Nothing personal folks I swear, but what the fuck happened to Patrick Stickles? Back when I knew him (slightly), he was the coolest person on earth but now he is making two hour infomercials about the power of the # 7 and, well, I’m guessing other stuff because I’m damned if I am actually gonna watch it though instead… I will listen to the new song .
However, not wanting to be difficult I posted it here in case you missed the usual suspects (Pitchfork, Brooklynvegan, Stereogum, Spin, etc) all have the same dumb story about Stickle’s seven inch inscription series, written the same way by the same people for the same audience.
I am beginning to have a sneaky admiration for Stereogum who at least managed to get the biggest piece of news: that “Stranded (I’m On My Own)” is a new song and it is a killer track and here is the recorded version, our first recorded viewing of the eagerly anticipated 30 song rock opera cycle. I used to like Stickles singing a little more, he sounds too much like Pink Eyes now, … no? Johnny Rotten here and there, but that’s my only complaint about this classic rocking rave up of immense proportions, it’s all in the jingle jangle guitars and while the shape shifting changes of tempo may leave you twisted up and left for dead, the blare of those guitars man, fabulous, kinda like they electrified George Harrison’s Gibson.
I can’t really make out the lyric though it appears to be a monumental put down song, “Why do you have to be such a dick”? And the bridge, “I twist away”… something like that. I’ve looked around but I couldn’t find a lyric sheet (though I did find this review by PS of a Replacements gig in Spin.com; I can’t wait to see em in September at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, and the line up should be Tick-Titus-Hold Steady-‘Mats but it isn’t but it should be) so I guess I will have to wait for clarification along with the rest of the plebs.
Speaking of which, I haven’t spoken to Patrick since I ran into him after his set at LPR in early 2012. He once dedicated a song to me on stage, which was a cool add to the increasingly large collective of bands who have done so (when I get to ten I’ll knock off a post). A pity, he’s a good guy even if (those eyes in the conference, been there, done that) seems very fast and very talkative.
The song is great of course. Unfortunately, I couldn’t figure out how to put the soundcloud recorded version up so here is a live one. And I added “Fatal Flaw” -another new one that sounds pretty good. Meanwhile, I can’t wait to catch em opening for the Buzzcocks on September 6th at Webster Hall.
Grade: A
