Every now and then, you need something you can swing to: not the kind of swinging that involves bored couples and a bowl full of keys, or even the kind that involves a playground, but something you can move to with carefree enthusiasm.
The Home Demo Vixens -- a husband-and-wife duo comprised of Nate Tredinnick (a familiar face from The Shabelles and the ska band Something To Do) and his wife, Emily -- has composed just the tune for forgetting your self-consciousness, if only for a minute or two.
Titled "Maybe, Baby, I Still Want You," the song is a statement of devotion to a lover who, it seems, may have been left hanging one too many times in the past. It's carefree in the most literal sense, an invitation for her -- and you, the listener -- to forget the troubles and missteps of the past and, quite simply, "make you not so damn uptight."
Musically, the song is one you can swing to as well -- swing dance, that is. With a few old-timey elements -- whistled melodies, kitchen-sink percussion -- weaving their way in and out of the track, a catch-me-if-you-can tempo, and melody that's about as cheerful as they come, it's ripe for a round of jitterbug.
There's also a strong alt-country current running through the tune, from the classics of Red Foley and Red Steagall to the modern lo-fi of Whiskeytown. With a guitar strum reminiscent of the Old 97's songs and a few lyrics that Rhett Miller himself could've penned, it's a song that would be equally suited for a bar and a barn, a dance hall and a front porch.
That homey vibe makes sense given that "Maybe, Baby" -- and the rest of the forthcoming album Fun At Home With The Home Demo Vixens -- was actually recorded in the couple's living room. In fact, the home-recording aspect is so important to the couple that it's part of their band's name.
For "Maybe, Baby, I Still Want You," the choice to record at home lends the track a bit of a vintage sound and a touch of Tin Pan Alley scrappiness.
"We had to take turns keeping our cat out of the room so we could get non-cat-laden takes, which was mostly successful," Tredinnick says. "I've been party to some fairly glossy-sounding recordings before but have found that I like things better when they're a little rough around the edges."
An MP3 of "Maybe, Baby, I Still Want You" is available in the related downloads at right. More songs by the Home Demo Vixens may be found on its MySpace page.
MadTracks highlights and provides MP3s of songs performed by local musicians. All tracks here are provided with permission of the artist. If you are a musician based in the Madison metro area and are interested in sharing your work as a MadTrack, please send a message.