안녕하세요, 
정말 오랜만에 찾아뵙는 것 같네요.
유쓰미 @y-o-u-t-h-m-e 입니다. ^^;;

요며칠동안, 그동안의 찌는듯한 더위를 식히는 시원한 비가 내렸었습니다.
날씨 덕분에 월차도 쓸 수 있게 되어서, 그동안 바빠서 계속 미뤄야했던 저녁식사도, 새로 개봉한 영화(스파이더맨)관람도 할 수 있었습니다. ^^

비오는 날씨와 잘 어울리는 음악은 어떤 음악이 있을까요?
개인적으로는 흐린 날씨 하면 영국이 떠오르는데,
영국 출신의 밴드 음악을 준비해보았습니다.

우선 한 번 들어보세요. ^^

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<center>https://youtu.be/m-HG_aWyuFA</center>
<center>Album : Splinter (1999) </center>
<center>[Lyrics](https://genius.com/Sneaker-pimps-low-five-lyrics)</center>
<center>[Sneaker Pimps는 누구?](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sneaker_Pimps)</center>

...

*It takes too much to please me*
*Attached but no real feeling*
*High fives and corporate anthems*
*Nothing comes to mind*

*Kitemarked for true low standards*
*Where more wants all and no less*
*Just change with no real progress*
*Nothing comes to mind*
*I want higher*
*Still nothing comes to mind*

*Give me a low five*
*Cause i can't help myself*
*I'm a low five downsize no-one else*
*Do you love yourself ?*

...

---

심각한 분위기(?)의 멜로디로 시작을 하는 독특한 인트로,
Chris Corner의 중성적이고 몽환적인 보컬이 귀를 감싸고..
자로 재서 쪼갠듯한 드럼비트와, 반골기질 가득한 가사도 가히 인상적입니다.
그리고 1:13초부터 터트리는 후렴구까지.. 개인적으로 **취저**인 곡입니다.

---

**간략한 밴드 소개** (출처 : [위키피디아](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sneaker_Pimps))

Sneaker Pimps are a British trip hop band formed in Hartlepool, England, in 1994. They are best known for their first album, Becoming X (1996), and the singles "6 Underground" and "Spin Spin Sugar". They took their name from an article the Beastie Boys published in their Grand Royal magazine about a man they hired to track down classic sneakers.

The band was founded by Liam Howe and Chris Corner, who later recruited Kelli Ali (then known as Kelli Dayton) as lead singer, and long-time friend Ian Pickering to co-write the lyrics. After the first album, the band felt that demos for the second album (on which Corner provided the guide vocals) better suited his voice, especially in regard to the more raw, personal quality of the lyrics. Following the promotional tour for Becoming X, Dayton was dismissed from the group, and Corner became the singer.

In May 2015, founding member Liam Howe hinted via Twitter that Sneaker Pimps would return. In April 2016, Chris Corner (as IAMX) seemingly confirmed their plans to release a fourth album in an image posted to Twitter.

**History**
Chris Corner and Liam Howe met as teenagers in the eighties, both taking an interest in recording and studio experimentation. They banded together under the name F.R.I.S.K. and produced the "Soul of Indiscretion" EP, an early example of what became known as trip-hop. The mix of beats and acoustic folk sounds was further explored on two more instrumental EPs: "F.R.I.S.K." and "World as a Cone". They were signed to Clean Up Records. The duo's early DJ and production efforts took the alias Line of Flight.

As their music evolved, Howe and Corner began to tire of the non-vocal format, and wanted to explore making music with more pop leanings. They drafted school friend Ian Pickering to assist in writing lyrics for what would eventually become the album Becoming X. Chris Corner recorded vocals for several demo tracks, but the band decided the kind of music they were writing better suited a female vocal. At their manager's suggestion, they saw Kelli Dayton performing in a pub and recruited her to join on vocals. Finally the band came together with friends Joe Wilson on bass and Dave Westlake on drums and percussion, and began recording under the Sneaker Pimps name.

The 1996 debut album Becoming X was a runaway success, released during the peak popularity of the trip-hop genre. The album got them signed to Virgin America, and sold over a million copies. They toured the album for two years, including gigs alongside Aphex Twin. A 1998 remix album, Becoming Remixed, followed. After the tour, the band wrote their follow-up album, Splinter. Chris Corner again laid down the initial vocal demos, at which point he felt that his vocal style fit better with the direction their music was turning. At this time, Dayton was asked to leave the band, also in part due to the stress of the preceding tour. The band's lineup change led them to be dropped from Virgin, and the second album Splinter was instead released in the UK on Clean Up Records in 1999. Splinter featured more traditional instrumentation, acoustic guitars, and downbeat tempos. With the band's change in direction, Splinter did not match the commercial success of Becoming X, but solidified a cult fanbase.

Their third album Bloodsport was released on Tommy Boy Records in 2002. Songs from the album were previewed during in a 2001 European tour opening for Placebo. A more dance-oriented album than its predecessor, Bloodsport contains influences of new wave, pop, funk, and alternative combined with a residue of trip-hop. Cynical takes on fame and celebrity are a recurring lyrical theme throughout the album.

In 2003, the band's website stated they had "decided to undergo a mutation" and announced the launch of Chris Corner's new project, IAMX. A fourth Sneaker Pimps album was demoed but shelved, and is referred to in fan circles as SP4. Many of the songs would be finalized and recorded by Corner on the first two IAMX albums. Although the band's website hinted through 2005 that new Sneaker Pimps material and 5.1 Surround Sound re-releases of the first two albums were on the way, these plans never materialized and band members focused instead on varying side projects.

In May 2015, founding member Liam Howe hinted that Sneaker Pimps would return. He later reinforced this on a new Sneaker Pimps Twitter account.[3] Corner has commented that he would like to be involved in future Sneaker Pimps projects if other band members are equally interested.

In December 2016, Dayton (under her solo artist name, Kelli Ali) announced details of her forthcoming project called "Ghostdriver" - A new solo album & Soundtrack to her independent feature-length film debut (featuring Ali as writer, director and performer), which would be produced concurrently via a crowdfunding campaign on the PledgeMusic platform. On 26 January 2019, a digital edition of the full 15 track "Ghostdriver" album was pre-released exclusively to fans who had donated to the campaign, with an announcement that her former Sneaker Pimps band-mate, Liam Howe, contributed extensively to the mix and additional production of the album, notably marking the first collaboration between two original Sneaker Pimps band members since their disbandment. In addition, the announcement confirmed that the full commercial release of the album will follow later in 2019 in conjunction with the release of the final film. 

In May, 2019, Chris Corner announced via an IAMX Patreon update that he was 'deep into a fourth Sneaker Pimps album' with fellow friend and band-mate Liam Howe in Los Angeles.

---

Sneaker Pimps는 1994년, 잉글랜드의 하틀풀에서 결성된 트립합 밴드입니다.
10대 때부터 친구사이였던 Liam Howe와 Chris Corner가 밴드를 결성했고, 이후 여성 보컬 Kelli Ali을 영입했었으나 첫 앨범을 낸 후 강제로 탈퇴를 시켰었습니다. (크리스 코너의 보컬이 그들의 음악에 더 어울린다는 이유로.. ^^;)

위키피디아를 그대로 한글로 번역하기보다는 Sneaker Pimps에 대한 개인적인 느낌과 생각을 적어보자면, 참으로 '뛰어난 음악성에 비해서 너무나 덜 알려진, 상 복도 없는, 하지만 너무나 쿨한 트립합 밴드' 입니다.
물론 1996년에 발매된 앨범 Becoming X는 미국에서 백만장 이상 팔리며 흥행에 성공하고, 2년동안 투어도 다녔지만, 영국과 미국에서 쌓았던 인지도에 비해서 한국에서는 정말 덜 알려져있고, 팬베이스도 얕은 편입니다.

(하지만 Aphex Twin, Placebo 와도 같이 공연을 했었던 밴드라고 말씀드린다면.. 조금 다르게 보이실지도?!)

90년대에 만들어진 그들의 음악을 지금 들어도 전혀 어색함이 없는 이유는,
뉴웨이브, 팝, 펑크, 그리고 얼터너티브와 트립합을 아우르는 그들의 넓은 음악적 스펙트럼이 노래 한 곡 한 곡마다 고스란히 녹아들어 있기 때문이 아닐까 하는 생각이 듭니다. ^^

오늘의 추천곡이 마음에 드셨다면,
다음 곡들도 들어보세요.

<center>https://youtu.be/dYIsJkBbJeU</center>
<center>Sneaker Pimps - 6 Undreground (Live)</center>
<center><sub>1집시절. Kelli Ali의 퇴폐미(?)가 돋보이는 곡.. 라이브를 앨범버전 처럼 완벽하게..</sub></center>
<br>
<center>https://youtu.be/0ZsXYytmiVs</center>
<center>Sneaker Pimps - Loretta Young Silks</center>
<center><sub>정말 2002년에 나온 곡이 맞나요.. 지금 들어도 너무나 세련된 곡.</sub></center>
<center><sub>크리스 코너의 보컬.. 정말 매튜 벨라미(뮤즈)에 비견할만한 클래스인데, 왜 뮤즈만큼 뜨지 못했을까 하는 아쉬움이 진하게 남습니다..ㅠ</sub></center>

(덧 - 크리스 코너의 보컬이 마음에 드시는 분은, 그의 솔로 프로젝트인 **IAMX**의 곡들을 찾아서 들어보시면 좋을 것 같습니다. ^^)

<br>
#### 그럼 즐감하시고, 오늘도 좋은 하루 되세요 ^^ 
#### - 🅈🄾🅄🅃🄷🄼🄴 드림.
- 진솔한 감상평을 남겨주시는 분께는 추첨을 통해 소정의 업보트와 YBT 토큰을 드립니다. ^^