Here to introduce the next cut is
Jennicet Gutiérrez who is one of the founders of La Familia: Trans Queer Liberation Movement where she works to support trans women who have been detained due to their immigration status.
Yes, a song with 2 (two!) 11's (elevens!) is falling at number 64 (sixty four!!!!!)! This rate can be brutal especially if you've got faves in the extra section! At first, I was really surprised this song garnered an 11 and then got a second 11, but the more time I've spent with the song the more I've loved it. Unfortunately, being the type of song that grows on people versus being immediately catchy but quickly fades is not the best for big rates like this. On my first listen, I felt like the song played it's cards right away: I mean that opening line is so definitive. But with multiple listens so many wonderful details emerged: the little do-do-do's, her absolute wail at the bridge, how fresh the guitar sounds.
Hunter is on my goal albums for the 2019 album challenge and reading more about Anna Calvi's creative process has made me really excited to dive in!
Anna Calvi
explained to Stereogum that "It’s a song about the defiance of happiness. It’s about being free to identify yourself in whichever way." While I totally hear those themes within the song, I find the greater message is one of protection.
(Ed. Note: the kindergarten teacher bias is strong here) Calvi isn't singing about her own freedom to identify how she wants and the joy that brings her. Instead, she's singing for the sake of another person to have the freedom to be their whole selves, in particular for a young person to be their full self. The ways gender and gendered performance is thrust on children at a young age is
overwhelming. Just this week in class I had a kid tell me he didn't like a book because he didn't like girls and didn't like that a character was wearing lip stick. When kids express this type of thinking, it's not a reflection of their own bias but the bias of those around them and the culture their in and it can be particularly crushing to kids whose true self is outside this norm. The way our culture defines expectations based on genders is quite literally lethal and Calvi plumbs this so well. In a great interview with the
Telegraph she explained:
“So much of our gender is performed, I feel, it’s very limiting for both sexes. As a woman, you’re made to feel your appearance is what you are. It’s what you look like [that counts] and not what you do. And for men, to always be strong, to not be vulnerable or show emotions or talk about how you feel, is such an unrealistic expectation of a human being. It’s literally the opposite of what being human is."
I know this is not groundbreaking for the participants of a queer music rate, but it's no less important and pressing. I had a student last year who laughed when we read a book with a male character who cried. When I asked him why he was laughing he explained that "boys don't cry." I explained that I cry so does that not make me a boy? In an interesting case of mental gymnastics he answered "no you're a man" so I clarified that men cry but boys don't? You can imagine the tizzy that sent him into. He literally repeated to himself out loud "Boys don't cry but Mr. Trouble In Paradise cries but he's a man but men don't cry but he cries." It's that moment of discomfort, of questioning what they've learned from the mainstream culture that I seek to inspire with my students and it's what I see Calvi advocating for in that primal wail. Not only does she advocate for it through song but by living in her truth. When discussing her own experience as a queer person to the telegraph Calvi explains:
We were literally the only queer people that I had ever seen, just me and my partner in the whole college, that was it. I wish I could have experienced those feelings without questioning what it means. And worrying that it [was] wrong, and feeling shame, and dealing with all these external forces that aren’t actually to do with the relationship.
She touches so perfectly on the need for queer representation and for more spaces that are open to and populated by queer people. I started dating my boyfriend before he was out and the concept of external forces that aren't actually related to the relationship affecting the relationship speaks to me.
Okay, enough Trouble story time!
Me and Reboot are in agreement: I like this song a lot. Another artist for my “check out later” list
The Hot Rock I'd heard this at least once before doing this rate but I don't remember where. Great vocals and lyrics.
Constantino knows this forrem all too well and I'm happy to supply a hit list for him: There’s something so visceral about the music Annia creates. I’ve been a stan since I heard ‘Jezebel’ after an NME tip-off back in 2010. Now, NINE FUCKING YEARS later, I’m still being moved my the music she creates. Her passion and dedication to her craft is still evident in all of her songs; as if making her songs is as cathartic for her as it is for her listeners who hear them. This manages to approach queerness by a completely different lens than the other 90-odd songs. Y’all are gonna do this wrong and I will hunt each and every one of you down.
A good first victim would be ufint This is background noise and while it’s acceptable I don’t really feel the need to listen to it in full again.
I don't quite hear it but at least Verandi's score is right: Sounds like a darker HAIM song. Yas.
Always dependable Music is Life I love the guitar and drums throughout this, they go well with the lyrics. I really like her voice as well, especially the part where she just wails. This is great.
Something about this song conjures personal story telling so let's hear from Pop3blow2 Well, I hadn’t heard this. This is so fantastic. Reminds me some of Maria McKee. I don’t know much about Anna Calvi & always mean to look into here more. Maybe this will be the impetus. I read this on here Wikipedia: “By the age of 10 she was using a double cassette karaoke machine to overdub her playing.” & now I might have a crush on her. I did the same thing in my youth & my dad finally broke down & bought me a TASCAM four track recorder after I played him a track I produced where I had used 4 separate cassettes in the karaoke to build it.
Untouchable Ace acts like Shakespears Sisters wailing is bad? The song is built well around the title. It does demonstrate struggle concerning identity and gender, but once it veers into Shakespears Sister it becomes less enjoyable.
Another dependably tasteful commentary from CorgiCorgiCorgi another amazing song I would've never even heard without this rate!
Kalonite is making me want to start listening to the album right meow This song is just fantastic. The wailing gets me every time. This whole album really plays with the idea of women and femininity as the alpha hunter force in nature, and it's just great.
And finally let's close with our 11 giver who supplied commentary and once again Anna Calvi's inspired some personal story telling!
Untitled: that cathartic moment when she just fucking snaps... many an autumn walk to the bus stop from the psych ward was accompanied by it. in a way, allowing myself to feel things, instead of laughing them off or disassociating was one of the biggest challenges of 2018 and i'm still in stitches. this song couldn't have come at a better time
