Your friday night jukebox and a brief announcement about League Beer Week
As a belated rejoinder to Joe Carter’s article on music celebrating abusive relationships, I thought I’d post this:
I think The Crystal’s were pretty clearly rationalizing an abusive relationship (“If he didn’t care for me, I could have never made him mad. But he hit me, And I was glad”). But it’s still a really great song.
And here’s some Belle & Sebastian:
Finally, an announcement: Next week is officially beer week here at the League of Ordinary Gentlemen. We invite interested readers to submit guest posts on their favorite beers, watering holes, or anything else that comes to mind. DC-area barkeeps looking to take advantage of our massive audience are also welcome to contact me with free drink offers.
With the Crystals, doesn’t that mean Phil Spector was rationalizing an abusive relationship? And is that really much of a surprise?
Also, I’d like to note that Beer Week was my suggestion, and also nominate myself as the League Beer Czar, if there are no objections.Report
@Rufus, Motion carried by acclamation!Report
@Rufus, so first round is on you.Report
@gregiank, I’m now seeking government funding for that. The official euphemism is “brewery bailout”.Report
@Rufus,
Well, take this as an intro post:
Tallahassee is actually a surprisingly amazing city for beer. Almost ever corner bar at least has a Sweetwater brew on tap, and between Fermentation Lounge, Proof/Liquor Loft, Leon Pub, and St. Mike’s, and the bottle lists at the Engine Room and Waterworks, you can find nearly anything. Looking forward to this!Report
A beer post:
http://ramblingcousin.blogspot.com/2010/05/vienna.html
Gives a bit spotty history on the German amber lagers.Report
BTW, the band Grizzly Bear has a terrific cover of The Crystal’s which is even more haunting than the original (I think):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjrxcDNNk_AReport
On topic, I’m surprised at the absence of Pink from Carter’s article, but then I guess the point is to claim that there is a “pro-abuse” movement out there devoid of artistic value. I don’t buy it.
Pink’s “Please Don’t Leave Me” is an unequivocal damnation of abusive relationships, and it’s the only song dealing with abuse that I hear on the radio with any frequency, even in 2010. It’s from a 2008 album that has several hits about how self-hatred looks good when you’re in the middle of it.
“Please Don’t Leave Me” is hard-hitting because it starts out with a plausibly balanced relationship of abuse. Then, having hopefully hooked the abusive lover, it flays that balance with “You’re my perfect little punching bag,” mixed in with the nursery-rhythm of “Da da da, da da da…”.
I don’t know much about the things Carter wrote about, but the Crystals piece is really interesting. It does seem interested in apologizing for any guy out there who hit(s) his girl. At the same time, it has a slightly uncanny feel compared to their other songs. The tempo is off, the beginning is sparse and almost harsh. I’d be interested in knowing why the Crystals themselves felt good about recording the song.
It occurs to me that parody of violence is always dangerous. Parody is effective only inasmuch as is required a bit of effort to decode. Anyone failing to make that effort will read the parody straight. In the huge markets Eminem and others have to address, are they pretending to parody so they can cash in on a wider audience–both those who like the parody to feel superior, and those to take it straight to feel vindicated?Report