Count Five: Art Brut's Eddie Argos' Favorite Replacements Songs

Posted on Jul 8th 2009 4:00PM by Mark Yarm
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Art Brut frontman Eddie Argos is a little embarrassed to admit that he only learned of the existence of Minneapolis college-rock legends the Replacements around six months ago while surfing the Web. But he's not embarrassed enough to keep him from writing a song about his belated discovery. Called, naturally, 'The Replacements,' the track features the lyrics "How have I only just found out about the Replacements?/Some of them are nearly as old as my parents" and appears on his group's latest album, 'Art Brut vs. Satan.' "That's all I'm doing in the van: making my band listen to the Replacements and reading aloud bits from their oral history, 'All Over But the Shouting,'" the British singer tells Spinner. "My band is sick of me talking about them." Spinner, however, was more than happy to hear Argos rave about his top five 'Mats songs of the moment.

1. 'Treatment Bound (Alternate Version)' from the 'Hootenanny' reissue: My favorite album of theirs right now is 'Hootenanny.' It's odd to hear a song so honest about being on tour and how they're goofing around. I recognize the aspects of touring, like how they're showing up drunk everywhere. It's a very honest song with laughing in it -- you can hear that they mean what they're singing about. Touring songs on a whole are pretty rubbish. They usually come when a band runs out of ideas.

2. 'Bastards of Young' from 'Tim': It's the most famous of their songs. At least I think it is -- I'm coming to this late, you know. The lyrics are amazing: "The ones who love us least are the ones we'll die to please." Part of what's best about the Replacements is that they've got a sad song like 'Bastards of Young,' then they've got a song like 'Gary's Got a Boner.' You've got so many bands, like the Manic Street Preachers, where every song they write is completely sad, so it doesn't mean anything anymore. It means a lot more to hear a sad song from a band that has a song called 'Gary's Got a Boner.' It seems more genuine. It makes them seem more human.

3. 'Gary's Got a Boner' from 'Let It Be': The first time I heard it, I was in someone's car. I couldn't believe that those were the actual words. I had to get the CD and check. He's genuinely singing, "Gary's got a boner/Gary's got a soft-on." It sounds jubilant and fun. It's straight to the point, isn't it? On our new album we have song called 'What a Rush,' where we refer to a boner as a "rebellious henchman" to make it more polite. [Singer Paul Westerberg] using the word "boner" is a lot more honest.

4. 'Here Comes a Regular' from 'Tim': The first time I heard that I was on the train, going to visit my girlfriend. I was really enjoying the album, then I heard this song. That bit -- "Am I the only one who feels ashamed?" -- nearly made me cry. I had a knot in my throat. My brother works in a pub, and we've got really similar taste in music. I texted him, "You've got to hear this song. Go and find it now." After working in some pubs myself and being the sort of person who does drink a lot and goes to the same pub all the time, it really hit home. It's a very sad song. They've taken the idea behind that 'Cheers' song, 'Where Everybody Knows Your Name,' and turned it on its head.

5. 'Sixteen Blue' from 'Let It Be': If I'd known that song existed when I was 16, I think that's all I would have listened to until I was 20 -- until now, probably. [Replacements bassist] Tommy Stinson was so young when he was in the band. [Westerberg has] never said it's about Tommy, but singing a song about 16-year-olds when there's a 16-year-old in the band -- that's what makes sense to me. It's brilliant. Time does "drag and drag" when you're 16. It is "the hardest age." When I was 16, I was grumpy and sulky. Angry, like all 16-year-olds. I was goth for a bit, but I was just pretending to impress a girl.