3Oh!3 - 'Don't Trust Me'
Interesting fact: This is not the first time the number three-hundred-and-three has made an appearance in the world of popular music. There's the legendary Roland 303 bass-synth, responsible for many a squitty noise in the acid house era, then there's the A303, which is the road that leads from London, past Stonehenge and off towards Glastonbury. Kula Shaker (ask your Britpop uncle) did a song about it, as they believed the road itself had mystical powers.
To be honest, I've driven on that road a lot, and it does get you from A to B well enough. But Bank Holiday traffic jams, even ones near the ancient vale of Avalon, are in no way spiritual, unless you believe in exhaust-fume elves.
Not that the 3Oh!3 boys are named after either of these things. Apparently it's the area code for Boulder, Colorado, which is where they are from. ChartBlog - always useful with the facts.
(. The Atkins diet has clearly had a devastating effect on Tenacious D.)
Oh wait, you want song stuff too, right? Well, it's a bit hip hop and a bit pop. It's got funny talky verses and whooshy sungy choruses. It's catchy as swine-flu but possibly just as bad for you. If you like Asher Roth, and Katy Perry - with whom the Oh! boys have toured - chances are you'll like this too. It's crude, it's silly, it's probably going to be held up as an example of terrible sexism by some people and defended as just a bit of fun by other people.
There's enough evidence here to support either theory, really. Especially in the split-fun chorus, which starts all disco-happy and super-hooky, and then suddenly descends into that whole "don't trust a ho, cos the ho won't trust me" thing.
I guess you could defend it by suggesting that if you're going to act in that way, then you don't deserve to be trusted - male or female - so it's not applicable to just women, and therefore isn't sexist.
Personally, I'm not sure, but if anyone is expecting mainstream American pop music to lead the way when it comes to gender politics - or disability rights, come to that - they may possibly have been spending too long communing with the nitrous oxide sprites on the other 303.
Download: Out now
CD Released: June 13th
Ö÷²¥´óÐã Music page
(Fraser McAlpine)
"3OH!3 has illustrated a biblical truth, probably unknowingly, in a vulgar, crass, ironic song."
Shellshuit says: "It's gonna take a lot more than some loincloths to make up for actually recording a line like "Shush girl, shut your lips / Do the Helen Keller and talk with your hips."
"It sticks in your head for weeks at a time... in a good way"
Comment number 1.
At 9th Jul 2009, Daniel wrote:Hello?
Where on earth are all the Chartblog commenters? It's like 28 Days Later or something in here!
Anyways...
I've not heard this song, but you've made a grave comparison to Katy Perry and Asher Roth so I'm not holding out much hope! I think it's safe to say I won't be adding this to the iPod!
dannyboy__
Complain about this comment (Comment number 1)
Comment number 2.
At 9th Jul 2009, thranjax wrote:I thought when this started that it was a Flight of the Conchords style joke. Having watched it all, I'm sure it's a joke. Slightly shocking lyrically and catchy with an attitude that dates back to Sly Fox and further.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 2)
Comment number 3.
At 9th Jul 2009, -RachelS- wrote:It might be defended as a bit of fun or a joke if it were funny... but I can't see what's funny!
I realise I probably sound like an irrelevant outsider, whingeing, "I don't get it!" (like Margot... "Was that a joke, Jerry?" - if anyone remembers 'The Good Life'!)
But unless I'm missing something, the humour (?) doesn't outweigh the objectionable things in this. It just seems a bit mean-spirited... though maybe that's an unfair snap-judgement.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 3)
Comment number 4.
At 9th Jul 2009, Vicki wrote:Ahahaha! Fuuny review. Basically, I accidently kind of like this song but you're right, it is not good for me in anyway. ALSO the verses are a TOTAL rip off of this awesome band called Say Anything. But less good. Yes.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 4)
Comment number 5.
At 9th Jul 2009, spirit wrote:Well it's that catchy chorus that makes this song and propelled it to Number 1 in America.
On a purely commercial angle , everything about this song is top class.
The boys personalities come through in the video, and it's put together in such a way that appeals to their target demograohic.
It's lyrically controversial and with enough hooks in the song to go fishing for days with. The chorus is pure pop fantastic !
There will be lovers and haters of this song... that is obvious , but commercially it's an absolute winner.
How it translates in the U.K market is a different story , and one that's hard to predict.
Time will tell ......
Complain about this comment (Comment number 5)
Comment number 6.
At 10th Jul 2009, Daniel wrote:Rachel-S-! The Good Life? Legend!!!
Complain about this comment (Comment number 6)
Comment number 7.
At 24th Jul 2009, Kim-ley wrote:Having heard this song for a while on the radio...I have to comment. I really like the music to this song. I do, a lot. It's catchy and fun...the perfect summer song. The problem is the lyrics which are trying to funny and failing miserably. I mean, they pick on Helen Keller? Really? She is thought to be a very intelligent woman, but the only thing these guys pick up on is the fact that she was mute.
So I think if someone could take this song and change all the words, then I would give this song 5 out of 5 stars. Until then, I think 3 stars is more than generous (and I would have given it 2, maybe 1.5).
*OK, I'm done with my rant now. :)
Complain about this comment (Comment number 7)
Comment number 8.
At 24th Jul 2009, spirit wrote:Hey Jax can you hear that the guys are influenced by Devo ?
Love it/
Complain about this comment (Comment number 8)
Comment number 9.
At 25th Jul 2009, thranjax wrote:I can indeed something of the same irreverence and sense of humour. As I said "Slightly shocking lyrically and catchy with an attitude that dates back to Sly Fox and further"
Complain about this comment (Comment number 9)
Comment number 10.
At 1st Sep 2009, kingshleppy wrote:thespiritwarrior, i'd like to point out that this song didnt reach number 1 in the billboard hot 100, it peaked at number 7...and does anyone else not find this song truly genius??"don the Helen Keller and talk with your hips2....lyrical gold.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 10)
Comment number 11.
At 2nd Sep 2009, singingiLoveLaughinX wrote:i like this song.
but like other songs out now, how deep is it really?
not very.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 11)
Comment number 12.
At 4th Sep 2009, kingshleppy wrote:sory...supposed to be "do the Helen Keller, and talk with your hips"...new fingers/keyboard needed...
Complain about this comment (Comment number 12)