A few years ago, I read a book called “How Soon is Never” which was written by an author named Marc Spitz. The novel was about a 30-something music critic who set off on a quest to get the Smiths to reunite for a tour. The book dealt more with why he would want the reunion tour to happen by examining all the defining moments of his life, and The Smiths' part in them, as opposed to an actual reunion happening (Which it doesn’t… ooo big bad spoiler from Nathaniel. Go get your torches and pitchforks). It was also not very good…. The concept, and the fact that it was aimed SQUARELY at my demographic (And quite possibly no one else’s demographic….), did kind of make up for it sucking, though. I mean seriously, the main character this book made John Cusack in the movie of High Fidelity look like he wasn’t a douche (and considering it was THE EXACT SAME CHARACTER IN THE EXACT SAME STORY, this was no easy feat). The book did affect me on a number of different levels, so from that view, it wasn’t all bad. But honestly, that really isn’t the point…
I never got to see The Smiths.
Even through the magic of retroactive continuity (read as: LYING) , I can’t pretend I got to go see the Smiths because I was in grade school the last time they toured.
Like pretty much everyone else my age I discovered them initially through the Pretty In Pink soundtrack, with Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want. I wouldn’t say that I really LOVED that song in that context, as I was much more impressed with Shell Shock, by New Order and Pretty in Pink, by the Psychedelic Furs, but their presence on that soundtrack certainly gave The Smiths the “cool” seal of approval. My first Smiths purchase was a 12” of Bigmouth Strikes Again at Beautiful Day Records in scenic LaGrange, Il, at some point in 1986. I quickly bought the rest of their catalog and I loved them. But I was never going to get to see them play a live show. The closest I would ever come to seeing The Smiths was seeing Morrissey at The World Music Theater (now known as the Tweeter Center) , a HUGE outdoor music arena in Tinley Park, in 1992, where he only played songs from his solo catalog. Yeah. This was really not the same as what seeing the Smiths in a small club setting would have been like.
And going to see the Smiths would not be the same as it would have been to get to see them in the 80’s. I am not the same person, and I don’t have the same feelings I did then. I don’t love Pretty in Pink as much as I used to. In fact, I watched it a few weeks ago, and kind of realized that it really isn’t all that great of a movie, regardless of the fact that I ditched school my Freshman year to go see it. (it came out the week of my 15th birthday!) And it actually kind of made me feel a little bad about myself. I’m not thinking that pegging my pants is as good of an idea as it was then. I certainly haven’t been rocking a beret or a bolo tie lately. And let’s not even start on my hermetically sealed biker jacket. But I do still listen to a lot of the music that I did then. The Smiths, The Cure, Depeche Mode, and Duran Duran still have sacred, never to ever even think about being deleted places in the permanent catalog of my iPod. However, I don’t view their songs as defining every single emotion that I have, like I did when I was younger. And oh lordy, did they ever define my every single emotion. Ya know, unless I can overly dramatically quote lyrics from them to make with the post-teenage angst funny-ness.
So that led me to thinking about what I want from my music today. Is it that I want my music to be something I enjoy for based on how I feel now? Or is it that I want it to remind of how I used to feel? Or is it that I want to secretly live out my alterna-rockstar fantasies as I commute to work on the subway every day? I don’t know if any of these are the actual answer, though. But I’ve always listened to a lot of music, and like every good little MTV generation member, I have the attention span of a 3 year old. I can’t possibly listen to the same music I listened to 20 years ago, exclusively. Besides, how would I keep my hipster cred, if I couldn’t rip on Peter, Bjorn and Jon with the best of them. Honestly, I would have my Williamsburg pass revoked, if I couldn't wax poetic about how much I hate some song I so obviously used to love on an hourly basis. So, I’ve been listening to a lot of bands that owe a great debt to the music of my youth. I am, however, PRAYING that these people discovered the music through their older siblings and not their parents, though.
Here are some of my favorite “homages.” for your listening and viewing pleasure. Go forth and steal them from the internet:
She Wants Revenge:
Tear you Apart
She Wants Revenge works the “goth-y” thing pretty well. In fact, they are actually better at it than most of the Goth bands I used to listen to. Songs about unrequited love, featuring danceable guitar? Sign me up…. Although I would advise you to avert your eyes from the actual band. There is no pretty here. Far far far from pretty. Their clothes are totally awesome though.
Interpol:
PDA
Obstacle I
Yeah, I don’t care that everyone says they are ripping off Joy Division. A man can only live on those 300 live versions of the 40 Joy Division songs for so long. Although, honestly….these are some of the most retard-licious lyrics of ALL TIME. And what is with the fixation with boating?
Cut Copy:
Hearts on Fire
Time Stands Still
Lights & Music
Cut Copy is the perfect name for this band. I swear to god, it is like they grabbed all of my favorite albums and took all my favorite parts and reassembled them into perfect little pop songs. AMAZING. Also, if I ever get my Ipod snatched out of my hipster-iffic fingerless gloves ($12, at American Apparel and yes, that dude in the picture should be punched repeatedly about the nose and mouth.) it will be due to a song by this band. Every single time a song by Cut Copy comes on, I have to pull out my Ipod and see who it is. In fact, I bought tickets to go see them in March, with Matt & Kim opening.
Ladytron:
Destroy Everything You Touch
Ghosts
Ladytron started their career as the chick version of New Order. Seriously…if they actually owned any other album besides Power Corruption and Lies, I would be shocked. (okay… they probably had that album by Kraftwerk, with the Model on it…) Now they have metamorphosisized into the chick Version of Depeche Mode. I saw them last summer and the show was a lot of fun… and then they let the singer from the opening band come on stage. This is never a good idea. Especially when he has more stage presence than you do. (they were called DataRock… You could actually buy those track suits from the merchandise counter. Shudder.) They also didn’t play my favorite song. Grrr.
The Raveonettes:
Great Love Sound
Dead Sound
Arguably, the Jesus and Mary Chain equivalent of these new bands. Although more obsessed with the fifties and less obsessed with Surf Rock. I saw them play a few weeks ago. They have 4 albums and couldn’t manage to find more than 45 minutes worth of material to play. Didn’t play ANY of my favorite songs and made me really angry. The videos and the albums are great, though…
The Kills:
Last Day of Magic
Cheap and Cheerful
Hmmm… don’t really know how I feel about the guy from this band being “involved” with Kate Moss. Don’t really think they fit in with the thesis statement of this entry. Don’t really sound like the 80’s. Don’t really care all that much as long as they continue being the extra bratty version of the White Stripes.
And to wrap things up…. this is all sort of a moot point anyway…. Since I was much much more of a Cure fan than I was a Smiths fan anyway. And I’ve seen them at least 10 times. So, ya know, don’t cry for me, Argentina. I was, however, just at Sephora (??? Don’t ask….) And they were playing the new single by the Cure. Don’t really know what was more disturbing: The locale or the extreme unlistenable-ness of the song. (Still haven’t seen Duran Duran, though. So not paying $75 for the privilege, though.)
Off topic, sorta: Here are some awesome covers the Smiths songs mentioned above: Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want by Muse and Bigmouth Strikes Again by Placebo. And just because, here is Depeche Mode’s Stripped by She Wants Revenge, filmed in crazy cell phone vision, just because.
