Please Describe Yourself

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"Variously hailed as the new Dexy’s, XTC, Joe Jackson or Talking Heads, the band ... found themselves bracketed with Franz Ferdinand as leaders of art-rock’s 'new Jock revolution'."

Dan Cairns, The Times [2]

Please Describe Yourself takes influence from a wide variety of genres. One article in The Times said "Dogs Die don’t slot into any one musical genre — their forthcoming album, Please Describe Yourself, covers everything from ska to summer pop to Talking Heads-type rock", [9] while another said "Please Describe Yourself ... changes styles so often that it’s hard to keep up. The thread is that all ten tracks are catchy, quirky pop-rock with clever, slightly off-kilter lyrics that tend to take a dig at modern living." [4] The New York Times described the band's style on the album as "XTC-meets-Dexy's Midnight Runners sound." [10] However, the band have claimed that they do not list them as an influence, as "none of us has ever owned a single Dexys record." [4] Heather Phares of Allmusic stated that "Instead of just beating one style into the ground, on Please Describe Yourself Dogs Die in Hot Cars mine the past of British pop but find relatively fresh ways of rediscovering it." [1]

Australian newspaper The Age called Craig Mactintosh's vocal delivery "biting social observations in a BBC-friendly accent." [5] Macintosh responded by noting that he was "frustrated with singers who slurred their words and made it hard to make out what they were saying. I've got things I want to say", adding that he wanted people to understand the lyrics that mean something to him. [5]

Songs and singles

Lyrically, "Godhopping", the opening track, is about people who change their religion according to what is fashionable. [4] It was released as the album's lead single on 25 May 2004 in the UK. [3] Described as "a jauntily piano-driven slip of white funk" by The Independent, the song reached number 24 on the UK Singles Chart, [8] their highest-charting song to date. Speaking of the song's minor success, Lee Worral noted that "It was 17 midweek, so we were like, 'Wow, we could be on Top of the Pops!' But obviously, later on in the week all the kids get their pocket money and go out and buy Britney Spears or whatever. So 24 was great. See if we can better it with the next one."

According to The Independent, the second song on the album, "Lounger", is "a song about an overeducated, lazy bohemian" with lyrics such as "I get up when I want/Don't have to eat my greens/Or keep my bedroom tidy" guaranteed to appeal to students. [11] The song was called the album's "telling moment" by Pitchfork Media, [12] whilst Stylus said that it "fizzes along like no-one’s business, guitar on super-jangle and piano set to hyper-jaunty." [13] It was released as the album's third single, [3] and reached a peak of 43 on the UK Singles Chart. [14] It was the last Dogs Die in Hot Cars single to chart.

The third song and second single from the album is titled "I Love You 'Cause I Have To."

"Celebrity Sanctum", both the fourth track and fourth single from the album, [3] according to Gareth Dobson of Drowned in Sound, is "a song about vicarious love and image obsession." Dobson called the song, which namechecks celebrities such as Lucy Liu and Catherine Zeta-Jones, "a moving sense of ennui rather than attempting to play it for laughs", [15] whilst The Age said that "[Cameron is] losing himself in the thrall of icon obsession." [5]

The final single was "Pastimes and Lifestyles." [3] Described as "the closest the band gets to a fashionably post-punk style." [1]

Critical reception

Please Describe Yourself
Pleasedescribe.jpg
Studio album by
Dogs Die in Hot Cars
Released12 July 2004 (2004-07-12)
Recorded2002–2004
Genre Pop rock, alternative rock [1]
Length48:50
Label V2
Producer Clive Langer, Alan Winstanley [2]
Dogs Die in Hot Cars chronology
Man Bites Man
(2004)		Please Describe Yourself
(2004)		Pop Nonsense
Singles from Please Describe Yourself [3]
  1. "Godhopping"
    Released: 25 May 2004
  2. "I Love You Cause I Have To"
    Released: 5 July 2004
  3. "Lounger"
    Released: 28 December 2004
  4. "Celebrity Sanctum"
    Released: 30 May 2005
  5. "Pastimes and Lifestyles"
    Released: 2005
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Drowned in Sound (9/10) [15]
entertainment.ie Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [16]
The Independent Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [11]
MusicOMH (positive) [17]
Pitchfork Media (6.3/10) [12]
Stylus C+ [13]

Please Describe Yourself was critically well received. Allmusic's Heather Phares said: "on Please Describe Yourself Dogs Die in Hot Cars mine the past of British pop but find relatively fresh ways of rediscovering it", [1] whilst Gareth Dobson, giving the album nine out of ten, noted that "rarely does a debut record offer such assuredness, consistency and creative quality." [15] Dobson went on to say "Please Introduce Yourself is the best indie record of the year bar none, for no other band has successfully mixed playful and serious, novel and attention grabbing and hip and super uncool as much as this has." [15] David Peinser of Rolling Stone placed the album at number four on his list of the top ten best albums of 2004, saying: "[The] Scottish five-piece makes a buoyant pop album that nods to a bunch of bands you never knew you missed." [18]

William Swygart of Stylus drew attention to the "frustratingly flimsy feel" of the album, calling it "that of a band that think they’re much better than they really are." [13] However, Swygart went on to acknowledge the "genuinely enjoyable moments", noting that it was the band's first album. [13] Andy Gill of The Independent called it "an oddly hollow experience." [11]

Chart performance

Please Describe Yourself debuted and peaked on the UK Albums Chart at number 44 on the week of 24 July 2004. The album dropped to number 71 the following week before exiting the Top 100. [14]

Track listing

All songs written by Craig Macintosh, except where noted.
British version (V2, #1027142)
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Godhopping" 2:43
2."Lounger"Macintosh, Gary Smith2:46
3."I Love You 'Cause I Have To" 2:46
4."Celebrity Sanctum" 4:50
5."Somewhat Off the Way" 3:30
6."Apples & Oranges"Macintosh, Smith3:48
7."Modern Woman" 3:41
8."Paul Newman's Eyes" 3:26
9."Pastimes & Lifestyles" 3:41
10."Glimpse at the Good Life"Macintosh, Smith3:22
US edition bonus track (V2, #63881-27204-2) [1]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
11."Who Shot the Baby?" ("Godhopping" B-side)Laurence Davey, Macintosh, Smith, Lee Worrall5:27

Personnel

Release history

RegionRelease dateFormat(s)CatalogueLabel
United Kingdom12 July 2004 CD 1027142 V2
Japan [20] [21] 22 September 2004CD, DI2197
27 September 2004CD (with bonus tracks)2194
RussiaCD82876 65161 2 BMG Russia
United States [1] 26 October 200463881-27204-2V2
Australia20041027142 Festival Mushroom

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Phares, Heather. "Please Describe Yourself > Overview". Allmusic. Macrovision . Retrieved 14 November 2009.
  2. 1 2 3 Cairns, Dan (11 July 2004). "Pop: Hot dogs think outside the box". The Times . Times Newspapers Ltd. Retrieved 14 November 2009.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Dogs Die in Hot Cars > Discography > Singles & EPs". Allmusic. Macrovision. 14 November 2009.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Verrico, Lisa (2 July 2004). "Hotter Dogs". The Times . Times Newspapers Ltd. Retrieved 14 November 2009.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Mathieson, Craig (17 September 2004). "Hot Dogs". theage.com.au. The Age Company Ltd. Retrieved 14 November 2009.
  6. 1 2 Phares, Heather. "Dogs Die in Hot Cars". Allmusic. Macrovision. Retrieved 14 November 2009.
  7. ↑ Zywietz, Tobias. "Chart Log UK: Asher D – Dyverse". Zobbel. Retrieved 24 June 2010.
  8. 1 2 3 Harley, Kevin (9 July 2004). "Dogs Die in Hot Cars: Leaders of the pack and loving it". The Independent. Independent News and Media Limited. Archived from the original on 17 February 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2010.
  9. ↑ Verrico, Lisa (21 May 2004). "Want to hear them before they are famous?". The Times . Times Newspapers Ltd. Retrieved 14 November 2009.
  10. ↑ Balk, Alex (17 October 2004). "London Calling, Even Louder". The New York Times . Retrieved 14 November 2009.
  11. 1 2 3 Gill, Andy (16 July 2004). "Album: Dogs Die in Hot Cars". The Independent . Independent News and Media Limited. Retrieved 14 November 2009.[ dead link ]
  12. 1 2 Hogan, Marc (17 October 2004). "Dogs Die in Hot Cars - Please Describe Yourself". Pitchfork Media . Retrieved 14 November 2009.
  13. 1 2 3 4 Swygart, William B. (26 July 2004). "Dogs Die In Hot Cars - Please Describe Yourself". Stylus Magazine . Retrieved 14 November 2009.
  14. 1 2 "The Official Charts Company - Dogs Die in Hot Cars - Please Describe Yourself". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 15 November 2009.
  15. 1 2 3 4 Dobson, Gareth (6 July 2004). "Dogs Die In Hot Cars - Please Describe Yourself". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on 17 February 2011. Retrieved 14 November 2009.
  16. ↑ Lynch, Andrew (24 July 2004). "Dogs Die In Hot Cars - Please Describe Yourself". entertainment.ie . Retrieved 15 November 2009.
  17. ↑ Murphy, John. "Dogs Die In Hot Cars - Please Describe Yourself (V2)". MusicOMH. Archived from the original on 6 October 2008. Retrieved 15 November 2009.
  18. ↑ Peinser, David (29 December 2004). "Critics' Top Ten Lists". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on 4 January 2007. Retrieved 14 November 2009.
  19. 1 2 "Please Describe Yourself > Credits". Allmusic. Macrovision. Retrieved 14 November 2009.
  20. ↑ Phares, Heather. "Please DeScribe Yourself (Japan Edition) > Overview". Allmusic. Macrovision. Retrieved 14 November 2009.
  21. ↑ Phares, Heather. "Please Describe Yourself (Bonus Tracks) > Overview". Allmusic. Macrovision. Retrieved 14 November 2009.
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