Helen Boyd Kramer's journal on gender and stuff
This is one of those songs that’s going to be entirely misunderstood, much like “Every Breath You Take Was”. I’ll put money on it showing up at weddings, even.
And don’t miss some of the coldest lyrics about marriage I’ve ever heard:
i want to settle down
It’s time to bring you down
on just one knee for now
let’s make our vows
But it’s critique of marriage, competition between women, and that mannequin-like man spouse: It’s so spot on, no?
But you didn’t have to cut me off
Make it like it never happened and that we were nothing
I don’t even need your love,
but you treat me like a stranger And that feels so rough
I can’t stop listening to it.
(it’s pronounced something like “Got E.A.”)
I was never a fan of Cheap Trick, but I wasn’t not a fan, either – and then I went to Joey Ramone’s 50th birthday party which was, of course, a wake of sorts too, and in addition to The Damned (who flew in from London to play), Cheap Trick took the stage and my long-time concert-going self was duly impressed: what a tight, amazing, LOUD, band! It turned out Joey was a fan, and that night I became one too.
They’re otherwise famous for the video of “A Million Ways” but I had their “I Want You So Bad I Can’t Breathe” come up on Pandora the other day, and so went hunting for it, which is when I discovered their lovely cover of “Antmusic” — which is a song I never expected to like a cover of, so props to them.
so bad i can’t think straight /
so bad all my bones shake /
so bad i can’t breathe.
How can you not love a band that came up with “another Kodak whore, winking” and “see the red light rinsing another shutter slut wincing”? I know, I know, slut-shaming is bad, but I still love the sound of those lyrics. The song is more critical of the objectification of women in fashion than anything else.
& The AFOS song is kind of lovely in an awful, precious New Wave sort of way, no?
Terry Hall’s best known as one of the voices of the ska band The Specials (although many will know “Ghost Town” only), but 80s types will know him equally well as the emo-before-emo voice of The Fun Boy 3.
(There was the brief stop with The Colourfield, too, most of which is horribly dated, except maybe this song because it was snagging sounds from another era already.) There’s something about the quality of his voice that still knocks me out.
I kept noticing “Pumped Up Kicks” because the guy’s voice reminded me of Ray Davies’ and that’s just not a bad thing.
Trippy and sweet electronica, what isn’t often my thing, but sometimes it hits when there’s some kind of nice noise & a pretty voice.
I miss Roddy Frame, but now I don’t have to.
(Of course it’s not Roddy Frame, but still.)
