I have to come up to the defense of these Cannucks (aren't they?). Nickelbag are at the same time monstrously popular and abysmally uncool - I can forgive them (and large parts of the American public) their popularity, but their uncoolness has me up in arms for them. Statements such as "the formulaic, faux rock n’ roll band" is the exact same thing levied at past "boogie down"-bands such as Grand Funk, Foghat, Status Quo etc. Yet all of them played a type of testosterone-charged, slightly simple-minded, but charming music that goes well with that game called American Football which - this will endear me to my yankee friends here forever - is just that: testosterone-charged, slightly simple-minded, but charming!
In that way, Nickelbag are a great fit. The only viable argument is that they are not from Detroit which is a bit sad given the city's legacy of Mitch Ryder, Bob Seger, Alice Cooper, Glenn Frey and, yes, even Ted Nugent before he became a political imbecile.
For the life of me I cannot discern what is supposed to be "un-football" (or, for the sake of argument, "un-soccer") about a stadium anthem such as this:
Come to think of it I can hardly think of a more fitting music to be played at halftime, these guys epitomize modern stadium rock - for once, Dave's term is apt - in the same way the Foo Fighters do (which I think overrated as well). Or would those anemic musical athletes from The Strokes or Vampire Weekend have been more appropriate?
(I have their CDs too, The Strokes are critically just as overrated as Nickelbag are unjustly popular with the beer-drinking and football-loving masses, Vampire Weekend are clever fun though, bit like a pop version of Cake.)
For the avoidance of doubt: I have only two Nickelbag CDs in my collection. I buy them with the same scientific curiosity I buy U2 CDs: To analyze why they are so goddamned popular and reassure myself of my dissenting minority taste.
