i-want-more

Pop molecule

I forgot to mention the subtle brilliance of the new Stereolab album in my last post. So, I thought I would mention it this time around. The sound of tomorrow (and yesterday), now.

It's been a while since Stereolab were one of my bands of choice, but, as the LCD song (almost) goes - I was there. I was there in 1993. I can recall first seeing them live in a tiny basement in Kingston upon Thames, at the suggestion of Mr Justin Spear (friend of the band and their tour DJ). I used to spend all of my spare money on records in the shop he worked in at the time. [He was my pusher, if you like.] At that gig, I bought Stereolab's first album, Peng!

Stereolab were a real turning point for me in my musical taste. They plugged me into krautrock, easy listening, French pop...given that I had been immersed in the outpourings of Kurt, Courtney, Thurston and Kim for some time, they felt light, enjoyable, refreshing. They were doing something a bit arty, but they didn't alienate you while doing so. They definitely weren't being cooler than thou: it felt like they wanted you to join in.

I went to more of their gigs, later. At one point, they even went Top 40. This felt amazing...a moment when something I genuinely loved crossed-over into the mainstream. Their most famous song, French Disko, includes some of the most incredibly smart lyrics ever to grace the charts*, along with a groovy, Neu!-like backing track. Clever and danceable - that's a rare combination.

When I lived on the Cally Road, I would occasionally see the Lab's second singer/keyboardist/guitarist Mary Hansen dashing about. She was tall, striking and had odd taste in clothing, so you couldn't miss her. I was always way too scared to approach her, of course. I remember hearing the news that she had been run over and killed while cycling and being absolutely gutted. She was just 36 years old.

A little while after that...well, as is sometimes the way, I got bored with them. It happens. Luckily, thanks to toocool, I have been reminded that I perhaps shouldn't have written this band off after all. Tomorrow is already here, indeed.

*********

Meanwhile, back in the now...it often seems to happen that after you have a great weekend, the week that follows is a downer. So this week has proved to be. Oh well. Here comes another weekend, so no matter.


* apart from the following couplet from The Sweetest Girl by Scritti Politti: "And politics is prior to the vagaries of science/She left because she understood the value of defiance". Which is just wonderful.

Labels: stereolab

posted by deafdisco @ 10:14 am