AVS #2 /// “Mosaic”, Habitat (2003)

from kingpin # 52, april 2008

For the second installment of what has officially now become a monthly feature, and almost as obvious of a choice as last month’s pick Mouse, here comes Habitat skateboards’ Mosaic.
Besides the occasionnal RJD2 beats lost in this mostly late 60’s rock invasion, and the mandatory Dinosaur Junior tune without which the Sect would lose a tad of its Sovereignity, Mosaic's stands as one of these soundtracks where it’s hard to only pick three crucial albums from.
But bravely we dared, baring in mind that most the other artists present on it (The Chocolate Watchband, Papa M, Cymande, The Greenhornes…) also deserve to suck your wallet dry.

The Masters Apprentices : s/t

Tune used : War or Hands of Time (Stefan Janoski)

As everybody knows, Midnight Oil and INXS are the greatest Australian bands ever. Just kidding, come on. AC/DC having been played to death, or at least to nausea in skateboard videos –next editor to use Highway To Hell will be shot- how about The Masters Apprentices ? From 1964 to 1972, they ruled the local charts and went on to look for decent success overseas (alas it never really came), starting from the ashes of a band called The Mustangs, one of these dance band-style clones of the Shadows.

Even though War or hands Of Time –actually the B-side to Undecided, their early hit- was in 1966 the first Australian pop song to directly address the Vietnam war issue, we all know what you care about : how did the video editor to Janoski’s part manage to synchronise so perfectly the two quick drum rolls with the firecracker down that set of steps ? Almost as good as Rick James’ little scream to Rick Howard’s switch tre at Beryl Banks in Virtual Reality, you think. Not interested in history, huh ? Shame on you !

Mudhoney : Superfuzz Bigmuffs plus early singles

Tune used : If I Think
(Heath Kirchart / Steve Berra)

Seems like each and every Sub Pop, Seattle-based band from the early ‘90s appeared on videos from these troubled times. Only Mudhoney is one of the few that deserved to outlive the grunge hype. It did, brilliantly (9 albums in 18 years and counting, folks), and Heath and Steve haven’t forgotten about Mark Arm’s stoner lowfi outfit, picking the song for their joint part from Mudhoney’s chef d’oeuvre of a 1989 six-track EP, Superfuzz Bigmuffs.
OK, no tune of theirs will probably provide the adrenaline rush Let It Slide did on SMA’s Debunker did in its time, but till… To sum it all up, early-‘90s Mudhoney was the blueprint band to a whole generation of music, so why give a chance to followers ?
On a fashion note incidentally, they are also partially responsible for introducing the flanel shirt to the little skate world, leading to the amazing raver/lumberjack hybrid skateboard look that was the rage in 1992. Other necessary albums from them include Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge and Piece of Cake.

Spoon : Kill The Moonlight

Tune used :
Way We Get By (Jason Dill)

Seeing Will Ferrel acting serious is like imagining Jason Dill conventionnally dressed: if not impossible, barely imaginable. However the former once did, in Stranger Than Fiction, and the latter too, in Mosaic. Both flicks share one thing : a song, Way We Get By, by an Austin-based band that formed in 1998.
Once you manage to swallow that little in-mouth throw up triggered by anything your oh-so-close-minded skateboarder brain identifies as "hipster material" (we’re talking about the band only here, and God knows being remixed by M.I.A.’s DJ Diplo won’t help), truth is that Kill The Moonlight is more than just a fine 2002 Bowesque, Bluresque, power-popish album.
It still is their best one to date and goes hand in hand with their Girls Can Tell effort, while the OGs –I mean, if OGs were into emotionnal shit and not, like, Suicidal Tendencies- worship instead their famous The Agony of Laffitte EP, where they diss the Elektra executive who dropped them from the label. Anyway. Back to Way We Get By, simply remember it as « the one and only time Jason Dill didn’t skate to Radiohead’s Polyethylen and it worked » song.