4. Rogue Wave – Lake Michigan

People, at least here in the US, will remember this song as that awesome soundtrack to this Alice in Wonderland-inspired TVC for Zune.

Sunshine and I have been noticing this TVC a while back before we saw the song performed solo by Zach Rogue as one of the featured artists in Songs of the City. The concert was top indie acts’ ode to the City of Angels held at the Walt Disney Concert Hall last January. There were a dozen performers which included Zooey Deschanel (of She and Him and, yeah, that chick from M. Night Shyamalan’s The Happening), Sondre Lerche (one of the better performers from Norway), Annie Stella (whose CD we bought at the lobby and still enjoy listening to), Bob Mould (who did not meet our expectations, but what the hell, it was the Bob Mould, right?), Biirdie (a folk group based in Glendale whose song, Life in a Box, about living in an apartment we can relate to), and one of the guys from Belle and Sebastian called Stevie Jackson.

Anyway, we only confirmed that it was indeed that song after the concert. This led me to learn more about the band (which you can find here) and search for their music online.

Lake Michigan is a song culled from Rogue Wave’s  latest album, Asleep at Heaven’s Gate, which as many critics have noted somehow betrayed Rogue’s Lo-Fi past. I can see how they see this a departure from their debut (Out of the Shadow) which was more like the minimalist performance we saw at Disney Concert Hall. However, I disagree that their latest is worse by merely becoming more accessible.

Some fans also have debated about the meaning of the song. Some are saying it’s a cry for help for the environment. Some rebut that their just reading too much.

For me, I like the song because of the anthemic melody and the familiar (in a Philippine folk dance way) rhythm. A few days ago, Sunshine and I were talking about deconstructing this song by having Filipino folk dancers, say the Obusan Folkloric Group, setting up bamboo poles as the males genuflect and clap while the women, in their colorful ternos, wave abanikos in a different performance of Tinikling.

Here’s the lyrics and music video:

Heaven is a switchboard that you want to fight
she would even miss you if you taught her sight
power politician leaning to the right
baby’s got a trust fund
that she’ll want to go off like that
get off of my stack
leave a little window
get off of my stack

Now we wear same-colored yellow uniforms
sky is burning
but at least we’re warm
go and run yourself a million miles
hoping that the colors run out
and you go off like that
get off of my stack
leave a little window
get off of my stack

You can never see yourself
ringing all around it

No one is on lake Michigan
you labored on, lake Michigan

Not another payoff
get off of my stack
leave a little window
get off of my stack
you know it won’t do
get off of my stack