twenty-two (theme: one-hit wonder)
Jun. 29th, 2011 09:30 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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5pm_weds
Mother Mother
Tracy Bonham
The Burdens of Being Upright
1996
Sigh.
The nineties.
Tracy Bonham rode the wave of alternative rock women that kind of define a big aspect of the nineties for me. These women were doing something that seemed kind of different...or maybe they were continuing something, but doing it louder and with more attitude. They were bitches, they were lovers, sinners and saints and they did not feel ashamed (à la Meredith Brooks--another one-hit wonder).
I remember the music video for Mother Mother. It featured Tracy Bonham's actual mother vacuuming or sweeping or something while Tracy Bonham screamed from inside the television flickering in the corner of the room. I bought this album used at the C'Dement that was on Ste. Catherine across from Sam the Record Man. It still has a sticky patch on the cover from the price sticker. I remember the amount of time I spent in those two stores. All the discoveries I made. All the money I spent.
I think the thing that stands the test of time or the span of Tracy Bonham's career is how there is something kind of strange about this song. The combination of violins, drums and acoustic guitar. Tracy Bonham's kind of off voice and those screamed choruses. At three minutes it hits like a punch.
I like the idea that there are all these different sides to ourselves and that we are different things to different people ("Are you sure that I'm your perfect dear?"). And that it's okay if everything's not exactly fine. Moreover, we don't have to pretend that everything is fine. We can scream. We can get angry. We can test things out. We can fuck up.
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Date: 2011-07-09 04:44 pm (UTC)Also, MEREDITH BROOKS! She was on my list of potentials, because I have hard copies of three of her albums and totally love them. Like, love them, and her. I love what you said about the 90s 'bitches' -- I was just a little too late getting into my own music preferences to ride that wave, but one of the first songs I taped off the radio was "Bitch", and I think that may have defined more about me than I think, haha (oh but oh shit, remember "What Would Happen"?! I think I'm going to die, I completely forgot how much I LOVE this song, AHHHHH)
I love this post; I love all our posts with memories attached -- and oh god, the time spent in music stores. I miss that a lot, actually, and I don't think I realized how much until I just thought about how it's changed. No more wandering for hours and checking out artwork, asking employees, scouting deals -- I now plug artists from NewAlbumReleases into the iTunes Store and preview the thirty seconds of a song. Kind of depressing. We should go used CD shopping soon.
ANYWAY, THE SONG ITSELF --- this was one of those songs I knew, but didn't know who it was by/what it was called, so this was a joyous rediscovery! I totally agree that it's strange and chaotic, but in an amazing way and it works SO well. It's so raw and I love that in all media. Plus, the lyrics are just soooo good...that inner conflict. I love when music is so honest it hurts.
THANK YOU FOR POSTING THIS, DUDE.
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Date: 2011-07-12 06:30 pm (UTC)What are the odds?
That was a big week for Tracy Bonham.
This week's theme ties in well to the nice little wave of nostalgia I'm surfing on right now.
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Date: 2012-01-26 12:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-02-10 06:34 pm (UTC)