Welcome to “ONE TRACK MINDS” with Erika Rae Owen from Band Bombshell and Chris Knauf, Board member of the Des Moines Music Coalition. Each week, Erika and Chris take turns selecting a song of their choice, listen to it together for the first time, and document their reactions, thoughts and witty banter via instant messenger.
This week, Chris and Erika listen to Annalibera‘s “Battle World”
Erika: 3…
2…
Play!
Have you seen Annalibera perform before?
Chris: I have… A few times. Enchanting. Powerful. Blonde.
Erika: And stylish. I love her clothes.
Chris: Thank God you said it…I so wanted to.
Erika: She has one of those sticky sweet voices.
Chris: Gush.
Erika: Have we found your girl band crush?
Chris: Didn’t we run into each other at the Mews some night when she (Anna) was playing with another band?
Erika: I think we did. I’m trying to remember what show it was, though…
Chris: No. I need more barista than that.
Erika: She was a barista at Mars, you know… Haha.
Chris: It was some band she had played in before Annlibera.
Erika: Play again?
You’re right. I can’t think of the band, though…
Chris: I need more anger in my Barista then. You know… Someone who’s mad at me just for being a professional white male.
Glutton for punishment.
Erika: Ahhh. Angry barista. Quite the type you have.
Chris: Playing again.
Erika: What do you think of the song?
Chris: It went by too fast. I feel like the opening vox took up half the song.
Sounds like Metric.
Erika: I like the chorus. Yeah! It totally does.
I like that high part at 1:42.
Chris: Approximately, right?
Erika: Yeah.
Chris: Here it comes…
Erika: Bam!
Chris: Such vocal liberties taken with that maneuver.
Erika: So much risk.
Erika: We sound like figure skating announcers.
Chris: Dream job.
Chris: Ryan from River Minks is on this, right?
Erika: He is! He’s in charge of the guitar.
You’d be a great figure skating announcer.
I feel like you’d have solid comments regarding outfit choice.
Chris: As in looking after it to make sure it doesn’t go anywhere, or as in actually playing it?
Erika: Both, I’m sure. Mostly playing… Haha.
Chris: It’s like a local supergroup.
Erika: It totally is.
Chris: An indie New Edition.
They should actually do a cover of “Cool it Now.”
Ryan’s a pretty nice guy. He would totally be Ralph Tresvant.
Erika: That would be pretty cool–I bet we could get them to do it.
A special One Track Minds edition.
Chris: I’m in.
Alright…on a scale of 1 to 5 blonde bangs…
Erika: I actually really love this song. I could listen to it all day. I give it 5/5 blonde bangs. (Plus, I really like bangs.)
Chris: I’m at a 3.5.
First off…they are one of my favorite local live shows to see.
And she/they command the stage.
Erika: I completely agree. Their GDP set was one of my favorite local shows, ever. They’re playing at 80/35, too. Friday, July 5th at 5 p.m. on the Kum & Go stage.
Chris: But with the aforementioned extended vox intro, I feel like I need this to last a minute longer.
And just a touch more rage.
Erika: Yeah, I think so, too. It starts to get really strong toward the end and then is just done.
Chris: I feel like its about to bubble to the surface but never quite erupts.
Erika: I kind of like how it’s a little restrained, though.
Chris: NYC has changed you.
Erika: That’s kind of angsty in its own artsy way.
No! It hasn’t. I promise.
I’m Midwest to the core.
Chris: Have you become best friends with Lena Dunham yet?
Erika: No. But I did live pretty close to her last summer!
No celeb sightings so far.
Any requests?
Chris: Not even Regis?
I got to do the Kid n Play kickstep with Kid one night in a golf themed bar in Omaha. I’m good.
Erika: Nope. Not even Regis. What is the Kid n Play?
Chris: (shaking head)
Erika: (covering face in shame)
I’m not worthy!