction. [19] The ad's aesthetics were criticized for straying from the company's typical upbeat themes, and fans of the band found its inclusion subversive, considering a set of the song's lyrics, which at times refer to "the dirt in your fries." [17] The royalties Mercer earned from the commercial allowed him to purchase a home. [20] In addition, the band used the money to finance a tour and relocate to Portland, Oregon, where they built a basement studio and recorded their second album, Chutes Too Narrow (2003). [17] Mercer nevertheless "recognized the detrimental capacity of linking music with advertising," remarking, "Imagine us playing "New Slang," and everyone in the audience going, 'That's the song from the McDonald's commercial — I'm loving it.'" [17]

"New Slang" achieved a new level of cultural significance when it was prominently featured in the film Garden State (2004). In a scene from the film, Sam (portrayed by Natalie Portman) tells Andrew Largeman (played by Zach Braff) that the song "will change your life." [21] The song had previously been featured on the first soundtrack to Braff's television show Scrubs . The film ""changed everything" for the group, leading their first two albums to sell more than twice what they had prior to the film's debut. "Almost overnight, the Shins became indie-rock icons," wrote Robert Levine of Spin . [21] The band extended their tour in support of the song and its popularity. [22] "We saw a change in our audience. By the time we were done touring for Chutes Too Narrow , there was this new interest," said Mercer. "We toured again almost as the soundtrack to that movie, and colleges were all of a sudden interested in us playing on their campuses. We wanted to consummate the new relationship by touring and having a relationship with them. I mean, it just kept growing!" [23] This additional exposure helped Oh, Inverted World move 500,000 units in the United States. [21]

The band performed the song on their debut appearance at Saturday Night Live in 2007. Mercer was disappointed the show's producers requested he perform a song at that point six years old, but obliged after hearing stories of artists that argued their setlist and were not invited back. [20]

Formats and track listing

7" (2001)
  1. "New Slang" – 3:51
  2. "Sphagnum Esplanade" - 4:01
CD Promo (2004)
  1. "New Slang" – 3:51

Certifications

Certifications for "New Slang"
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [24] Silver200,000‡
United States (RIAA) [25] Platinum1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belle and Sebastian</span> Scottish indie pop band

Belle & Sebastian are a Scottish indie pop band formed in Glasgow in 1996. Led by Stuart Murdoch, the band has released twelve studio albums. They are often compared with acts such as the Smiths and Nick Drake. The name "Belle & Sebastian" comes from Belle et Sébastien, a 1965 children's book by French writer Cécile Aubry later adapted for television. Though consistently lauded by critics, Belle & Sebastian's "wistful pop" has enjoyed only limited commercial success.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Shins</span> American indie rock band

The Shins is an American indie rock band formed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 1996. The band is the project of singer-songwriter James Mercer, who has served as the band's sole constant member throughout numerous line-up changes. The band's current line-up consists of Mercer, alongside Yuuki Matthews, Mark Watrous, Patti King (keyboards), and Jon Sortland (drums). They are based in Portland, Oregon.

<i>Spiderland</i> 1991 studio album by Slint

Spiderland is the second and final studio album by the American rock band Slint. It contains six songs played over 40 minutes, and was released by Touch and Go Records on March 27, 1991. Slint's lineup at the time of recording comprised Brian McMahan on vocals and guitar, David Pajo on guitar, Todd Brashear on bass guitar and Britt Walford on drums. Spiderland was engineered by Brian Paulson and recorded over four days in August 1990. The music and vocal melodies were composed throughout the summer of 1990, while lyrics were written in-studio.

Dave Hernandez is a Mexican guitarist, singer and songwriter. He is best known as a former member of the American indie rock band The Shins, with whom he recorded four studio albums. Hernandez is currently the guitarist of the post-punk band The Intelligence, and is the former vocalist and guitarist of the punk band Scared of Chaka.

<i>Oh, Inverted World</i> 2001 studio album by The Shins

Oh, Inverted World is the debut studio album by American indie rock band The Shins, released on June 19, 2001, to critical acclaim. Omnibus Records put out an initial run of vinyl distributed by Darla. Sub Pop Records reprinted the vinyl, but the Sub Pop logo only appears on later pressings.

<i>Chutes Too Narrow</i> 2003 studio album by The Shins

Chutes Too Narrow is the second studio album by American rock band The Shins. Produced by Phil Ek and the band themselves, the album was released on October 21, 2003, through Sub Pop. The album title comes from a lyric in the song "Young Pilgrims". The album was very well received by critics, garnering an overall score of 88/100 on Metacritic. As of August 2008 according to Nielsen SoundScan, they have sold over 393,000 copies to date.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Mercer (musician)</span> American singer-songwriter (born 1970)

James Russell Mercer is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and musician. He is the founder, vocalist, lead singer-songwriter, and sole remaining original member of the indie rock group The Shins. In 2009, Mercer and producer Danger Mouse formed the side project Broken Bells, for which they released a self-titled album in March 2010, followed by After the Disco in 2014, and then Into the Blue in 2022. Mercer also has acted, appearing in Matt McCormick's feature film Some Days Are Better Than Others, which premiered in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frog Eyes</span> Canadian indie rock band

Frog Eyes are an indie rock band from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada fronted by Carey Mercer. Their 2010 album Paul's Tomb: A Triumph was a longlisted nominee for the 2010 Polaris Music Prize. They have released eight albums and two EPs and are noted for their collaboration with Dan Bejar of Destroyer.

<i>Wincing the Night Away</i> 2007 studio album by The Shins

Wincing the Night Away is the third studio album by the indie rock group The Shins. It was released by Sub Pop Records on January 23, 2007. It is the band's third album, and the last under their contract with Sub Pop. The album was recorded in James Mercer's basement studio, Phil Ek's home in Seattle and in Oregon City with the veteran producer Joe Chiccarelli. It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beach House</span> American dream pop duo

Beach House is an American musical duo formed in Baltimore in 2004. The band consists of Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Plummer</span> American drummer

Joseph E. Plummer is an American drummer from Portland, Oregon. From 2004 to 2012, Plummer was a percussionist and drummer for the indie rock band Modest Mouse and performed on their album, We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Broken Bells</span> American rock band

Broken Bells is an American indie rock band composed of artist-producer Brian Burton and James Mercer, the lead vocalist and guitarist for the indie rock band The Shins. Broken Bells compose and create as a duo, but are joined by Dan Elkan and Jon Sortland when performing live. The previous live band included Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band sidemen Nate Walcott and Nik Freitas, and Jonathan Hischke and Dan Elkan, both ex-members of Hella. Following their 2010 self-titled debut album, the duo released an EP, Meyrin Fields, in 2011 and their second studio album, After the Disco, in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ty Segall</span> American musician and record producer

Ty Garrett Segall is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter and record producer. He is best known for his solo career, during which he has released fourteen studio albums alongside various EPs, singles, and collaborative albums. Segall is also a member of the bands Fuzz, Broken Bat, the CIA, GØGGS, and Wasted Shirt. He is a former member of the Traditional Fools, Epsilons, Party Fowl, Sic Alps, and the Perverts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cloud Nothings</span> American indie rock band

Cloud Nothings is an American indie rock band from Cleveland, Ohio, United States, founded by singer-songwriter Dylan Baldi. It currently consists of lead singer and guitarist Dylan Baldi, drummer Jayson Gerycz, and bassist Chris Brown.

<i>Port of Morrow</i> (album) 2012 studio album by The Shins

Port of Morrow is the fourth studio album by American rock band The Shins. The album was released March 19, 2012, on Aural Apothecary and Columbia Records and was co-produced by Greg Kurstin and frontman James Mercer. The Shins' first studio album in five years, following the release of 2007's Wincing the Night Away, followed major lineup changes in the group: founding members Dave Hernandez, Marty Crandall (keyboards) and Jesse Sandoval (drums) departed in 2009. Mercer deemed it an "aesthetic decision" to part ways with his bandmates, and in the interim, founded side project Broken Bells with Danger Mouse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pure Bathing Culture</span> American indie pop band

Pure Bathing Culture is an American indie pop band from Portland, Oregon, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Shins discography</span>

The discography of American rock band The Shins consists of five studio albums, one live album, one remix album, three extended plays, two splits, twenty-three singles, and twenty one music videos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Citizen (band)</span> American rock band

Citizen is an American rock band from Southeast Michigan and Northwest Ohio that formed in 2009. The band currently consists of Mat Kerekes (vocals), brothers Nick and Eric Hamm (bass), Mason Mercer, and Ben Russin (drums). They are currently signed to Run for Cover Records, and have released four studio albums to date: Youth (2013), Everybody Is Going to Heaven (2015), As You Please (2017) and Life in Your Glass World (2021). A fifth, Calling the Dogs, is set for release in October 2023. Considered a part of emo's fourth wave, Pitchfork have described Citizen as "a band their fans can grow up with rather than out of."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex G</span> American musician

Alexander Giannascoli, better known by his stage names Alex G or, formerly, (Sandy) Alex G, is an American musician, producer, and singer-songwriter. He started his career with DIY self-releases on Bandcamp and began building up an audience with his label debut, DSU (2014), released on Orchid Tapes to critical acclaim from various publications. He later signed with Lucky Number, who reissued his earlier releases, Rules and Trick (2012). In 2015, he signed with Domino Recording Company and released his sixth studio album, Beach Music. He followed it in 2017 with Rocket, which received further acclaim and recognition. Giannascoli's eighth studio album, House of Sugar, was released in 2019, and his ninth album God Save the Animals was released on September 23, 2022.

<i>Heartworms</i> (album) 2017 album by The Shins

Heartworms is the fifth studio album by American rock band The Shins, released by Columbia Records on March 10, 2017—the band's first studio album in five years. It was produced by James Mercer, with the exception of "So Now What", which was produced by former band member Richard Swift. The album art is based on the Japanese Ukiyo-e triptych Takiyasha the Witch and the Skeleton Spectre.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Clarke, Kelly (February 22, 2012). "The SPIN Interview: James Mercer". Spin . SpinMedia . Retrieved July 19, 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 Delaney, Colin (December 13, 2007). "Interview with - The Shins". TNT. Archived from the original on October 1, 2009. Retrieved July 19, 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Henningsen, Michael (June 21, 2001). "Oh, Inverted World: The Shins Prepare to Turn the Music World Upside Down". Weekly Alibi . Archived from the original on April 19, 2003. Retrieved July 19, 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Maldonado Jr., Paul (2001). "Shins hope to create a little history with release of CD". The Albuquerque Tribune . Archived from the original on March 1, 2003. Retrieved July 19, 2014.
  5. ↑ Spano, Charles. "New Slang - The Shins". AllMusic . Retrieved July 19, 2014.
  6. ↑ Eliscu, Jenny (August 16, 2001). "The Shins - Oh, Inverted World". Rolling Stone . No. 875. New York City. ISSN   0035-791X. Archived from the original on March 31, 2003. Retrieved January 11, 2013. The most affecting song is "New Slang," a shuffling folk ballad with a spaghetti-western feel and a somber melody that could have come off an Elliott Smith album.
  7. ↑ Kearney, Ryan (June 30, 2001). "The Shins: Oh, Inverted World". Pitchfork . Archived from the original on July 16, 2001. Retrieved July 19, 2014.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Sannah, Kelefa (October 22, 2003). "Rock Celebrities by Stealth; Without Trying Too Hard, the Shins Have Become an Indie Phenomenon". The New York Times . Retrieved July 19, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Best Albums of 2001". The A.V. Club . The Onion. December 12, 2001. Retrieved July 19, 2014.
  10. ↑ Hermes, Will (January 23, 2007). "The Shins' New CD: More of the Good Stuff". NPR . Retrieved July 19, 2014.
  11. 1 2 Greene, Jayson (August 19, 2009). "Staff Lists: The Top 500 Tracks of the 2000s: 100-51". Pitchfork . Retrieved July 19, 2014.
  12. ↑ "Hottest 100 Of All Time 2009". Triple J. January 26, 2010. Retrieved July 19, 2014.
  13. ↑ Plagenhoef, Scott; Schreiber, Ryan, eds. (November 2008). The Pitchfork 500 . Simon & Schuster. p. 174. ISBN   978-1-4165-6202-3.
  14. ↑ "100 Best Songs of the 2000s". Rolling Stone . New York City. June 17, 2011. ISSN   0035-791X . Retrieved September 4, 2014.
  15. 1 2 3 Brunner, Rob (January 4, 2002). "The Shins: Indie Gestation". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved July 19, 2014.
  16. 1 2 LeMay, Matt (February 21, 2002). "The Shins get a bite from McDonald's". The Seattle Times . Retrieved July 19, 2014.
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 Klein, Bethany (2009). As Heard on TV: Popular Music in Advertising. Farnham: Ashgate Publishing, pp. 127-131. First edition, 2009.
  18. ↑ LeMay, Matt (March 1, 2004). "Interviews: The Shins". Pitchfork Media . Retrieved July 19, 2014.
  19. ↑ Zac Crain (December 2003). "The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow". Spin . Vol. 19, no. 12. p. 133. Retrieved September 7, 2012.
  20. 1 2 Bower, Lash (April 5, 2007). "James Mercer's Inverted World". Weekly Alibi . Vol. 16, no. 14. Retrieved July 19, 2014.
  21. 1 2 3 Robert Levine (February 2007). "The Shins' Big Adventure". Spin . Vol. 23, no. 4. pp. 68–72. Retrieved September 7, 2012.
  22. ↑ Levith, Will (March 1, 2007). "THE SHINS: When You Are Wincing". American Songwriter . Retrieved July 19, 2014.
  23. ↑ Khan, Aleeza (February 8, 2012). "The Shins". Ion. Retrieved July 19, 2014.
  24. ↑ "British single certifications – Shins – New Slang". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved September 28, 2022.
  25. ↑ "American single certifications – The Shins – New Slang". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved April 14, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.