Liz Phair Liz Fare Liz Fair

this honestly has gotten out of hand. how much ink and discussion time has been devoted to this album now? actually really curious to hear it now, will have to see if i can find anything online.

"the simple fact that the album is good — solid, worthy pop. There are great songs, good ones, some clunkers — which could just as easily be said about the White Stripes record" -- Hazel Dawn Dumpert

??

Maybe it's just me, but that's quite a stretch as an analogy. For one thing, there's a great song on Liz Phair, let alone multiple ones?

I don't really care for the album. Far too polished, not particularly clever. Sure there's a couple lines here and there, but a pretty weak effort. I don't think there's really this indie swell of disappointment, honestly. I think editors simply see this as a way to address the pop-commodification business, which is only somewhat related to music (as opposed to the right look and sound).

What bugs me most is the apologists who suggest this album is a rebellious answer to indie-dom. Right. She admits she made a record "designed to work for a major label." Great. She wants to make some money. Having witnessed past attempts at this, hardly seems likely to succeed, however much press she gets. It just seems a bad fit to me, so put me down with the "polished the quirk right out of her resulting in blandness" line. But the whole "sellout" thing was played out 14 years ago. She has a right to try to make as much money as she can. I don't have her house payment. I just think a lot of people feel this is a HORRIBLE miscalculation. she probably loses a good bunch of fans who won't buy another Phair album. She better sell a lot to those ADD Avril fans....

"Shane" has some nice low bass

I suppose she is talented, but she is a privileged sell-out who feels rejected by "snobbery". As if 90% of the music buying public gives a shit about her opinion of "indie".

Don't rate her that much. She can't sing at all for starters.

classic mount cleaners cold open on this revive

― call all destroyer, Wednesday, July 18, 2012 1:25 PM (3 months ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Okay that was mean, sorry. I don't hate her but with all of the good stuff out these days I'm not in the mood.

whew glad we settled that

no, Mount Cleaners, please go on, 90% of ILM gives a shit about your opinion of "indie".

Sure I think she's talented. She has an art background. So are a lot of people from the Midwest. First album was pretty good, second was okay...then she just got derivative.

I don't give an ass crack who disagrees. Local college DJ plays her all the time like she's god's gift to cool. She didn't invent "cool".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XYsfEb7Re0

The first time I flew into Chicago, about a year or so ago, I couldn't help but think of this song.

The "Divorce Song" Song Exploder was really good, it's been a long time since I listened to Exile but I never noticed how thin it sounds (in terms of bass/drum presence).

She's playing in town the night before my birthday, I can't decide if I want to get tickets. Zero idea how good she is live.

her tour has been selling out so you may be out of luck regardless

I bought the VIP ticket package for her Cleveland show and I am freakin STOKED.

sold out in 2 minutes here

Got tix for Nashville in October. I've seen her before but my wife hasn't and she is v excited to put it mildly.

Got regular tickets for Dallas, VIP was too holyshit expensive for me (and a meet and greet seems weird)

Went to the Cleveland show last night, it was frigging awesome. I feel like a big gross Amazon next to her:

https://scontent-ort2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/41616323_224029205133832_8072503337636855808_o.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=19e3bfd962b879c9ba0a55b78a194403&oe=5BEF1D05

Her band is super-tight and the set list was great. (Among the songs I remember: Flower, Supernova, 6'1", Never Said, Johnny Feelgood, Cinco de Mayo, Polyester Bride, Stratford-on-Guy, Mesmerizing, Blood Keeper, Help Me Mary, Extraordinary, Why Can't I and a new song called The Game.) After being offstage for all of two minutes at the end of the set, she came back out and did a two-song encore of Fuck and Run & Divorce Song that brought the house down.

https://scontent-ort2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/41654869_224371265099626_1656388342821945344_o.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=ecf6cfddee3ebc8cac13eab7a93f5cbb&oe=5BEE10AC

https://scontent-ort2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/41566247_224371475099605_764812999721484288_o.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=341bcac5aeaa42eaa244cec2a5001c09&oe=5C1B5C02

https://scontent-ort2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/41644184_224371268432959_3991430390844751872_o.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=bd783f30d3b361799f6c238ef83fc333&oe=5C250D7D

“Make America Girly Again”?

Cool photos

love the two lizes photo

excellent! I'm going to see her in... two weeks!

Waited too long and DC show is sold out. Oh well, saw her a long while ago once.

Saw her play last night, and after a shitty day/week/month/year I'm glad I didn't just stay home. It was a really good show. Her voice is fantastic! I only really know Exile and Whip-Smart (songs from which comprised well more than half the set, yay), but the newer stuff sounded pretty good... she should get a lap steel guitar and do a country album, I think it would work really well.

Great new interview:

https://www.vulture.com/2019/09/liz-phair-horror-stories-in-conversation.html

To be my age now, 52, and see a huge music community of women that didn’t exist when I was coming up is the best fucking thing. If I meant something to them, they mean a hell of a lot to me. It’s why I want to get back out there. My “Liz Phair” now are these young women. They give me motivation, excitement, a sense of safety, and inspiration. Every day I follow a new female artist on Twitter, so I have more of that feeling I was so hungry for back then. Girlville is here.

super good interview, i appreciated so many quotes that i got sick of c/p'ing them
a must-read if you have liked her music

yeah, she is a total badass.

and also not! she is a complex person. she is otm about so much.

memoir out today!!

A new single, it's not bad:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uF-kldIIQQ

I heard that song is a second-by-second response to Led Zeppelin's "All of My Love."

Wut

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4LcFHMjH9k

why

if i didn't hate him and his cult then i wouldn't hate this but i wouldn't like it either. at least bollywood was funny (sort of) and edgy (ditto)

I find that kind of touching--the kind of thing you do only for yourself.

I guess. most of her best and worst music has that feeling. you do you liz i'll pass in this instance

First and foremost, I like the way it sounds, especially the chorus. The rest is harder to explain...I stupidly missed that the woman is Laurie Anderson (duh) until I read up on it a bit; I thought it was a fantasy about her being with Reed herself. Putting that aside, I'm moved that she's singing about these people that--it would be an exaggeration to say that nobody cares about them, I realize that, but at the very least who aren't necessarily front and centre in what the rest of the world's focused on in 2021. I can relate to that in a big way. But she doesn't care--she may even be so wrapped up in her thoughts that she thinks the rest of the world's right there with her. (I remember starting a Dylan/Warhol/Godard thread/poll on here once, very pleased with my great idea; within five posts, the message very clearly was nobody cares about your stupid idea.) And, not meaning to be cruel, I think it's fair to say that her moment or whatever has passed too. Which adds to all of that, for me.

convincing appraisal. if i liked the tune more i could get on board with it despite any feelings about reed specifically

I think she's had at least 2 "moments" the more recent of which was maybe smaller but vindicative for her. but she definitely knows what it's like to be treated like a has-been (which was always bullshit and obviously gendered). sorry if this sounds condescending or faint-praisey but I do really appreciate her tenacity

Is this a new song? I think it’s the most I’ve enjoyed her stuff since whip smart.

yeah I like it too. writing about lou reed from the perspective of an aging partner whos bored with his coolguy schtick is a good idea for a liz phair song. the video is cutesy but separated from that the song doesnt scream "cult of lou" to me

I need to listen to it again. I heard it for the first time while waking up today was was like “is this song really happening?”

“Good Side” worked for me and a lot of people found it dull, so who knows.

writing about lou reed from the perspective of an aging partner whos bored with his coolguy schtick

I could see maybe doing this if Lou were still alive, but... seems super wtf to do it now

i hear what youre saying but idk, it seems gentle enough imo, it doesnt come across as like a big takedown to me. maybe my gauge is off but liz phair writing from a female partners perspective to tease the rep of a canonical male rock star is not exactly a shocking break from what i expect from her.

I hear it as affectionate, too, even towards Lou Reed (I'd count the distancing of his death as a positive).

(For the song, I mean--I'm not glad he's dead.)

seems more likely that this is a song about *a* guy named Lou or someone she thinks of as like Lou Reed, and she's riffing off that idea as a private joke. e.g. Warhol and Anderson didn't overlap in the real Reed's life.

What’s with the puppets, Liz

“Only human” also does that, was that a feature of the H League in general ?

Upcoming DC show is in a big hall and they are having it all seated in a venue that sometimes has standing area on floor (which is ok). Tickets are expensive. Saw her years back once or twice. Not sure if I will splurge . Blondshell are opening and I haven't seen them yet.

Fyi, they didn't sell out Detroit & a bunch of $20 tickets showed up on the day of the show yesterday. Not sure if that will be the case everywhere.

They also release tickets the day of (presumably unused comps). This happened with Chicago even though it had been sold out for a while.

“I would identify with the girl they were singing about in the song…like Cecilia” Sorry to be a lyrics dork but Cecilia is a song about writing a song. St Cecilia is the patron saint of songwriters.

wait is the Simon and Garfunkel song about writer’s block?

!!

Yep.

That’s an interesting factoid. (Fwiw, Phair doesn’t even get the lyric right… it’s the narrator who gets up out of bed.)

what the!

i had no idea

Finally that song makes sense and is beautiful

Paul Simon was writing a song, washed his face, and found someone else was writing his song?!?

Garfunklel’d, as they say in the biz

I was today years old when I learned…

Paul Simon was writing a song, washed his face, and found someone else was writing his song?!?

Probably Robert Lamm

“I would identify with the girl they were singing about in the song…like Cecilia” Sorry to be a lyrics dork but Cecilia is a song about writing a song. St Cecilia is the patron saint of songwriters.

(Also, don’t know what band you all are talking about, Blondshell were horrific)

I went to the Brooklyn show last night - missed Blondshell and got in my seat like 10 minutes before Phair started and it was really awesome. I wasn't sure if I'd ever see a show like this, but I really loved hearing all the lesser-known songs from Guyville, particularly the quieter cuts.

Saw her tonight in Nashville, lots of fun. This was the third time I've seen her so I'd heard the fan faves off Guyville before but it was cool to hear the lesser-known tracks. I also love how 30 years on she's still kind of perched halfway between making it and not making it — Gen X for life.

So, "making love with Cecelia" is a metaphor for writing a song, "wash my face" is some distraction (like the man from Porlock?) and "someone's taken my place" being "can't remember what I was thinking about while I was writing"..... ?

Or maybe a song was released by someone else that covered similar ground or had a similar melody.