PDA

View Full Version : Michael Penn



racer2c
03-06-06, 01:02 AM
Yes, Sean's brother. If you didn't know, he's a singer/songwriter. He had a semi-hit 15 or so years ago with "Romeo in Black Jeans". Wasn't my cup o' tea at the time, but I still remember the song and the video. The video actually had heavy rotation on MTV.

Fast forward to present day...I'm a huge Aimee Mann fan and yes, it turns out Michael just happens to be married to Aimee, thus was my first exposure to Michaels latest crop. I picked up his 2000 release of 'MP4: Days Since a Lost Time Accident' as a suggestion by a fellow musician buddy who knows I'm such an Aimee fan. I don't think I listened to anything else for three months. Absolutely fantastic record. Intelligent lyrics, intimately subtle but very deep and organic while still maintaining a 'hook'. Yep, Penn is all about the 'hook' as is his wife.

His latest (released August of '05) is Mr. Hollywood Jr., 1947, a theme record set in post WW2 where a young vet returns home to CA only to find the world as he knew it gone. More of Penns’ signature clever lyrics and of course 'hooks', it's an album that any fan of 'intelli-pop' ( I made that up :gomer: ) would love.

I was meaning to get this record since it debuted but kept forgetting until a few weeks ago. Clik the link and you can hear a stream of track 1 on Mr. Hollywood entitled “Walter Reed”. If that song doesn’t have you humming the chorus afterwards…I feel for ya.


Link (http://www.michaelpenn.com/launch/index.htm)

rabbit
03-06-06, 01:40 AM
catchy tune

SteveH
03-06-06, 02:13 AM
I really liked Romeo in Black Jeans. I think Michael is very talented. Some of his work with Aimee (or is it vice versa) is very good.

BTW, his other brother Chris died a few weeks ago.

BTW - intelli-pop is a very apt description :thumbup:

chop456
03-06-06, 02:52 AM
March was a good record, though I found a lot of it overwrought. The name of the Romeo song is "No Myth", BTW. :D

Maybe he's getting better because he's ripping off his much more talented wife? :p

Their cover of "Across the Universe" was pretty cool.