Another Form of Relief

The Flops make me sad. Not necessarily in a bad way, but sad nonetheless. The fact they don’t exist anymore doesn’t help, but the worst part is the feeling that they were the closest thing to ever sound like Trip Shakespeare. This isn’t really all that surprising given that both members of The Flops, Matt Wilson and John Munson, were in that band. I maintain that Trip Shakespeare are one of the most criminally underrated bands of the last twenty years.

The Flops, while never quite managing those dizzy heights, have that wonderful feel of nostalgia about them. They never formally recorded anything in the four years they performed, only putting out a live album instead. This was largely made up of performances of Trip Shakespeare and Matt Wilson material, with a few other bits thrown in. In 2005, The Flops project was deemed over and a new band was supposed to rise from the ashes. It never did. John Munson now plays in a jazz band, while no one seems to know what Matt Wilson is doing. Which is a shame as he is a ridiculously talented singer-songwriter.

This song may not work for you if you’re unfamiliar with the original, but it should hold up on it’s own. A mournful tale of the one that got away, supported by nothing more complex than a gently strummed guitar. If one song could pin down melancholy perfectly, this would be it.