#35 - Phil

Scissor Sisters

Scissor Sisters

2004

Once in a great while, a band comes along with a sound so innovative and fresh that you simply can’t stop listening to them for weeks because everything else on the radio just seems so dull. After I heard the Scissor Sisters’ self-titled debut album for the first time, that’s exactly what I did. This band completely took over the UK music scene with five Top-20 singles in 2004 alone – and would have been way more popular in this country if they were a group of Gossip Girl lookalikes instead of flamboyant gays (although sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference).

The song that first got this band noticed is their cover of Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb.” Coming in third on the album, the track soars with an electronic richness that will make you feel like going out clubbing even if it’s a Sunday morning. It is one of the best cover songs I’ve ever heard. As for the album’s originals, almost every track is sheer pop perfection. Songs like “Take Your Momma” and “Lovers in the Backseat” will test your shrieking vocal power as they are impossible not to sing along to. Ballads like “Mary” and “Return to Oz” show off the group’s versatility while still never relinquishing a bit of their charm. And “Tits on the Radio” is as ridiculously awesome as its name suggests – just a complete lose-your-head dance number right in heart of the album’s core. -P.W.

I can’t tell you how many times I had heard this band’s name back when they were pretty popular around 2004. I knew nothing about them and for some reason I never really bothered to listen. I must thank Phil for putting this on his list. Though they are pretty much a pure disco (?) throw-back band I really enjoyed this whole album. I can’t help but compare them to The Darkness in some ways in that it’s somewhat hard to take them completely seriously. Overall, I enjoyed this one thoroughly. Thanks Phil. I may be playing some of these tunes for a party in the future. - Ryan

More falsetto emerging from Phil's list. Here is a band that I never paid much mind while they were moderately popular. Looking back, this is a party album of throwback '70s tunes, Bee Gee's love and unabashed disco-revival. Definitely the type of record that I'd love in the proper context but would rarely revisit. It has solid tunes and a serious commitment to it's style. An album made for intoxication. - Steve