After a decade adrift, the Muffs have gotten their melodic pop groove back. Frontwoman Kim Shattuck has reunited with longtime backing members Ronnie Barnett (bass) and Roy McDonald (drums) for Whoop Dee Doo (Cherry Red/Burger). The Los Angeles-based trio will also be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our brand-new feature on the band.
Shattuck: I love a good melody. Nothing on earth is more important. Even coffee doesn’t mean as much to me as a good melody. And that’s saying a lot. So if a solo doesn’t work in the song as the aforementioned raggedy shit storm, then my other favorite solos are raggedy melody solos. And the more simple they are the better. Little bends, rich warm overdriven double notes, lots of space between notes. No filling up space for no reason.
“You Can’t Do That” by the Beatles is one of those. And no coincidence it’s John Lennon playing the solo. Give a good rhythm guitarist a solo and you’ve just improved the song. Make Mr. Noodleballs sits in the corner. Don’t get me wrong, George Harrison is the coolest Daddy-O around, but Lennon and his ham fists made that solo more than memorable. He pounds out the solo. It has a similar but not exact melody to the song, and then it splats it’s beauty in a bendy, fucked up and rhythmic way. Just the way I like it.
Also a sweet little ditty by of Montreal way before they lost their minds and went techno. “When You’re Loved Like You Are” has a beautiful guitar intro and solo section. It’s sweet and wistful. It rings out and is just the coolest and prettiest thing. Please guys abandon the techno. I beg you.
“Dedicated” by the Amps has the best simple solo of any song ever. This solo has space. The solo is out of tune but just a hair. It’s rich and warm. Just the tiniest bit of drive. It’s perfect. It fits the sleepy quality of the song. I don’t know who played it but probably the intensely talented Kim Deal. Just perfect.
Videos after the jump
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfxyyvTqf3A
