The Indie Anthology 31: essential songs

Back to the Indie Anthology, this time... let's get a bit "politically charged". Yeah, after watching "The Punk Singer" it was bound to happen (review of the documentary coming soon).

Song: Hot Topic
Artist: Le Tigre
Year: 1999

I have always had an issue with Kathleen Hanna. I admire her so much and tried so many times to get into her music, but in all honesty, I have never been able to be engaged by her albums fully. I guess straightforward punk (Bikini Kill) and electronic pop (Le Tigre) are just not my genres. With some explosive exceptions, "TKO", "Deceptacon", "Keep On Living", and in a very special way, "Hot Topic". A ridiculously catchy bubblegum pop tune that is also a celebration of mostly female/feminist icons. Gertrude Stein, Billie Jean King, Nina Simone, Sleater-Kinney, The Slits, Joan Jett, and a long, never-ending etc., plus the (I love them) following lines:

So many roads and so much opinion
So much shit to give in, give in to
So many rules and so much opinion
So much bullshit but we won't give in

Stop, we won't stop
Don't you stop
I can't live if you stop 

Can pop be meaningful and joyful? Here's one of the best examples I know, an indie mantra of real heroes. Now tell me: do you think there's any space for all the Lady Gagas, Miley Cyrus, Rihannas and all the utter crap we have today pestering music industry here? NO WAY. From a music level, that's why I was so eager to recommend his latest project, The Julie Ruin, finally an album I really enjoy as a whole. And from another, more vindicating perspective, that's why I'm so willing to celebrate Kathlenn Hanna is back, hopefully to (please do it) kick some asses and shake some minds.

Stop awful album covers 2

It was bound to happen. Unfortunately, is a growing epidemic: horrible music artworks keeps spreading. This second round of visual disasters are all from albums/singles released this 2011, and wants to serve as an act of protest against them. This is war, stop awful sleeves!

ARTWORK ATROCITIES

Tennis: Cape Dory

Done on purpose, I know, but it's a crime to give a beautiful record such a kitsch sleeve

Beirut: The Rip Tide / Arctic Monkeys: Suck It and See

Put the albums together cause its the same case: brilliant works, zero effort on the cover

 Destroyer: Ideas for Songs (reissue) / Morrissey: Very Best of Morrissey

And they go together because... you get it. Great to know you are relaxing guys, but do we need to see it?

Lady Gaga: Born This Way

Photoshop indigestion + worst of metal clichés= Gaga's next chapter of awfulness

Peter Bjorn and John: Gimme Some
Coherency must be this: colour, design, image are all ugly. Ironic, of course

Vivian Girls: Share the Joy
Very little effort usually translates into a very poor artwork....


Steve Miller Band: Let Your Hair Down
....But sometimes a lot of effort in a cover can have an insane result 

Wavves: TV Luv Song (single)

And to end the "monsters parade"... this... What the hell?? Carl Winslow? Really??

The Map of Music

A very curious proposal today. Do you think there's no connection between Lady Gaga and Radiohead? Not so fast, my friend. This analytical map of music shows relations between musicians/groups, creating a landscape of interconnected musicians. It's all about algorithms, it seems. You can navigate like if you were checking google maps, approaching the zoom to see plenty of bands and their "neighbourhoods". And if you arrive to the last level (popup), you'll see the clicked  musician at last.fm. Very original.

The link: http://www2.research.att.com/~yifanhu/Music_Map/index.html