especially on a Friday! But in the midst of this crazy election with "negative campaigning" and that crazy fucker "Joe Plumber" who is not really even a plumber at all and who is honestly just a really misguided lower-middle-class guy with pretensions of being rich, well....let's just say I'm glad the debates are over and I'm feeling in need of a hymn right now. So have a listen to this even though it is rather "churchy" for me.

You see, the strength of the Republican Party's ideology in this country lies in their ability to manipulate the "every man's" belief that he can achieve anything he puts his mind to. Self reliance, a very popular and populist notion is a powerful tool whereby politics becomes a game for "winners" and self interest and "opportunities for success." However, from my perspective, it's yet another example of what Gramsci called "contradictory consciousness," where people don't act in their own interest to get what's good for them and for their families because they believe in something that holds them hostage to doing what's good for capitalism.

Joe the Plumber believes that if the government gave him enough opportunity he could feasibly buy his employer out, (Wurzelbacher, 34, said he doesn't have a good plan put together on how he would buy Newell Plumbing and Heating in nearby Toledo), and make over $250,000 in income and he thinks that under Obama's proposed economic plan he will be punished by paying higher taxes for doing so. It's very simple in Joe's mind. By entering the "rich" class he will have to pay for all those "poor" folks who need healthcare and other social services. Joe's against socialism. The mainstream media just won't come out and put it this bluntly to you, but I bet talk radio is saying it, no?

Joe's contradictory consciousness dictates that even though right now he's making quite a bit less income than $250,000 and probably has huge health insurance premiums for his family of two, and perhaps fears for the future if he loses his job and his health insurance, he's getting ripped off because he's not owning his own business. He's limited in the amount of money he can make because he's someone's employee instead of employing others.

What he fails to take into account, because of his belief in the "American Dream" is that in employing others he will be burdened with providing them fair wages, adequate healthcare, maternity leave, .......oh wait... with the "American Dream" in power there's no need for that! All he has to do is make as much money as he can. So yes, I guess Joe is right, he should vote for McCain so that when he gets enough capital together to qualify for that Small Business Administration load to buy out his boss he can exploit workers just like he's being exploited right now. In the meantime he can suffer along with all the rest when it comes to wondering where his health insurance is coming from. Or money to pay off his car loan, his credit card debt, his mortgage.

Of course in a perfect world, employees can just go find a job where good wages, adequate healthcare, and safe working conditions are available, if Joe's boss doesn't provide them. It's a free market of competition out there for jobs afterall ;) Let me know where that world is, I'll help ya pack.

Joe the Plumber and our election seems like a small and local issue in light of the recent economic crisis. But we'd be a fool to not realize how this election plays into that. The world is watching to see what happens on Nov. 2.

Finlandia is hymn of internationalism. For me it evokes a sense of how small our "American Dream" is and should be in this globalized world. We can no longer afford to dream that dream... So if (like me) the god bits don't speak to you, just listen to the rest xoxo

Finlandia mp3 Indigo Girls Rairities
invest in it

I've been listening to new music, I swear! But somehow the Jesus and Mary Chain keep running through my brain. So I put Psychocandy on the other day, just for fun, and what do ya know? Aside from the upfrontness of all that feedback (which, oh my god, I love!) it really reminds me quite a bit of what bands like Glasvegas are doing with a kind of surfer sound. Here, have a listen and tell me I'm wrong!

The Jesus and Mary Chain, You Trip Me Up (1985)



Go Square Go Glasvegas, Glasvegas (2008)
get your own copy

Further devolution in sound brings us to this, the song that every indie snob hates to love.... The Killers, Somebody Told Me (2004).


Sometimes things change for the worst (keeping our fingers crossed for the upcoming year, politically!) But I'm not ashamed to say I really am enjoying all three of these albums this year. Maybe it's the extended autumn here and driving through the city and seeing scenes like this that's turned my head:

photo credit: RcktManIL

add The Jesus and Mary Chain to your collection
go ahead and add The Killers too!

The new Pretenders' album is o.k. I like a few songs very much. I like the whole of it a little. It just might grow on me, so I'll reserve any scathing reviews or disappointments for a month or so from now when I'm settled into it. For now it's just fine. I have three or four tracks that I really like and I think the rest will be good soon. Does this happen to you? I really need a month or so to digest a new album by someone whose work I know and love.

My favorite track, by far is "Almost Perfect." It's frankly, well... er, almost perfect! Chrissie Hynde's voice is spectacularly melodic, soulful, emotive and wistful. Like Amy Ray on "She's Got To Be," you desperately want her to sing this song to you. The musical accompaniment is simple, it's all about the vocals. And I love songs like that. I also love songs that are all about guitars or all about the tense interplay between rhythm and bass, but there's something about a woman's voice that makes me go all gooey in the right places. What can I say? And a song like this that pushes that voice out there in front, that presents it to you like the way a good dancer presents his partner to the audience, is a beautiful thing to me. It's funny how gendered I think of life, of music despite my best intentions.

But... there's something bothering me beyond all that about this almost perfect song. This song is most decidedly not perfect. Two thirds of the way through Chrissie Hynde clears her throat. (It's a the 3:26 mark if you care to confirm.)

Why did they leave that in the final cut? Is that some sort of joke on the theme of the song? Some sort of nod to the imperfection of it? I know I should overlook it or celebrate the humanity of it or some such nonsense but honestly, it bugs the shit outta me! I realize she made this record in 10 days (foolish woman) but could she seriously not take the time and money to do another take? Tell me why this is acceptable in these days of digital recording. Tell me why this shouldn't matter in this song. Is it irony? Am I, as usual, over thinking the thing? Oh someone, put me out of my misery!

I must say, it's difficult to continue to suffer from a song with the lyrics... "paranoia drug addicted pornographically afflicted ... sleep with me..." If that's not Tart-able, I don't know what is.

Let's take comfort together in my next favorite track, "You Didn't Have To" which is just a lovely, and totally, Pretender-ish love song. The country twanginess of it is complimentary to her slip-sliding vocals. The steady rhythm lets her wander in such a sweet way over the words and notes to tell us how this one let her be just that free. I love that about this song. And in lust and love, I often do feel that kind of gratitude.

Almost Perfect mp3 The Pretenders Break Up The Concrete
You Didn't Have To mp3 The Pretenders Break Up the Concrete
(don't worry, there's more rockin' tracks on the album, I only picked the slow ones)
buy it