Kurt Cobain is back in the news again, and the papers can't get enough of the guy who gave such a mighty roar of disaffection in the early '90s. "Here we are now, entertain us," indeed.
On election day, ironically enough, I find myself thinking about Galaxie 500, who voiced similar sentiments in a much quieter, less frenzy-inducing fashion in "Tugboat" in 1988, when the Seattle sound was just poking its head out of the northwest.
I don't wanna stay at your party
I don't wanna talk with your friends
I don't wanna vote for your president
I just wanna be your tugboat captain
It's a place I'd like to be
It's a place I'd like to be
It's a place I'd like to be
It's a place I'd be happy
(repeat ad nauseum)
You can hear a sample here.
It fused bratty ennui with a simple, elegiac melody and never went out of my head. It was not "stupid and contagious" but it made an impact on me.
If you like this band, you'll like this! Check out the "artist browser" on Allmusic here.
In recent years, G500 has enjoyed a renewal of interest from the kids. How much do you know about them? Take the Galaxie quiz.
Who was the tugboat captain? This FAQ says it's is a reference to Sterling Morrison, "guitarist for the Velvet Underground, also worked for a time after VU's demise on a tugboat."
But this interview says that Damon K. used to work on a tugboat. You be the judge!
In other Cobain hype, Pete Townshend recently reviewed the diaries in the Guardian. As usual, he pulls no punches:
It is desperately sad for me to sit here, 57 years old, and contemplate how often wasteful are the deaths of those in the rock industry. We find it so hard to save our own, but must take responsibility for the fact that the message such deaths as Cobain's sends to his fans is that it is in some way heroic to scream at the world, thrash a guitar, smash it up and then overdose. (via OJR)
What are the kids listening to today? I enjoyed a saunter through Nonstop Pop, whose author goes to more shows than anyone I know. This week's entry is an eyewitness account of indiepop luminaries at CMJ.