As we approach Valentines' Day, it's hard to tell where peoples' hearts lie. Are some anticipating this coveted lover's holiday? Are some dreading it as it reflects the absence of love in their lives? Or are some simply indifferent, even choosing to dismiss or deride it as just another consumer-geared invention?
Taking into consideration the various POVs surrounding ValDay, overall
it exists as a wonderful platform to express passion. Depending on where you are, February can be bleak as fuk, and any excuse to get hot 'n charged under such conditions is welcome at our camp. That's why we are glad to be able to present
Me + You 94 featuring
MEN, the post-
Le Tigre venture of
JD Samson.
With a new LP in the can called Talk About Body, how much more (in)appropriate could things get? Exploring "the energy of live performance and the radical potential of dance music" (wiki is a very valid source in 2011), we'll be damned if MEN don't have a supremely legit corner on the dancepunk "market".
Starting off their set with
"BOOM BOOM BOOM", it's a rock-tinged workout jam - suitable for a montage, why not - that highlights a war economy and includes a chorus that features the word "commodify". Also worth mentioning is the brief spoken-word breakdown: "Fighting at home and abroad - what's the difference between you and a tree?". So you've got these
speculative, distrustful lyrics on top of a head-bopper/ass-shaker. Such is one of the most prevalent facets of the unique formula employed by MEN and JD Samson, also a gay rights activist and performance artist; it works its way in via infectious melodies + rhythms and BOOM (BOOM BOOM) - you're confronted with global concerns! However, after this very slick performance,
conversation w/ Tedward touches upon the many "booms" of the dance-pop canon (e.g. Vengaboys, Outhere Brothers, Paul Lekakis, etc.),revealing the self-awareness and lightheartedness of this trio.
All joking aside,
Samson discloses the impetus behind "going for it" with MEN. Apparently she made a conscious decision to take this project and make it her business, and apparently it has paid off! Then BANG - at it again with another pop song, this time the slightly more exotic
"My Family". JD's our brother, don't you know? Her MEN comrades go back a long way, so it's fitting that
they are making music together, both as musicians and queer radicals - the latter label prompting Tedward to reevaluate his position as the figurehead of Gay Beach. Hey, with a group like MEN in the studio, matters are bound to get contemplative and identities are questioned.
You'd be doing yourself a favor to check out the rest of the session, or rather the session as a whole. The third track,
"Who Am I To Be So Free", is particularly engaging. We assure you, it's rewarding entertainment, not of the distracting ilk but rather on an enlightened tip.
This year, celebrate Valentine's Day with an open heart and an open mind regardless of the state of your lovelife. Talk about your body, and think about it too!
With love from MEN and Viva Radio. Today, February 14th, at 12 PM and from the
archives whenever you want it.
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