Heartache With Hard Work

A Love This True – Jamie Anderson
The Gay Marriage Song – Addie Brownlee
Taxi Ride – Tori Amos
In Or Out – Ani Difranco
Ban Marriage – The Hidden Cameras
Never Getting Married – Roy

(Many of these songs are from the great resource Queer Music Heritage. Head over there to hear a ton more.)

A lot of news about marriage equality these days. The new Democratic government in New Hampshire has got its act together and passed a civil unions bill. The governor of New York is lending his support to civil unions. Washington has passed a law giving domestic partnerships.

This raises questions for me about the effect of gay marriage on politics, both in terms of the coming campaign and in a more long-term sense. Is gay marriage going to be a wedge issue used against the Democrats? Will any Democratic candidate get a backbone and call out those against civil unions for their bigotry? And how do the various Democratic candidates feel about civil unions? How long will it be before a serious presidential candidate decries the whole enterprise and makes the very simple point that being gay doesn’t make you any less a person than someone else, meaning if anyone is allowed to get married, gay people should, too?

I dug around a little and so far have only seen a reaction to the New Hampshire decision from Clinton: “New Hampshire has a long history of protecting its citizens from discrimination…I would like to commend Governor Lynch and the New Hampshire Legislature for their commitment and support for the civil rights of gays and lesbians.”

I would imagine the other candidates would say much the same, though I am curious to see whether they initiate the discussion.

How important of an issue is this for people? It’s certainly not a litmus test for me, but I have to say that, as a tentative Obama supporter, his tepid stance on gay rights and his inability to quickly respond to “is homosexuality immoral?” with a simple “no, don’t be ridiculous” make me a bit leery. Obviously, there is more to politics than equality for gays, but it seems to be an important site for Democrats to change the cultural debate. If they’re not willing to respond to deliberate and unambiguous discrimination against a class of people, and do not think America can be persuaded on this point, I think it says problematic things about their whole campaign.

I believe in pragmatic politics, but I also believe that pragmatism does not mean compromising basic ideals. I have a tough time with gay marriage because every major candidate lends a great deal of support to what I consider an offensive position. At the same time, I don’t think there’s much chance that a Democrat could win right now if he or she came out in support of gay marriage – at the very least, it would be a major liability for the campaign. And while civil unions do compromise on the basic principle of equality, they at least do so in a way that paves the way for a more broad-based eventual change.

I can say that a determining issue for me might very well be whether the candidates are so scared of gayness that they succumb to the conventional wisdom and run from this issue. I do not demand a politically untenable fight, but I don’t think it’s too much to ask for the candidates to lend some much-needed support (and attention) to the struggle for civil unions. Change takes time, but it has to start somewhere. And if not here, then where?

I have trouble with the conventional wisdom that gay marriage is a “third rail” issue best left untouched for fear it will help Republicans. I firmly believe that this is a place where history, and basic human decency, is on our side. Just as anti-miscegenation laws are inconceivable to us now, at some point in the future people will be astonished at the way we excluded an entire class of people from participating in a cultural and social institution premised on love and inclusion.

Society is changing, albeit slowly, but soon such discrimination will be beyond the pale of acceptable discourse, which won’t stop the Republican Party from holding onto outdated ideas. The days of gay marriage as debilitating for the Democrats will be over, and the reverse will quickly become true. People who no longer consider such bigotry acceptable will be disgusted to find that the conservative elements of politics hang onto it much longer.

However, a big part of this change relies on Democrats being willing to take a risk, to stand up for equality now when the lines are so clear. This is a chance to come down firmly on a side that will be vindicated by history. More than that, it’s an opportunity to change the tone of the debate. As long as Democrats, liberals, and progressives run from the issue, people never are challenged on their views – the idea that people are somehow less members of our society because of who they fall in love with is permitted to fester. For most this is not because they are bad people, hateful, or bigoted – it’s simply that few efforts have been made to shine a light here, to make it clear the damage that is done, and to force people to think long and deep about why they feel as they do.

No one is going to change overnight, and there will continue to be those who find homosexuality immoral for a long, long time. But as time goes on, even many of those will decide that, immoral or not, it does not make someone less a human being. And many, many more will shed the beliefs of past generations and move into a more just and tolerant future.

My current musical obsession is this song from Jenny Owen Youngs.

Fuck Was I

It’s been out for well over a year though I only encountered it recently. But good lord, how was this not constantly playing last spring and summer, when I really could have used it? It’s a breakup anthem that cuts through all confusion – a moment of clarity in a sea of madness. I mean, who could ask for a more satisfying and devastating verse than this:

Love tears me up like a demon
Opens the wounds then fills them with lead
And I’m having some trouble just breathing
If we weren’t such good friends, I think that I’d hate you
If we weren’t such good friends, I’d wish you were dead

It’s only made better by a chorus so drenched in a self-pity that is both ironic and lacerating: “Maybe I’ll be the lucky one that doesn’t get burned / What the fuck was I thinking?”

The fact that she has such a tender and beautiful voice and that the song has a great loping folksy tune only makes it better. I’ve probably listened to this track 15-20 times in the past couple days and I’m not remotely sick of it.

It’s from the record Batten the Hatches, released a couple years ago but re-released on Nettwerk last week. You can’t really tell that much from this song, but many of her others have a strong Beth Orton feel. And for Erin McKeown fans out there, you’ll probably find a lot to enjoy here.

A couple short comments on a beautiful Saturday afternoon.

One of the more interesting articles I’ve read in the past few months is Pearls Before Breakfast by Gene Weingarten from the Washington Post. It asks the question: is beauty still beauty when removed from context and focuses on Joshua Bell, one of the world’s finest violinists, playing during the morning rush hour at L’Enfant Plaza in DC. A thousand people were confronted with one of the finest musical performances they’re likely to ever see, and the different reactions (or lack of reactions) are fascinating. The summary:

In the three-quarters of an hour that Joshua Bell played, seven people stopped what they were doing to hang around and take in the performance, at least for a minute. Twenty-seven gave money, most of them on the run — for a total of $32 and change. That leaves the 1,070 people who hurried by, oblivious, many only three feet away, few even turning to look.

Check out the article – there are a number of videos embedded so you can hear him play and watch the people walk past.

In other news, I just watched the best soccer game I’ve seen all year, a 1-1 draw between Manchester United and Middlesboro. It had great pace, lots of opportunities, good play on both sides and a fantastic goal by Boro just before the half. It was especially great to watch a team that still faces relegation fears (if only just) going to Old Trafford and playing to win. In fact, the probably should have, as they were denied a clear penalty with about 2 minutes of time left.

The result means Man U has given Chelsea the opening they need – if they can win tomorrow, they’ll be down a single point, with a match between the two still to come. They are already playing in the FA Cup final, and if they can both win their semifinals, could meet in the Champion’s League final as well. As a neutral fan, there is something a little disturbing about such bipolar dominance but it also makes for some fascinating theater. This is the first year I’ve followed the EPL with regularity, and while I wouldn’t want every year to finish this way, I can’t deny that it’s been fascinating to watch it all unfold.

Finally, because this is still a music blog, let me join the throng in recommending Lucky Soul. If you’ve been reading for any time, you know how I love the Northern Soul/Spector influenced sound, and Lucky Soul do it about as well as anyone. Listen to this song and hear for yourself.

The Great Unwanted

Then get The Great Unwanted for yourself. And check out a neat interview with Ali Howard from the band over at Skatterbrain.

I posted about The Kissaway Trail, a Danish band with the silly name and a fantastic song, about a month and a half ago. Since then, someone from Bella Union was nice enough to get me a copy of their self-titled album, so I’m back to gush some more.

The opener “Forever Turned Out To Be Too Long” is a bit of a snooze – but it does serve the noble purpose of creating a platform from which the astonishing “Smother + Evil = Hurt” can burst into the heavens. I’m not sure I’ve heard a better song this year, silly title notwithstanding. After spending a lot of time with this one, and with the new Arcade Fire, I feel confident in saying that Win Butler and company only wish they could have a song like this on Neon Bible. The guitars and drums could flatten a city block, and the lyrics cut through you like some kind of emo-infused lightning. And then the coda hits, and you realize that talking about this song as if it were a thunderstorm is really an understatement.

And if you don’t trust me (or your own ears), Taylor from Music For Kids Who Can’t Read Good says: “Forgive my best song ever hyperbole, but this just might be the best song ever.”

No other song comes close to matching these heights, but most are serviceable and a few are quite good.

“La La Song” taps into much of the same dynamic as “Smother” but where that song is epic, this one is far more playful, with a chorus of “la la la la la”s and a fadeout of “we were over the mountains singing la la la la.” Still, despite the simple lyrics, this is not fluff. It’s just reflective of the freedom and simple beauty of life. It’s not necessarily what you say, it’s how you say it. And on this song, they say it with an emphatic burst.

Other tracks well worth a few listens are “Soul Assassins,” the loping “Eloquence And Elixir,” and the more-Arcade-Fire-than-Arcade-Fire “61,” replete with quick drum fills, terrific soft/loud dynamics, and the feel of being both shouted in an arena and whispered in a bedroom. And lest you think they are simply the Danish Arcade Fire, they’ve also got a lot of other sounds going on, with some tracks that evoke more of an 80s feel, and a few that tap into the ethereal prog zeitgeist of folks like Sigur Ros and Mew.

It’s still not out in the US, though I’ll be sure to let you know when it is. If you live in Europe, you can get a copy from Bella Union or at your local record store.

Mp3s:
Smother + Evil = Hurt
La La Song

You may remember me talking about Beat Radio last fall. Well, they’re working on a new EP called Safe Inside the Sound, and they’ve got a track from it available for download:

People are Talking

It’s got everything that made their earlier songs great, namely an “electronic-but-organic feel…guaranteed to make you feel good about life.” It’s a perfect song for the nicest day yet of the spring.

They’ve put up MP3s of their whole first LP The Great Big Sea – if you haven’t checked it out, I recommend heading over there immediately and starting with “Treetops.”

Goodbye to You – Michelle Branch

I know it sounds stupid, given all the real tragedy going on right now in the world, but for some reason the thing that managed to tear me apart tonight is an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Sometimes art can reveal something about “real” life with a strength that nothing else can (and no, I don’t think it’s at all ridiculous to call Buffy art).

The episode was “Tabula Rasa” from season 6 (the worst season I’ve watched yet, apart from this episode and the musical one prior to it). Like most of the best episodes, it mixes humor and tragedy with most of the plot being a hilarious (if not entirely original) amnesia story. But the fun and games only make the climax all the more gut-wrenching – when everyone regains their memories, Giles leaves, and Tara breaks up with Willow.

As I’ve commented before, Tara is my favorite character on the show, and Willow (until recently) is my second favorite. Tara’s growth from the shy and awkward witch of season 4 into the brilliant, beautiful, confident and loving woman in season 6 is a big part of what made these years good. And the skill with which Joss Whedon and company let the relationship between Willow and Tara develop is truly amazing.

Many people complain that, for all of the skill they had in portraying a gay relationship positively as it developed, they only buy into the worst stereotypes by having it end badly (and I’ve seen the end of season 6, so I know it only gets worse and worse). Intentionally or not, it can be argued that this feeds into the subtle belief that such relationships are wrong and can only end in disaster. This is especially the case here because the instigation for the trouble is Willow’s increasingly unhealthy addiction to magic, and in previous seasons, magic had been a subtle and powerful metaphor for sex, a way of portraying Willow and Tara’s developing love.

That magic is what ultimately drives them apart might suggest that a fundamental doom in their lesbian relationship. However, I think that fundamentally misreads Buffy. On this show, everyone’s relationships end badly. Things go bad for Willow and Tara because that’s how it goes in real life. Things fall apart, relationships die, and we make terrible mistakes.

Ultimately that’s why it cuts so deeply, because it is real. You come to know and love these characters and feel empathy for their pain because it reminds us so much of our own pain. It’s a little silly that it sometimes takes a fictional TV show about vampires to make our emotions crystallize, but there it is. Here’s the scene that really gets to me, set perfectly to one of my favorite songs.

Watching Tara pack things, watching such a beautiful thing end…as Ken Kesey once said “it’s the truth, even if it didn’t happen.”

My Descent Into Madness – Eels

I feel like I ought to say something about what happened yesterday at Virginia Tech, but I’m mostly without words. Here are my scattered thoughts:

* I don’t know if we’ll ever find out why this happened, and I’m not sure that even if we do get an explanation, it will really clarify things. There is madness in all of our souls, but who can say why that madness takes hold of someone in such extreme forms? It makes you realize how much our society, our lives, are founded on the simple expectation of the basic goodness of human beings. We put our lives, our hearts, and our souls in the hands of hundreds, thousands of people every day. Driving 60 miles an hour on a two-lane road, falling in love, leaving hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of property in a house protected by a thin window pane, simply sitting in a classroom.

A tragedy like this cannot be explained, and I don’t know how to justify humanity in the face of it, except to say that such events perhaps can remind us of the trillions of times that we find ways to live together. That’s not enough, but it’s also not nothing.

* How quickly this becomes a political issue… Those in favor of gun control quickly take the opportunity to point out the devastation that can be wrought by someone with easy access to dangerous weapons. Those against it argue that things like this would never happen if everyone had guns. I sympathize far more with the former argument, but I’m not sure that either really fit.

The problem is not simply access to guns or lack thereof, it’s a culture which is sick, and which can’t find a way to cure itself. It’s possible to have loose guns restrictions and extremely low levels of gun violence (Switzerland, for example), but not in a society as schizophrenic, as tortured as ours. It is not a coincidence that gun violence is higher here than virtually anywhere else in the world. Extremely strict gun control would probably help, but the law can only do so much – the real solution has to include changing ourselves.

It is fair for people to consider the political implications of such a terrible tragedy, but I wish it could go beyond that, too. I also wish that it was easier to have politics be a part of the discussion without intruding so much into the simple feelings of grief and empathy. It is a delicate balance.

* Why does it matter that he was South Korean? Many reports, from the very beginning, have focused on the ethnicity of the shooter and now that his identity has been confirmed, we’re told over and over that he is South Korean. It’s relevant information I suppose, but I wonder what it says about us that it is treated as suitable for the headline.

* I realize that this is only a small microcosm of violence which occurs every day. More than 30 people die every day from gun violence, but it never makes the national news. More than 30 people die every day from the war in Iraq. A literally countless number have died and continue to die in Darfur. Moreover, millions die every year from structural violence – lack of clean water, food, access to even rudimentary health care, etc. – and it doesn’t even register for most people.

It’s important to remember such things when considering a tragedy like this, not to minimize the shock and horror at all but instead to help us remember the broad scope of pain and misery we continue to let exist on a day-to-day basis around the world. Perhaps we can let the shock of such a grotesque and deeply saddening day remind us of the hidden pain suffered by many others.

Update: hilzoy at Obsidian Wings has by far the best take on all of this I’ve read so far. It says everything I wish I could say, and a whole lot more.

Second Update: the Wikipedia entry about the shootings is incredibly impressive. Comprehensive, informative, tender but objective – it’s a demonstration of the power of our collective efforts. And in some small way, it makes me feel better about humanity. Individuals can tear life down, but together we can find ways to rebuild and move on.

Hunter’s video blog – the first (and only) entry:

I’m not sure Western Civilization has created anything better.

Also, on the subject of things so ridiculous that I can’t help but love them, a song by a band called Aqueduct (with a major Long Winters vibe) dealing extensively with one of my all-time top five movies: The Princess Bride.

As You Wish – Aqueduct

I don’t draw too many lines like this, but I’m not really sure I could be friends with someone who doesn’t like The Princess Bride.

I’m down in Boston for the weekend to visit some friends and see a few shows. Last night it was Cloud Cult, creators of what is almost certainly my favorite album of the year so far: The Meaning of 8. I won’t talk about them in too much detail, since I find concert recounts to be a little tiresome and because I have a longer post in the works to talk about the record, once I wrap my head around it a little more.

I will say two things. First, I was a little skeptical of their ability to translate complicated and weird-sounding songs in a live context, but was more than satisfied. They put on a fantastic show – one of the best I’ve seen in many years. The only problem was that it was relatively short, since they were technically just opening for Calla (who I found pretty uninteresting and left a couple songs in). Second, in one of the more effective conceits from a arty rock band, they actually have two people (Scott West and Connie Minowa) painting on stage during the show, and they auction off the two final products at the end.

It’s great because there’s often not a lot going on visually in shows, and I have to say that there’s something fascinating about watching a solid painting develop right before your eyes. Adding a visual element really adds a fascinating dimension to the music.

Like I said, the headliner was Calla, who didn’t interest me much, but the opening band was Charlene (right out of lovely Newton, MA) who, quite frankly, were almost as enjoyable as Cloud Cult. They gave me a serious Jesus and Mary Chain vibe, in all the best ways. I had never heard of them, but was impressed enough to immediately buy their record.

I will say that their studio work is a little too sparse and dreamy for my taste. Maybe it’s just that the elements of indie-pop and shoegaze are a little too disconnected, while the wall of sound of the live performance gave them a chance to meld into something with quite a bit more force. I still like their record, but it doesn’t grip me quite the same way their show did.

It looks like they haven’t released anything in quite a while, but hopefully they’ve got something new in the works. I’ll update if I hear anything or if I get the chance to see them again.

Ripoff – Charlene
Summertimer – Charlene
Chemicals Collide – Cloud Cult

Tomorrow night is Son Volt, which should be good, though I do hear that Jay Farrar is a little sick, and Monday is Patriot’s Day, which you’ve probably never even heard of if you’re not from New England, but which is a pretty awesome holiday around these parts.

Kurt Vonnegut died yesterday. So it goes.

I would like to write something that could convey just how much his works have meant to me, but I feel completely inadequate to the task. Especially since anything I would attempt to write would inevitably be long-winded and imprecise, which runs so directly contrary to what made him such a fantastic writer: the ability to say complex things in just a few words.

I don’t think it’s a stretch to say he was one of America’s finest authors, and I would be very willing to entertain the argument that no one (not Steinbeck, not Faulkner, not Twain) better captured what it meant to be American. Certainly no one else routinely wrote books as much pure fun to read.

Everyone knows the most famous books–Slaughterhouse-Five, Cat’s Cradle, Galapagos–but for my money his best two works are probably God Bless You Mr. Rosewater and Mother Night. The former gives Kilgore Trout (one of the most unique and fascinating characters/literary techniques ever created) his finest role, and most perfectly conveys Vonnegut’s overarching message (more on that below). The latter is, by far, his most compelling character study. With the story of Howard W. Campbell Jr. Vonnegut contributes , in his own way, nearly as much to the study of evil as philosophical heavyweights like Hannah Arendt…all summed up in a single line: “We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be.”

Because this is a music blog, I will also reference one of my all-time favorite quotes, from Timequake:

“I say in speeches that a plausible mission of artists is to make people appreciate being alive at least a little bit. I am then asked if I know of any artists who pulled that off. I reply, ‘The Beatles did.'”

I think he right on both counts, and I’ll add that he himself more than fulfilled that mission.

I would say “rest in peace” but I have a feeling that Vonnegut, avowed humanist that he was, wouldn’t have a lot of patience for such sentiment. So instead I’ll simply say that all of us still alive would do well to remember the joy we received from him and take to heart his most basic message, appropriately targeted at those entering the world, from the previously mentioned God Bless You Mr. Rosewater:

“Hello, babies. Welcome to Earth. It’s hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It’s round and wet and crowded. At the outside, babies, you’ve got about a hundred years here. There’s only one rule that I know of, babies–

God damn it, you’ve got to be kind.”

Man Out of Time – Elvis Costello
Insomniac – Billy Pilgrim
Last Words – Ice Nine Kills
You Killed Private Pyle – Foma
Sirens of Titan – Al Stewart