confession

Every time I see a fairtax.org bumper sticker on a car, my first thought is always, "Wow, there's an idiot who doesn't understand basic math", followed almost immediately by, "Or wait, maybe they're just a selfish fuck trying to change the definition of 'fair'."

squeally fan *

I've had a local rock star crush on Michelle Malone for, crap, 21 years? I remember what a revelation it was that not only was the sharp featured girl who worked the door at early Indigo Girls shows also a musician, but that she was the shit. I've still got my copy of her first LP (and maybe even the cassette? I think I bought it at the head shop of some guys who went to high school with me: wow), and I've loved it almost to death. Two years ago, my ex and still good friend gave me a cd copy that just about lives in my car; the bonus tracks were some of my absolute favorites live, ever.

There was some moody darkness and misery surrounding the genius of that first record, and I loved it (which says something about me 21 years ago), but seeing her perform live made me desperately yearn for something bigger, something larger to let whatever seemed to be in her artistically spread out and grow. Still, I played those songs probably more than I've played just about any other music, and I still haven't gotten tired of them (which again, says something coming from me).

She's got a new cd out, Debris that's just... wow. It's good: twangy southern blues that makes me think of the Allman Brothers fronted by Janis Joplin, but still real and personal, playful and in places, happy. As much as I loved that brooding angst from so long ago, it does my heart good to hear what might be proof of happier times. I could give you a track by track breakdown, but really, you need to hear this. It's my favorite record this year, not because of nostalgia, but because it can stand up to weight of memory and all my assigned meaning, and easily eclipse it. I'll always love New Experience, but Debris makes me smile, and gives me hope.




*wild card character, not a footnote: why are you looking down here?