I was invited to take part in a project about songs that describe America, and, well, if you look up “paradox of choice” in the dictionary, it’s really just a picture of my invitation email. I’m pretty sure I’ve finally figured out what I’m going with, but my Google Docs folder is a graveyard of drafts started and stopped. When you’re asked to be part of something as cool as this, you want to do it right, you know?
At any rate, two of the records/artists I had in mind were both released this week in years past. Tom Petty’s Damn the Torpedoes was forged in the fire of rebellion. Throttled by his record company, he was willing to burn it all down for a better tomorrow, and, well, if that isn’t the story of America, I don’t know what is. Along the way, he also happened to make a helluva record. Forty-seven years on, and you don’t have to go long without hearing several of the tracks—doubly so if you’re in the Central Time Zone. That iconic opening riff on “Refugee”? The familiar comfort of “Here Comes My Girl”? Wholly American. And in this country, even the losers get lucky sometimes. And lucky he was. Four of the nine tracks here hit the charts.
But the record is all killer from start to finish. “Century City” didn’t chart, but it could’ve (should’ve?). The track is a blistering bit of rock; it’s Tom raising his middle finger to a city he loathes but clearly can’t quit. Jimmy Iovine was on the boards and channeled that energy into a stadium-ready sound. If Iovine teed the band up for stardom, the writing and music on the album knocked it out of the park. For a guy who often sang about losers, this was—and remains—a huge W.
That Fugazi’s The Argument is now old enough to rent a car is, well, yet another reminder that time is screaming by. It’s also a reminder that bands—and records—can be a force for change. And what’s more American, at least on paper, than doing things on your own terms?
Talking about the band’s Repeater LP, I noted:
Some records change your life, but rarely does a band come along that changes the way you live. Fugazi did both. In an era when selling out was still a four-letter word, the band did what they did best: they lived their lives on their terms. They could make a compelling case for why you should be on their team, but if you weren’t, that was okay, too. It was a big tent, and their live-and-let-live mindset was a far cry from that of the straight-edge kids who had teased those threads to their extreme and spent shows looking for drinks to knock out of people’s hands.
Back to The Argument: Want an oddly eerie, oddly infectious guitar line? “Life and Limb” has you covered. Every part of what made Fugazi special is still here: the off-kilter riffs, the dub-heavy rhythm section, the vocal interplay between MacKaye and Picciotto—really, the ability to splice together different genres and make the whole thing sound easy. Again, nothing new for the band at this point. But on The Argument, all of it sounds sharpened and more practiced. The music got more refined; their take on the world around them didn’t get any softer.
That this was also their final (for now?) record means we’ve gone a long time without any new material from one of the most influential bands of my generation. It also means they went out on top and on their own terms. There’s that idealized version of America we’re all supposed to aspire to again.
No spoilers, but the song I landed on for this project has elements of both of these and splits the difference between aspiration and reality. Between what we say we believe and how we actually live. We’ll see how it goes. In the meantime, happy belated birthdays to Damn the Torpedoes and The Argument.
On to this week’s playlist:
This week, we’ve got a newer one from old favorites Jane’s Addiction, an all-timer from Swervedriver, a deeper cut from LUSCIOUS JACKSON, and Young Gun Silver Fox takes us out to the Best Coast. We’ve also got Kratzen, Jesse Welles, Jack Barksdale, Wallgrin, and the latest from Fontaines D.C.
Soft Science blew my mind with their 2023 LP, Lines. They’re back and better than ever. If you like your shoegaze with more of a drive, their latest LP, Sand, is for you. We’ve also got one from our pal Pąșśìóň Pïț and some rock from Dead Rock West (shout-out to Glenn Cook for getting this on my radar!). There’s a great one from Olivia Rodrigo—a sentence I never imagined writing—and, closer to home, some white lightning from The Hussy. In other words a playlist that hopefully livens up your commute and leaves you ready for whatever the coming week throws at you. Windows down if the weather allows.
Onward!
KA—
The Playlists: | Apple | Qobuz | YouTube Music | Tidal (NEW) |
Now it’s your turn.
What’s been exciting you lately? Any releases or shows you’re looking forward to? Whatcha got? Share your thoughts in the comments!
