Cup of Sand explained

Cup of Sand
Type:Compilation album
Artist:Superchunk
Cover:Cup_of_Sand.jpg
Released:2003
Recorded:Various
Genre:Indie rock
Label:Merge Records[1]
Producer:Various
Prev Title:The Clambakes Series Vol. 2
Prev Year:2002
Next Title:The Clambakes Series Vol. 3
Next Year:2004

Cup of Sand is a two-CD collection of singles, B-sides and various rarities (including an Adam Ant cover and a David Bowie cover) released by Superchunk in 2003.[2] [3] The accompanying booklet is particularly meaty, as band members Mac McCaughan, Jim Wilbur, Laura Ballance and Jon Wurster weigh in with what they remember (or don't remember) about the songs.

Background

"Her Royal Fisticuffs" is the band's attempt at emulating the Mice.[4] "The Mine Has Been Returned To Its Original Owner" features McCaughan on organ and a "Breadwinner-inspired" bassline by Ballance.[5] According to McCaughan, the song is "a fiction involving a gardener, illegitimate children, and some sort of gothic family murder mystery".

"Dance Lessons", "Basement Life", and "Still Feed Myself" were recorded during the Foolish sessions at Pachyderm Studios.[6] [7] [8] "Still Feed Myself" is, in McCaughan's words, an "anti-music biz invective".

"Fader Rules" and "Never Too Young to Smoke" are outtakes from the Here's Where the Strings Come In sessions.[9] [10] The opening chords of "Fader Rules" were taken from Here Comes My Girl, while the drum pattern was "completely lifted" from the Afghan Whigs song Miles Iz Ded.

"Does Your Hometown Care?" was on the soundtrack to the 1996 film SubUrbia. McCaughan describes the song as "our best Versus rip-off ever".[11]

"The Length of Las Ramblas" features Ballance on the Moog synthesizer.[12]

"Freaks in Charge" was written shortly before the 2004 United States presidential election, and is about "raising kids in a world run by monsters".[13]

The cover of "Blending In" by Government Issue was recorded during the On the Mouth sessions and features Wilbur on lead vocals.[14] Wurster describes it as "a tribute of sorts to our hardcore roots".

Track listing

Disc one

  1. "The Majestic"
  2. "Reg"
  3. "Her Royal Fisticuffs"
  4. "The Mine Has Been Returned To Its Original Owner"
  5. "A Small Definition"
  6. "Dance Lessons"
  7. "Basement Life"
  8. "Still Feed Myself"
  9. "Fader Rules"
  10. "Never Too Young To Smoke"
  11. "Detroit Has A Skyline (acoustic)"
  12. "Does Your Hometown Care?"

Disc two

  1. "Beat My Guest"
  2. "With Bells On"
  3. "Clover"
  4. "Sexy Ankles"
  5. "White Noise"
  6. "Thin Air"
  7. "Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)"
  8. "1,000 Pounds (duck kee style)"
  9. "The Length Of Las Ramblas"
  10. "Becoming A Speck"
  11. "The Hot Break"
  12. "A Collection Of Accounts"
  13. "Blending In" (Government Issue cover)[15]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Superchunk - Cup of Sand (Reissue). www.mergerecords.com.
  2. Web site: Superchunk A Cup of Sand. exclaim.ca.
  3. Web site: Superchunk: Cup of Sand. September 11, 2003. PopMatters.
  4. Web site: Wurster . Jon . McCaughan . Mac . Ballance . Laura . Her Royal Fisticuffs . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230704050526/https://superchunk.bandcamp.com/track/her-royal-fisticuffs-3 . July 4, 2023 . October 31, 2023 . Bandcamp . "Mac: We covered a song by the Mice around this time, and this song is attempting a Mice-like hyper pop situation. Long live the Mice!".
  5. Web site: Wurster . Jon . Wilbur . Jim . McCaughan . Mac . Ballance . Laura . The Mine Has Been Returned to Its Original Owner . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230708112216/https://superchunk.bandcamp.com/track/the-mine-has-been-returned-to-its-original-owner-3 . July 8, 2023 . October 31, 2023 . Bandcamp . "Mac: You try writing a song with organ as the lead instrument when you’ve only ever played guitar. Now try writing it on top of Laura’s bizarro Breadwinner-inspired bass line. It’s a fiction involving a gardener, illegitimate children, and some sort of gothic family murder mystery, I can’t really explain it myself.".
  6. Web site: Wurster . Jon . Wilbur . Jim . McCaughan . Mac . Ballance . Laura . Dance Lessons . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230930182726/https://superchunk.bandcamp.com/track/dance-lessons-2 . September 30, 2023 . October 31, 2023 . Bandcamp.
  7. Web site: Wurster . Jon . Wilbur . Jim . McCaughan . Mac . Ballance . Laura . Basement Life . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230704050601/https://superchunk.bandcamp.com/track/basement-life-2 . July 4, 2023 . October 31, 2023 . Bandcamp.
  8. Web site: Wurster . Jon . Wilbur . Jim . McCaughan . Mac . Ballance . Laura . Still Feed Myself . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230704050612/https://superchunk.bandcamp.com/track/still-feed-myself-2 . July 4, 2023 . October 31, 2023 . Bandcamp.
  9. Web site: Wurster . Jon . Wilbur . Jim . McCaughan . Mac . Ballance . Laura . Fader Rules . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230930182733/https://superchunk.bandcamp.com/track/fader-rules-2 . September 30, 2023 . October 31, 2023 . Bandcamp . "The drum pattern is completely lifted from Steve Earle’s performance on The Afghan Whigs’ 'Miles Is Dead' (sic). Tom Petty has yet to contact us regarding the 'Here Comes My Girl' chord.".
  10. Web site: Wurster . Jon . Wilbur . Jim . McCaughan . Mac . Ballance . Laura . Never Too Young to Smoke . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230930182741/https://superchunk.bandcamp.com/track/never-too-young-to-smoke-3 . September 30, 2023 . October 31, 2023 . Bandcamp.
  11. Web site: Wurster . Jon . Wilbur . Jim . McCaughan . Mac . Ballance . Laura . Does Your Hometown Care? . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230704050635/https://superchunk.bandcamp.com/track/does-your-hometown-care-2 . July 4, 2023 . October 31, 2023 . Bandcamp . "Mac: Recorded with John Plymale for the Suburbia soundtrack; never saw the movie, but I used the script for the basis of the lyrics, though being in a band in a small town provides similar material. Our best Versus rip-off ever.".
  12. Web site: Wurster . Jon . Wilbur . Jim . McCaughan . Mac . Ballance . Laura . The Length of Las Ramblas . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230704050806/https://superchunk.bandcamp.com/track/the-length-of-las-ramblas-3 . July 4, 2023 . October 31, 2023 . Bandcamp . "Laura: I like playing the Moog but it gives me the sweats! She is an unpredictable beast.".
  13. Web site: Wurster . Jon . Wilbur . Jim . McCaughan . Mac . Ballance . Mac . Freaks in Charge . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230709074218/https://superchunk.bandcamp.com/track/freaks-in-charge . July 9, 2023 . October 31, 2023 . Bandcamp . "Mac: A song about raising kids in a world run by monsters.".
  14. Web site: Wurster . Jon . Wilbur . Jim . McCaughan . Mac . Ballance . Laura . Blending In . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230930182841/https://superchunk.bandcamp.com/track/blending-in-2 . September 30, 2023 . October 31, 2023 . Bandcamp . "Jon: A tribute of sorts to our hardcore roots. This one was originally recorded back in 1984 by the great DC band Government Issue. Our version was recorded during the On The Mouth sessions and marks the first ever Chunk vocal performance by Jim Wilbur.".
  15. Web site: Heaton . Dave . September 11, 2003 . SUPERCHUNK: CUP OF SAND . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220320074300/https://www.popmatters.com/superchunk-cupofsand-2496086881.html . March 20, 2022 . October 31, 2023 . Pop Matters.

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