Fluxblog Weekly #108: Mary Timony/Helium interview, Perfume Genius, Cornelius, Marika Hackman
I interviewed Mary Timony about revisiting her Helium catalog over at BuzzFeed. Please check it out! I don't do much music writing at BuzzFeed anymore since being in charge of all things quiz related for the company eats up all of my time, but I still go out of my way to do things like this when I have the opportunity to talk to one of my heroes.
May 14th, 2017
Christening The Shape
Perfume Genius “Just Like Love”
Sometimes it helps to know the backstory of a song. Here’s Mike Hadreas explaining the initial source of inspiration for “Just Like Love” in an interview with NPR:
“I saw this Facebook video of a boy, probably around seven, wearing a dress he had fashioned from a blanket, sashaying through his house while his mother applauded and cheered him on. He was so proud. It was such a beautiful thing, but bittersweet because I knew his spirit would change soon, that he’d become self-aware and ashamed, at some level. The song is about how divine he is, then and always — that he was born perfect.”
I didn’t need to know that to immediately click with the sound of this song, but knowing this has deepened my reaction to it quite a bit. The beautiful thing about this is how Hadreas seems to be willing himself into this boy’s effortless grace, trying to shed every hang-up and societal obstacle that’s kept him from being this pure in his adult life. And it’s not sad, or motivated by regret. The boy is a beacon, an inspiration. I think in channeling this beautiful moment into graceful, elegant music – for me, the most impressive composition of his career to date – Hadreas has become that as well.
Buy it from Amazon.
May 15th, 2017
Vanishing Loveliness
Cornelius “If You’re Here”
“If You’re Here” is slick and awkward at the same time, and deliberately so. It sounds like a slightly broken lounge or yacht rock tune, with these clean, gorgeous chords that fall between beats that stagger as though they’re buffering between clicks and hits. There’s a feeling of regret and disappointment in this music, as though you’ve planned something beautiful that hasn’t quite worked out, but the tone isn’t depressing. It’s more like — baby, we can work this out, let’s make the best of this, and besides it’s so beautiful here! I have no idea what he’s singing in Japanese, but I’ve got this whole story worked out in my mind.
Pre-order it from Amazon.
May 17th, 2017
You Came To Me For Entropy
Marika Hackman “Boyfriend”
I’m a big fan of songs sung from the perspective of “the other woman/man” because they unavoidably mix sadism, delusion, vulnerability, and insecurity in interesting ways. There’s always some justification, and in this case it’s the implication that the “boyfriend” in question deserves to have his girlfriend secretly hook up with another woman because he’s sexist. Or, like, probably sexist. The odds are pretty good, right? But regardless of that, you can tell that it’s just a smokescreen for the envy, hurt, and frustration that’s really driving this song. The music mirrors the lyrics nicely – sexy and sly and funny on the surface, but coiled up and tense at the core. It’s a thin grin concealing grinding teeth.
Buy it from Amazon.