Please Describe Yourself [Enhanced, Import]

Dogs Die in Hot Cars | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 28, 2009)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Enhanced, Import
• Label: Fontana Int'l
• ASIN: B0002AZT2W
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #187,517 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

While Interpol claims Joy Division and The Killers take on Duran Duran, this Scottish band seems to delight in digging through the '80s bargain bin for its influences. Sure enough, its debut album sounds like a collision of the most unfashionable players of the era: Dexy's Midnight Runners, Talking Heads, and perhaps most obviously, XTC. The resulting album may sound a little spastic and unfocused but it is also consistently tuneful, with pulse-quickening songs like "I Love You Because I Have To" and "Godhopping" proving particularly addictive. This makes for a fine companion to the self-titled debut by fellow Scots Franz Ferdinand. -- Aidin Vaziri

Product Description

The Scottish indie-pop act's 2004 debut album, produced by Clive Langer & Alan Winstanley (Dexy's Midnight Runners, Madness, The Smiths, David Bowie). V2.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Like XTC? Poppier Cure songs? Late period Oingo Boingo?, February 27, 2005

By 

M J Heilbron Jr. "Dr. Mo" (Long Beach, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Please Describe Yourself (Audio CD)

You may have found a new favorite band.

Dogs Die in Hot Cars is one of the wonderful surprises of the new year. Song after song off their album, "Please Describe Yourself" is a sonic delight, with several true gems amongst some killer filler. Most of the songs are uptempo, with guitars and pianos that would not sound out of place on New Wave radio back in the early 80's. Besides the obvious XTC references, some of the songs reminded me of "happy" Cure songs (like "Just Like Heaven") or later Oingo Boingo (not like their manic first three albums...).

The opening song, "I Love You Because I Have To", is a fine intro, but the title's actually better than the song itself.

No worries, as "Modern Woman" gallops along to a melodic rock beat and will more than likely have you saying, out loud, "Wow...this is pretty good!"

"Celebrity Sanctum" is a hoot...name-dropping female celebs with giggle-inducing lyrics. 'I love Lucy twice as much as you."

I feel they wear their XTC roots on their sleeves; one of their songs is called "Apples & Oranges"....a later XTC album is called "Oranges & Lemons". The lead singer's voice has an uncanny similarity to that of Andy Partridge, and their melodicism, instrument selection, and humor reflect, with pride, XTC's influence.

The high quality is maintained through songs like "Godhopping" and "Lounger"; the latter song could be the slacker generation's new anthem.

Seriously, nearly every song has something to recommend about it, and all are worth listening to once. MOST of them will have you returning to the album again and again. There are not many new albums you can say that about.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You've been waiting for an album like this for a long time.., July 18, 2004

By 

tom (Orlando, FL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Please Describe Yourself (Audio CD)

I honestly can't remember when the last time was that I bought an album and loved every track on it on the first listen. Even my favorite bands' albums (Doves, Travis, Interpol, Turin Brakes) usually have a track or two that I could either live without or that I eventually grow to love through sheer repetition. But what Dogs Die in Hot Cars have created is brilliant, with every track having every right to be on the album as the next. Their harmonies and lyrics drew me in on the first listen. My only complaint about this album is that it is too short. Currently my favorite tracks are: 10.Glimpse of the Good Life (I think it has a "Pulp"-like sound to it), 4.Celebrity Sanctum (a great hook-of-a-chorus on this one), and 7.Modern Woman.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars No expectations.....no problems!, November 17, 2004

By 

Kristin B. Gataveckas "kgataveckas" (Acton, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Please Describe Yourself (Audio CD)

Just happened to see this on the shelf as another CD to buy in the 2 for $25 category. Picked it up, listened, strange...listened again, hmmm, I'm remembering hooks now. Soon enough after a few more listens, this bands got me singing some of their songs. They're pretty catchy, pretty poppy, pretty good. It's different than what's out on the airwaves, thank god.