At risk of stepping on Rigid Digit's toes (if you've not been following his excellent series on car-related songs, you're missing a treat), this week we're looking at the Ford Galaxie 500. It looks like a pretty nice ride, and I'm sure it's no surprise to learn (even if you didn't know already) that there was a band named after it. But what are the chances of two bands picking that exact moniker...?
GALAXIE 500 #1
Dean Wareham, Naomi Yang, and Damon Krukowski formed the original Galaxie 500 in Boston in 1987. They released three fine and well-respected albums on Rough Trade until Dean went off to form Luna, before pairing up with (and eventually marrying) bassist Britta Phillips. They went on to make some fine Dean & Britta records together, with Tony Visconti twiddling the knobs. I've been getting into Dean's 2021 solo album I Have Nothing to Say to the Mayor of L.A. recently, but here's a classic from the Galaxie 500 days...
GALAXIE 500 #2
Completely oblivious to the fact that there had already been a reasonably successful band with this name within the last couple of decades, a bunch of French Canadian Millennials chose to paint the name of their favourite car on their drumkit in 2001. They released two albums as Galaxie 500 before Dean Wareham's record company became aware of them and sent some lawyers round for a chat. Hereafter they scraped the 500 off their drumkit and became known as just Galaxie. They appear to be still around today, making music that is best described as "aux limites de l’électro keys et appuyé par sa souche stoner-rock fondamentale". I love the fact that the French for "stoner rock" is "stoner rock". Like they couldn't be arsed to come up with anything else, man.
Personally, I think it's a pretty easy win for #1 today, but you are, of course, entitled to disagree...
You could not be wronger. It's obvs #2. I'm so impressed I'm considering squandering some pension on their Tigre et Diesel album (at about £6)
ReplyDeleteI like being wrong if it means money gets spent on music.
DeleteIt appears Blogger ate Ernie's comment. For completeness...
ReplyDelete"While obviously respecting your newly acquired concern about stepping on other bloggers' toes (insert meaningful stare) could I encourage you to do a feature on other bands that share their names with Ford vehicles. I can offer The Fiestas, The Escorts, Focus, Bronco, The Prefects, The Cortinas (you may have done them already) and The Edsels, and there are no doubt many more."
I feel properly chastened now.
Yes, I have done the Cortinas. Others may follow, but to be honest, this list grows every week. I can understand why some less-committed bloggers might have packed the whole enterprise in as a waste of time.
I suppose I deserved "less committed". Do you also use that as a polite way of saying "lazy" in school reports?
Delete"Ernie needs to try harder."
DeleteNever!
More Ford / Band collisions - there are a couple of bands called The Corsairs
DeleteI listened twice, and like George I still veer toward offering #2.
ReplyDeleteAlyson, the good Galaxie 500 can be found on bandcamp.
ReplyDeleteLalalalalalalalalalala... I'm sorry, did you say something?
DeleteThe vehicle of choice for the KLF
ReplyDeleteNo toe-stepping taken - I'm looking at a different Ford Galaxy for an upcoming entry
Can I go for a score-draw please?
ReplyDelete(with #1 nicking it in a penalty shoot out)
Well, Galaxie 500 are one of the greatest bands to have walked the Earth, and I’m not sure that the second lot are gonna make me change my mind.
ReplyDeleteSteve
I just wanted to thank you for being today's lone voice of sanity.
Delete