Beyoncé, “Texas Hold ‘Em”

By Gullypunk

While I have great respect for Beyoncé’s work, I could not pick her face out of a line up or name one of her songs before her latest hit, “Texas Hold ‘Em.” I also don’t follow pop culture, and I generally side with those who dismiss corporate pop music offhand. But dammit, “Texas Hold ‘Em” is one hell of an ear worm. 

I’m told this song has now hit the top of the country charts. If so, it makes me happy that Beyoncé’s work might be a small challenge to the dominantly white conservative formulaic horseshit pumped out of Nashville on a weekly basis.  

Old country music often grappled with real issues: socioeconomics, working-class woes, and even themes of women’s liberation in songs like Loretta Lynn’s 1975 classic “The Pill.” 

While Beyoncé’s new song is still pop music, and it is not remotely radical, the lyrics for “Texas Hold ‘Em” are closer to the theme of old country songs than the bubble gum vomit that makes up most pop music today. The song laments severe weather and heat waves— it notes escape in dive bars, which I read as an attempt to find joy, among the hardships of climate change.

“Texas Hold ‘Em” is not a critique of the broken systems that are driving humanity to our demise, but at least it recognizes that Rome is burning—against a subdued fiddle track that starts halfway through the song.  

I’m happy to see “Texas Hold ‘Em” is being played far and wide. And, fuck me, it’s going to be stuck in my head for a while.  

Airport Soundtrack

By Jack Stephen

February 17, 2024 

We entered Denver International Airport (DIA) at 7:00 AM; the airport felt like a cluster fuck. There were people everywhere, long lines and everyone going every which way. The design of DIA is unbelievable. It makes me wonder what the designer proposed, “let’s just have some sort of mob scene everywhere and make it all nice and confusing.” We started to follow the signs for the Pre-Check line, only to be routed all kinds of directions, before ending up at an escalator going up. This is around the time I heard the DIA DJ, perplexed by the song selections.  

What was playing on the speaker: “Back in Black” by AC/DC. 

AC/DC was one of those bands that I really enjoyed in middle school, but I can’t remember why? Their catalog consists of an assortment of mediocre rock songs: “Shoot to Thrill,” “Dirty Deeds (Done Dirt Cheap),” “Thunderstruck,” and “Highway to Hell”— just to name a few.  Nevertheless, Black in Black is an enormous album. “You Shook Me All Night Long” is one of the most popular rock songs ever. I remember some of the choice lyrics: “knocking me out with those American thighs” and “she told me to come but I was already there.” Where does an eighth grader run into such a vixen? (Note: This album was a tribute of sorts to their former lead singer Bon Scott who died of alcohol poisoning.) While it’s difficult to downplay their importance, considering the commercial success, I always thought they were just ridiculously overrated. Also, Angus Young, was the prep school uniform really necessary?  

What they should have played: “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” by the Eurythmics, “Stay” by David Bowie, or “Fly Me to the Moon” by Frank Sinatra.

We finally made it to the Pre-Check line. It had just reopened with the new facial recognition system. After going through a maze, feeling like I was in line at an amusement park, the weed gummy I ate on the shuttle kicked in. It was the only thing making this airport experience tolerable. Truth be told, the airport was sort of manageable and efficient, considering the massive volume of people. 

What was on the speaker: Nothing.

What they should have been playing: “Face the face” by Pete Townshend.

As stoned as I was, that track would’ve cracked me up—“I’m just researching child porn,” famous Townshend quote.

We headed to the big train downstairs to catch a ride to the terminals. Again, I questioned the overall design of DIA. How many kinds of people movers does one need to get on to get to a plane? We waited the “two minutes” before the next train arrived and packed in with all the other travelers.

What was on the speaker: Nothing.

What should have been on the speaker: “Soul to Squeeze” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers.  

I think this track would have really resonated with this stinky airplane flying crowd, especially lyrically. Did anyone take a shower this morning? I sure didn’t. 

We entered Terminal C and checked the board for our plane status. The flight was delayed 10 minutes. I always thought checking the board was a cool experience. Look at all the destinations!  Fuck, there’s a plane going to Paris, one going to Liberia, and another headed to Costa Rica. There’s some people going to Des Moines, Iowa. Wow, nice work human race, this is cool; life gives us so many choices! Where do you want to go today?

What was playing on the speaker: “Hold Your Head Up” by Argent.

What should be playing on the speaker: This and only this track. There is nothing quite like walking through an airport with this song playing. The Hammond B-3 solo is pretty legit too. 

We make it to a bathroom. Using the bathroom at an airport is just one step above pissing in a bucket in a corner somewhere. I typically remember to wash my hands like a doctor going into surgery before leaving. We then went to stand in another line at the Caribou Coffee stand.  

What was playing on the speaker: “(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty” by KC and the Sunshine Band.  

Not sure if this was a good pick or not. I guess KC and the Sunshine Band were a pretty fun, funky group; they were kind of reminiscent of the Average White Band, but with more hits. I do like several of their songs: “I’m Your Boogie Man,” “Keep it Comin’ Love” and “That’s the Way (I Like It).” That funky bass and those big horns are pretty fantastic, but they are not really the band I need at 9:00 AM while I’m waiting in yet another line for an overpriced coffee and a blueberry scone.

What should have been playing: “Sunset Grill” by Don Henley, “Too Much Time on My Hands” by Styx, or “Rainy Days and Mondays” by The Carpenters.

We grabbed our order and wandered to our gate; the plane was still another 10 minutes late. I got my wife set up in a seat with our carryon luggage, and I wandered back to the newsstand to grab a couple of newspapers.

What was on the speaker: “Listen to the Music” by the Doobie Brothers. 

I’d say this is a fairly good choice. The Doobie Brothers are one of those bands who have some cool songs but probably still earn a B- as far as 1970s rock bands go. The real question is what Doobie Brothers is it? Pre or Post Michael McDonald? “Listen to the Music” is one of the songs with the former. Tom Johnson is on vocals. Overall, the song is a pretty solid jam. I was always more partial to the velvet man himself, Michael McDonald, especially “Minute by Minute,” “What a Fool Believes,” and “Real Love.” All of these are great tracks. McDonald’s timbre is just top notch. Who doesn’t like a little “Yacht Rock?” Anyway, I would have to say “Black Water” is definitely the top Doobie Bro’s track. Great structure, writing, and just a slice of fun— kinda of like a key bump. Even though I’m sure any song that references “Dixieland” probably has some racist undertones, I don’t really think about it—it’s just too much fun to sing along too. 

What should have been on the speaker: “Black Water” by the Doobie Brothers.

Back to the gate, I sat there and read the goddamn newspaper, just like a gentleman should. Read a fucking newspaper already everyone. What the fuck? Local news is dying, and we need to back it up, buy a newspaper and fucking read it and think while you wait for your fucking airplane that is 10 minutes late. (Rant Over.)

I got up and walked around a bit, as needed to stretch my legs before I got on the plane. I hit the restroom once more. As I got back to the restaurant, restroom, and newsstand area, I saw these Bose bookshelf speakers spread out about ten feet apart mounted to the wall about 15 feet up—it’s like they hired my old college roommate to put those speakers up there, but enough of my complaints already.

What was on the speaker: “The End of the Innocence” by Don Henley.  

This track was on the Building the Perfect Beast album, which featured some awesome 1980s jams, such as the aforementioned “Sunset Grill,” “The Boys of Summer,” and “All She Wants to Do Is Dance.” This is somewhat of a crazy ass album. I guess the synthesizers are just going out of control at points—I am unsure? Henley was blessed with the opportunity to do his own thing after his Eagles success; and he really nailed it (see “Dirty Laundry”). This is the opposite trajectory from Dennis Wilson (of the Beach Boys) and his flop Pacific Ocean Blue. I’m not sure I am a fan of “The End of the Innocence,” but I just used an airport bathroom for the second time today, so whatever.

What should have been on the speaker: “Jet Airliner” by The Steve Miller Band, “Leaving on a Jet Plane” by Peter, Paul, and Mary (written by John Denver), “Teardrop” by Massive Attack, or maybe even a little “Strangers” by the Kinks.

Where are you going, I don’t mind,

I’ve killed my world and I’ve killed my time,

So where do I go? What will I see?

As I walked down the gangplank and boarded the plane, these were some things I was recently thinking about at DIA.    

Wayfarer, American Gothic (2023)

 

By Jack Rafferty

“Your ideas are terrifying and your hearts are faint. Your acts of pity and cruelty are absurd, committed with no calm, as if they were irresistible. Finally, you fear blood more and more. Blood and time.”

—Paul Valéry

I’ve followed Wayfarer since their debut album, and I have always appreciated the niche they have carved out for themselves. While I think that, at times, their aesthetic and thematic elements have wandered into gimmick territory, for the most part this has not been the case. I am happy to report that American Gothic is their most fleshed-out, realized version of what they have cultivated since inception. 

The history of violence that they draw from seems completely obvious in retrospect as a prime topic for the genre, but Wayfarer have been the ones to focus upon it singularly. To commit so heavily to such a thematic rigidity was risky, but Wayfarer stuck to their guns, and it has paid off. 

I was especially happy to see that American Gothic expands Wayfarer’s sound in refreshing ways, maintaining that core of black metal, while deepening the atmosphere and sounds they were willing to experiment with. They have also reined in a lot of their format and have achieved a greater sense of focus and purpose. They are at their most melancholy, rasping, and ferocious here. 

It finally feels like they are capturing the essence of a complex and deeply bloody fragment in time, that like an open wound, never closed and has continued seeping into the lives that have descended from it. How does one stand upon the very earth that was made an unceremonious mass grave, how do you reckon with the presence of those bones? Wayfarer, in their own way, have been journeying to interpret the dreaming plain of blood, withering to this day in slow death, a legacy of slaughter that never ended, a hydra that with every new head it grows and grows a new face as well. 

While they certainly do not achieve what someone like Cormac McCarthy does in recollection of this hysteric, ravenous delirium, Wayfarer have finally achieved a confident voice with American Gothic. Their sense of storytelling, pacing, balancing elements of their sound, and of cohesion in their sepulchral vision, have never been stronger than they are on this album. 

Top Romantic Songs for Valentine’s Day

By Jack Stephen

I was asked to join in the musical circle jerk on this blog. I have to say I was flattered, but somewhat wary—I mean it is a circle jerk after all. However, Null and I have talked about the scene in the movie Repo Man where the Circle Jerks performed as a lounge act, so I guess ya’ll are on the level. Here you go fuckers. For Valentine’s Day, my top romantic tracks are:

1. “Sleep Late My Lady Friend” by Harry Nilsson. 

This one was pretty much a no brainer. Harry Nilsson brings an impassioned soulful vibe to this track. Working with the great producer Rick Jarrard, on the album Pandemonium Shadow Show, Nilsson was really able to find some structure and settle into his personal style, performing in a zone known as mind blowing. I don’t know how many times I’ve played this song for my wife, but each time it seems like we always look at each other and sing the line: “We did the town, we tore it upside down.” If there’s a song that solidifies the statement made by both John Lennon and Paul McCartney in the famous press interview of 1968, “we’re listening to Harry Nilsson,” this song is it.  

2. “Nothing Even Matters” by Lauryn Hill. 

When Lauryn Hill arrived on the scene, so to speak, people were just gushing over the Fugees and the “Killing Me Softly” cover. It ended up being a huge hit. While I was happy to hear the song back in the mix, I would say overall it was rather “meh.” A couple of years later, Hill came out with the great The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, which is just a fantastic album. Interestingly, “Nothing Even Matters” was a duet with D’Angelo, who began his ride with a cover of the Smoky Robinson track “Crusin.’” I really love their back and forth on this song; the “snapping” adds texture with a subtle Hammond B-3 organ holding everything together. And those lyrics, how “nothing even matters,” with a myriad of examples, and finally “nothing but you” is just beautiful. 

3. “Little Harbor” by Jamie Saft. 

A vignette: I look out a window from a cabana on a hill. There’s a light rain falling. My wife naps lightly under some mosquito netting. We just made love. The air is steamy. I smell the ocean. A macaw cries in the distance. I see a little harbor, a small fishing boat pulls in. I wonder what I did to deserve this lovely moment. The sun peeks behind the clouds. I stare out the window. (Note: this song is on the Loneliness Road album featuring Iggy Pop on vocals on another track or two.)

4. “Foolish Heart” by Steve Perry. 

Steve Perry’s vocal mastery is really exemplified in this song. The songs he wrote/performed with Journey, while great, I thought were always were a little watered down by Neil Schon’s swollen ego. Regardless, Journey had some fantastic tracks. “Foolish Heart” feels like a personal song for Perry, somewhat of a departure from Journey’s big album rock songs. While I could not be more over “Don’t Stop Believin’” (thanks Sopranos, season finale), “Foolish Heart” always feels fresh. The lyrics also really spoke to me. I always felt like I had a bit of a foolish heart, and maybe we all do at times. (I was going to place Ambrosia’s “The Biggest Part of Me” in the number four spot, which is a song Perry covered.)

5. “Sweetness” by Yes. 

While typically thought of as the Prog rock masters, Yes is one of those bands that always seems to be operating in their own category. The layers, the harmonizing, the structure—the real question is: What the fuck are they doing anyway? The song “Leave It” is a great example. What does it matter? They’re a great band with some awesome songs, which includes “Heart of the Sunrise,” “Yours Is No Disgrace,” and “Owner of a Lonely Heart.” “Sweetness” is one of those romantic songs I appreciate because it is so smart lyrically. Jon Anderson sings about all these things his partner does for him; little things he sees as so important in his life. This leads to the revelation in the song’s climax “and you’re here.” Wow, what an awesome thing to realize. To my wonderful wife—thanks for being here, love you.

As the Circle Jerk’s say, “we do whatever we can, you gotta duck when the shit hits the fan.”   Happy Valentin’s Day everyone. 

Oxbow, Love’s Holiday (2023)

 

By Jack Rafferty

Oxbow has spent nearly the last four decades being one of the most important and vital forces in experimental music. They are perpetually changing, yet always maintaining a core sound and sense of danger, vulnerability, violence, and love. After 2017’s fantastic Thin Black Duke, I was curious to see what Oxbow would do next. It’s kind of hard to review Oxbow, because there really is nothing out there like them. They have such a unique sound, attitude, and atmosphere, blending jazz, blues, punk, avant-garde, noise, soul, R&B, rock, and so much more. 

Love’s Holiday definitely seems to have a noticeably less sharp edge to it, containing more contemplative, sad melodies and darker introspection. I loved seeing Lingua Ignota featured on the track, “Lovely Murk.” I thought it fit really well. It made me wish an entire collaboration album was made surrounding this, as I think the dynamics really make sense. 

“1000 hours” and “All Gone” both contain some of my favorite vocal moments on the album, with Eugene really delving into tragedy and immense vulnerability. He takes a much more restrained approach on this album, but it is still able to achieve an intense emotional impact. 

This certainly isn’t what I was expecting, but I’m glad that Oxbow continue to change and evolve their sound based on where they are at in their lives. It is music that feels very lived, and for that reason, genuine and intimate. 

Kassi Valazza, Knows Nothing (2023)

 

By Jack Rafferty

Ever since I first heard “Johnny Dear” on Western AF, I was entranced by Kassi Valazza. I loved Kassi’s debut album, and I was curious where she and her band would take their sound from there. Starting from track one of Knows Nothing, I knew I was in for some amazing lyrics:

In the still, I often wonder about your brеathin’

I rise and fall to its rhythm late at night

Clay canyons turn to plaster in my grievin’

And our ceiling overtakes the sky.

In addition to the lyrics, I also notice that there has been a sense of settling into a more comfortable space in terms of sound and identity. There are many great things to be said about the debut record, but I do think it can be a bit sporadic at times in regard to what they want to be going forward. It seems, with Knows Nothing, that they have taken steps in the direction they have chosen, and the project feels more cohesive as a result. There is also a more honed, mature feeling to the songwriting, which is not to say that it didn’t have that before, merely that a greater sense of it is achieved here. 

However, while I do really like a lot of the writing showcased on this album, I do think certain levels of obscurity and abstractness has unfortunately been maintained here, which is a tendency I didn’t love on their debut. I think Kassi’s writing is strongest when it is clear, grounded, and intimate, with lyrics such as,

Morning hasn’t broken since I told you

I could use some time to make it right

Now you’re just a whisper, just a notion

Just a story I can read at night

The clouds move slower than they ever seemed to

Still, they find a way to pass me by.

Thankfully, I do think that this is mostly the case this time around, and there has been a demonstrable sense of progression here. Overall, Kassi has come more into her own style here, and this album has many wonderful moments.