It would be the equivalent of me (a white female) writing about the story of a black man in the US, wouldn’t it be perceived as pompous and patronizing? I wouldn’t even dare of course! But the crazy part of the video is the end, the beating gives Garfield some kind of dancing superpower and he starts to dance like Jennifer Beals in the 90s classic ‘Flashdance’.
Nothing so far has rung the clarion call for a new year. Still, new Warner Bros find TheChain Gang Of 1974 might be making some new friends for the third place WB. Persnally, I’m hoping Angel Haze has legs…
Adventures In Bluesland – Phil Gammage – A New Wave stalwart continues his career trajectory through Americana to an East Coasts rock and blues sound uniquely his own. Add to that one of the best rock and roll singing voices you’ll hear and a mean harp, Gammage’s album stands as an organic response to synthetic emotions.
After Grand Theft Auto got through with the Hawaiian native, he’d move to L.A. and signed to WB. Nice work if you can get it, and the opening track of his first major label album, he gives them what they want: modern AOR with a mid tempo alt indie and a catchy hook, “leave your record on” he is more than willing to repeat till you get the point – B+
Two big returns, Karen Anne and Beck, and a great live album from the Stones, but the week belonged to Against Me! whose grand return was even better than I hoped it would be. “Unconditional Love” is a great song. Jon Pardi is my token country beer and pick up trucks guy.
Walking Back To Happiness – Helen Shapiro – A huge hit in the early 60s, the hook, the “hoop hah oh yeah” is the closest the UK ever got to trouncing US girl groups, an infectious blast – A+
From the martial beats to open the album to the agit-prop declaiming “Osama Bin Laden As Crucified Christ” (“You’re gonna hang”), the lead singing changing her gender to a woman hasn’t changed Against Me! that much. A mixed blessing but on the best songs, a definite blessing. The re-recording “Fuckmylife666” sounds great – ALBUM OF THE WEEK – B+
This week belongs to Against Me, while I wasn’t crazy about Laura Jane Grace’s solo performance at Bowery Ballroom (and ignorantly claimed she didn’t look much like a woman) I am assuming huge things for Transgender Dysphoria Blues.
