Feb 6, 2009

Music Video Fridays - Sleater-Kinney

I spent the night nursing an upset stomach, watching the kittens run around like crazy and watching old music videos on Youtube.

Not a bad evening. Except for the upset stomach.

There is so much good shit out there. So much that I've forgotten over the years. Remember bands like Ned's Atomic Dustbin or Carter USM from the UK's Grebo scene? No? I barely do either. But I was listening to them almost exclusively back in 1991-92. Right around the time that grunge kicked in here in the US.

Anyway, I'm starting a new feature here on The Verdant Dude. Music videos on Fridays. Yay! I've noticed lots of other folks doing it around the Interwebs as well, and I'm nothing if not a sheep. So I'll post a couple of vids from the past for y'all to either enjoy or ignore. Either ways is fine with me.

Our first edition features a couple of videos by one of my favorite all-time bands, Sleater-Kinney. They are on what may be a permanent hiatus right now. Shame. These women did it the right way. The first video is a song called "Modern Girl" and it features Carrie Brownstein on vocals. I'm generally more of a fan of the songs that Corin Tucker sings. I dig her warble. But this one off of their final album in 2005 is one of my favorites.



MODERN GIRL
My baby loves me
I'm so happy
Happiness makes me
A modern girl
I took my money
And bought a TV
TV Brings me
Closer to the world

My baby loves me
I'm so hungry
Hunger makes me
A modern girl
I took my money
And bought a donut
The hole's the size of
The entire world

My baby loves me
I'm so angry
Anger makes me
A modern girl
I took my money
I couldn't buy nothin'
I'm sick of this
Brave new world

My whole life
was like a picture
of a sunny day

My whole life
looked like a picture
of a sunny day

The next video is from their album "All Hands on The Bad One" released in 2000, and it features Corin Tucker on vocals. Mostly. The song is called "You're No Rock and Roll Fun" and strangely enough...it is a lot of rock and roll fun. Enjoy!



YOU'RE NO ROCK AND ROLL FUN
You're no rock n' roll fun
like a party that's over
before it's begun
You're no walk in the park
more like a shot in the dark
with clues left for no one

And all the boys in the band
know how to get down
fill our Christmas socks
with whiskey drinks
and chocolate bars
and when the evening ends we won't
be thinking of you then
Although the best man
won't hang out with the girl band!

You're no rock n' roll fun
like a piece of art
that no one can touch
Your head is always up in the clouds
writing your songs
won't you ever come down?

And all the boys in the band
know how to get down
fill our Christmas socks
with whiskey drinks
and chocolate bars
and when the evening ends we won't
be thinking of you then
Even if your song
is playing on the jukebox

You wanna party with the lights on
Come on I like it dark!
You always wanna hear the same old song
Come on play another song!

You're no rock n' roll fun

________________________________________________________

Note: Remember to play the Bug-Eyed Trivia Challenge every day. All the riot grrls are doing it.

21 comments:

hello haha narf said...

i like that you printed lyrics. you are awesome.

Avitable said...

I've got a couple Sleater Kinney albums and they really grow on you.

Kevin McKeever said...

Sleater Kinney and The Pretenders ... you dig the coolest chicks.

i am the diva said...

rock and roll fun really makes me wanna learn the guitar to do some serious rockin' out. woot.

Verdant Earl said...

Becky - I know. ;)

Avitable - "Dig Me Out" and "All Hands on the Bad One" are two of my favorite albums of all-time. But all their albums are good.

Uncool - Music, for me, is all about the ladies. I'm sure a few more will be featured in the coming weeks on Fridays.

Diva - it's a great tune, innit?

Slyde said...

oh my god... they killed Sleater Kinney!

Heff said...

can't even say I've heard of 'em.

Verdant Earl said...

Slyde - I'd be surprised if you had heard of them.

Heff - They weren't widespread popular, but they got some Alt radio play. Very little.

Candy's daily Dandy said...

Can I get a harumph?? That was fun.

That Hank said...

Ah, SK. I've had mighty good times at some of their shows.

Verdant Earl said...

Candy - harumph!

DG - thought you might be a fan.

That Hank said...

They were never tops on my list - I always liked Team Dresch better, for instance - but they put on a good live show and some of their albums were a lot of fun.

Jennifer and Sandi said...

I hate tummy aches. Is it time to go home yet??? Kiss the kittens for me!


- Jennifer

Michelle said...

OK, and here i thought i was a expert on all things music and i never even heard of this group called Sleater Kinney!!! But, i like!!! I like Your no rock and roll fun just a tad better than the first song but they are both have a good beat and their easy to dance too!!!! :O)

HAPPY FRIDAY FRIEND!!!

Good idea for music video fridays!!!!

WOOT!!!!

elizabeth said...

Dude, if I did music video fridays right now - it would all be totally cheezed out love songs. It would scare away my meager following.

Verdant Earl said...

DG - gotcha. Team Dresch had come and gone by the time SK hit the waves. Although I think they re-formed recently. And didn't whatsherface Dresch form a record label? I think SK's first album was on it before they were signed by Kill Rock Stars.

Michelle - Most of their songs are up-tempo like the second one. I just like the lyrics to the first one alot.

Liz - nothing wrong with cheesy love songs. Nothing at all.

Kate said...

Hello B.E.
I stumbled over here via our friend Mrs. Hall's blog..
wanted to leave a hello and comment.

I was never a huge fan of SK back in the day, though I did purchase "Dig Me Out" years after it came out and it took me a while to like it. I had a hard time with the vocals, but the song writing rocks. It's all grown on me now.

These two songs I like a lot though!

Anyway, just wanted to let you know in case you didn't already that Carrie B. has a cool blog about music .. you might like to check out.. she's been working with NPR.

And here's the link
Monitor Mix

Cool stuff! I'll be back.

Verdant Earl said...

Kate - Heya! Took me a while to appreciate SK too. I bought both Call the Doctor and Dig Me Out when they first were released, but I didn't listen to them very much. Then I bought All Hands on the Bad One, listened to it to death and re-discovered those discs. Bam..I was a fan.

Thanks for the tip on Carrie's blog. I'm gonna check it out. :)

That Hank said...

Hey BE - actually, SK and TD's first albums came out the same year ('94), both on Chainsaw Records, which was (and is still) run by Donna Dresch (who was also in the Screaming Trees and Dinosaur Jr. for a while). Their second albums came out the same year, too. Basically, if you were around that segment of the punk scene back then, they were often mentioned in pretty much the same breath, along with bands like Tribe 8, Excuse 17, and Behead the Prophet. They toured with all the same bands. SK got a little more mainstream media attention, but TD was the better band and still tours.

Verdant Earl said...

DG - see? The memory of an old man sucks! ;) Thanks for the info! I remember Tribe 8, but not the other ones.

That Hank said...

Hey, no problem. That is one particular moment in time that I happen to have a very good personal knowledge of.