We’re back again with the Friday list, that never does go out on Friday anyway, but sometime between late late Friday and early Sunday.This was supposed to go out next week, but then, in the life of a music blogger (who most likely does this kind of thing on the side), life gets in the way sometimes. But we persist! Posting is an itch that must be scratched. My analogy might be odd, but my purpose, true.
Now for the list.
I dedicate this list to my precocious 6 year old son, who lately, has picked up the habit of saying ‘Oh darn it!’ every chance he gets. I don’t mind actually – it’s pretty clean. Though, conservative people might not approve (as they say, it’s a gateway swear word), but for an autistic kid who tells me he wants to kill me and burn me when he’s angry (yes, he doesn’t know the implications) – this replacement expression, that sums all the anger up, is quite welcome. I just need to watch out if in case he graduates to the more complex, adult words that these next few artists were ever so kind enough to use in their brilliant songs.
1. The Maccabees – Latchmere
Since we’re gearing up for summer, I thought I’d throw in one of my favorite summer activity related songs from The Maccabees – who, despite their name, have songs that are neither religious nor biblical. Latchmere is a song about their favorite Battersea leisure centre, which has a pool that has a wave machine. I’ve posted this song before, but it deserves a second show – I’ve never been so moved by a song about swimming pools before. In fact, it’s made with astounding passion, that they actually spurt out an expletive once.
Offending line: Came out of the changing room and absolutely f*ck all had changed
2. Suburban Kids with Biblical Names – Trumpets and Violins
These suburban kids with biblical names, also have nothing to do with the Bible and religion, and they swear too. I think I’m seeing a pattern now.
Their lovely song is about hope in life in a world where violins and trumpets play.
Offending Line: I’ve seen your eyes more sad than this, so f*ck the shit and sign the list
3. Los Campesinos! – We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed
I love this band, despite the fact that they sometimes use the glockenspiel too much that my ears hurt from listening. Their songs are lyrically creative. You definitely need to listen to the words closely if you want to truly appreciate this band. We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed is from their newest album with the same name. The line with the swear words isn’t the only offending line in the song, which just goes on to prove that you can creatively express your anger, without the use of expletives. The song is a tale of a broken heart, which is articulately expressed in the last lines: ‘I cannot emphasise enough that my body is a badly designed, poorly put together vessel / Harbouring these diminishing, so-called ‘vital organs’ / Hope my heart goes first /I HOPE MY HEART GOES FIRST!’. That, I would say, is anger and heartbreak in it’s purest form.
We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed
Offending line: Oh, we kid ourselves there’s future in the f*cking, but there’s no f*cking future
4. Belle and Sebastian – Dress Up In You
I can’t get away from posting Belle and Sebastian songs can I? This song is proof that hard rocking bands aren’t the only ones that can have a parental advisory sticker in their album. This girly song, is a song sung by a guy from a girl’s perspective. Whenever I hear this song, it always reminds me of how Stuart Murdoch looks like Christopher Reeve when they performed this for BBC Scotland. It’s like imagining, what if Clark Kent fronted an indie-pop band instead of working for the Daily Planet?
Offending line: I swear and I rant, I make quite an arrival / The men are surprised by the language / They act so discreet, they are hypocrites, so f*ck them too!
5. Tullycraft – Twee
Tullycraft is twee as f*ck and that’s what this song is all about. This rockin’ lo-fi song actually has the expletive in the chorus – but it doesn’t deter to it’s catchy, pop-y cuteness.
Offending line: Well you can keep the punk rock, ska, rap beats and house / F*ck me i’m twee
And this, ends our foray into the potty mouths of the indie music scene. I could’ve put more angsty songs in the list, which you’ll kind of expect to have more of those kinds of words – but expletives sound better when they’re least expected right?