Skins "Everyone": New Faces, Old Pitfalls

Ater much unexplained delay (was originally scheduled for 'Spring of 2009'), the third season finally got under way tonight for the UK series Skins (on BBC America). Considering pretty much all of the new cast as been replaced -- like Menudo, there's no getting old -- it's kind of like a whole new series. Just to makes sure you know where they stand, the first few minutes contain a police officer getting humiliated, the smoking of a joint, underage drinking and plenty of curse words.

Heck, I'm for all of it in a series, but here it just seemed like muscle flexing. The big story arc for much of the season is introduced right away, with JJ, Cooke and Freddie all falling for Effie. Will she tear their friendship apart? Probably, but from what I know of the friends so far, I just don't care. Sure, the second episode from each of the first two seasons redeemed the silliness of the first, but I've seen the first three, and the heart that drove the first couple seasons just seems to be missing in Skins: the New Generation (no real Cassie or Sid to be found in this lot).

Meanwhile, the annoyance of music licensing continues, with nearly every song getting stripped from each episode. Songs that were picked with great care and thought by music supervisor Alex Hancock and the writers are stripped out and replaced with tracks that have little or no relationship with their predecessor. The genius of using singing Belgium Nuns (Soeur Sourire) for Pandora? Gone and replaced with some random piano playing. Wilco, Klaxons, Liquid Liquid, F*cked Up and two from Asobi Seksu? Gone, gone, gone, gone and double gone. I'll still be watching, but I'm not sure how much value I add with these playlists of the music when it's all been stripped out.

Playlist: Skins - Episode 3.01
1. "Son the Father" - Fucked Up
2. "Freddie Theme" - Fat Segal
3. "Cook Theme" - Fat Segal
4. "Lions and Tigers" - Asobi Seksu
5. "Lady Belles" - Timothy Victor
6. "Ring the Alarm" - Beyonce
7. "Womanizer" - Britney Spears
8. "Shame on a Nigga" - Wu-Tang Clan
9. "Release Yo'Delf" - Method Man
10. "Monsters Under My Bed" - Eugene McGuinness
11. "Roundview College" - Timothy Victor
12. "I'm The Man Who Loves You" - Wilco
13. "Freddie Theme" - Fat Segal
14. "Shove it" - Santigold
15. "Cook Theme" - Fat Segal
16. "Optimo" - Liquid Liquid
17. "Mets Tons/ Dominique" - Soeur Sourire
18. "Freddie theme/ Cook theme and Drums" - Fat Segal
19. "Magick" - Klaxons
20. "Nefi and Girly" - Asobi Seksu

Previously: Low and Beholden (Episode 2.08)

Now Downloading: New Releases 02.20.07

I'm a day late, but I've got another gaggle of goodies. Interesting releases for this week's crop include new ones from k-os, Explosion in the Sky, Klaxons, Elvis Perkins and The Besnard Lakes.

Playlist: New Releases 02.20.2007

Since I covered Elvis Perkins earlier today, and both k-os and EITS in Monday's talk show post, let's take a look at the other two I mentioned above:

Album: Klaxons - Myths of the Near Future

Technically, this album won't be out here in the United States until late April, or so, when these British lads land stateside to conquer our indie stages. Nonetheless, here it is in Rhapsody, for your listening pleasure. The band has gotten Arctic Monkeys-like hype across the pond, and have been hailed as 'kings of new rave.' But before you go reaching for your glow sticks and ecstacy, know that there's a bit more going on here then that. First witness the track "Magick," which moves through more tempos and pop styles then an entire rave could. Then come all the literature references. Obvious is "Gravity's Rainbow," which is named after the famed Thomas Pynchon novel) but then there's also "Atlantis To Interzone," which is a reference to William S Burroughs concept of a "metaphorical stateless city," from the short story collection Interzone. They even pull off an amazing Justin Timberlake ("My Love" live on BBC Radio.) So please just put that glow stick down.

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Album: The Besnard Snakes - The Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horse

This Montreal band reminds me a lot of Low, if they were more obsessed with The Beach Boys. The title of their album is quite fitting, given how many bands from Montreal have broken leaving The Besnard Lakes truly as the Dark Horse. This epic album just might have them changing those odds. It's dense and laid back, never sounding like it's trying too hard, yet revealing a lot more upon repeated listens. However, one listen to "Devastation" is all you need to know that this band (and album) is in for the long haul.

Download: "And You Lied To Me"

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Other picks from this week downloading into the Sansa:
Elvis Perkins - Ash Wednesday
k-os - Atlantis: Hymns for Disco
Explosions in the Sky - All Of A Sudden I Miss Everyone
LCD Soundsystem - North American Scum (Single)
M. Ward - To Go Home (Single)
Kinky - Sassy (EP)

tags: music, album review, besnard lakes, elvis perkins, k-os, klaxons, indie rock, album review, new releases, rhapsody