Thursday, August 19, 2010

My Punk Half of the Drainpipe

Although I haven't been blogging lately, I read music blogs every week. I was right pleased to be mentioned in three of my favorites: I Blog Econo, sIBlingshot on the Bleachers, and Last Days of Man on Earth. Last Days features the Underneathica theme song (circa 1981), so grab that mp3! It's nice to be remembered by your peers.

Ib (of SibLINGSHOT) wrote a comment on his blog about the sad state of popular music in the 1980's. I was immediately reminded of the brilliant Prolapse song "Deanshanger", with Scottish Mick rabidly denouncing the era: "D'you remember the 1980's?... The music was CRAP! The clothes were CRAP! The news was CRAP! The hair was CRAP!" and so on.

Lucky life was only for the rich and greedy/ Unhappiness reigned supreme among the needy/ The papal visit promised much but didn't deliver/ I'm glad it's all over, wrapped up in a box and put under the bed.

Mark E. Smith surveyed the music scene with a jaundiced eye in 1980's "C&C Mithering":

You think you've got it bad with thin ties/ Miserable songs synthesized/ or circles with A in the middle/ Make joke records, hang out with Gary Bushell, join round table/ "I like your single!" "Yeah, great." -- a circle of low IQ's.

Watch a fan-made Deanshanger video, or listen to it here: