The other day, I was in the mood for some good rock songs.  Something abrasive and spunky, but also uplifting.  You know, the kind of music you can rock out to without having to listen to upper-middle class malcontents holler their boredom into the microphone.  The Muslims have been satisfying this craving for some time, but the day has come for something novel and offbeat.  Well, I searched far and wide and stumbled upon the lovely Marnie Stern.This girl gives inspiration to teenage lonelies who are brimming with talent, but are too dazed and confused to take self-motivated action.  In her Pitchfork Interview, Stern talks about her endless guitar practices, attending shows alone, and spending lots of time in depressing isolation while managing to create anthemic rock ‘n roll music.  And apparently it’s a big deal that she only released her debut album after turning 30.  Go figure.

Her 2007 release In Advance of the Broken Arm was critically acclaimed, although remaining in low rotation and largely unnoticed (at least by yours truly).  Stern named her sophomore release This Is It And I Am It And You Are It And So Is That And He Is It And She Is It And It Is It And That Is That for reasons unbeknownst to us mere mortals.I’ve had the track Transformer on repeat for the past hour. The first couple of bars sound like the intro to AC/DC’s Thunder, but in the best way possible.  The way this girl combines her bouncy, vivacious vocals with her over the top guitar skills is completely infectious.  Her lyrics are tinged with mystery and strike the perfect balance between depth, poignancy, and an attitude of carefree playfulness. Try a couple of the tracks on her myspace.

The best news is that Blue Skies Turn Black are inviting her over to Club Lambi on November 27th,  so you’ll be able to confirm my outpouring of enthusiasm with your own ears.  Word to Marnie and her sleepless nights.

Trackback URI | Comments RSS