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Message
Father John Misty - Bored in the U.S.A.
Posted on 11/7/14 at 9:18 pm
Posted on 11/7/14 at 9:18 pm
LINK
Pitchfork
Pitchfork
quote:
A central irony of Josh Tillman's very likable Father John Misty alias is that he's so often the exact person most indie rock fans totally fricking loathe in real life—a kind of mystic himbo who somehow exists outside our economy and labor force, drinking, drugging, and fricking his way through life, and yet the rent's always paid. People tell him he looks better with age. No consequences of note are suffered. Least of all, he attracts not even a fraction of the shite Lana Del Rey gets for embodying a parallel sort of archetype. Some might call that male privilege and Tillman probably would, too. "Bored In The USA" casually drops a nuclear bomb on the entire franchise of privileged white men making their spiritual void the dark center of the universe.
Appropriately, the music teases at toxic levels of mawkishness. Tillman's alone at his piano, doing his best Harry Nilsson and having the nerve to ask, "How many people rise and think, 'Oh good, the stranger's body is still here/ Our arrangement hasn't changed,'" when most folks stay up nights worrying about dying alone. Likewise, the title itself is sung in a way that doesn't seem to mock Bruce Springsteen—it sounds like Tillman's mocking those who would go after that low-hanging fruit, ignoring the Boss' complexities to show their shallow disaffectedness with the American Dream. Or maybe Tillman's just one of us, not even sure if we're being sarcastic anymore.
"Bored In the USA" has a tragicomic resonance, as all of our friends are on Facebook complaining about election results they find awfully scary even if they're unsure how they'll realistically be affected. When Tillman lays out the woes of the upwardly mobile man who had the ladder cut out from under him—"They gave me a useless education/ A subprime loan/ A craftsman home/ Keep my prescriptions filled/ Now I can't get off, but I can kinda deal"—he pipes in a goddamn laugh track to underscore that his concerns aren't clever. They're clichés worthy of a terrible sitcom, and that "boredom" is like most chronic conditions, a malady of the affluent. So there you have the devastating punchline in "Bored In the USA"'s epic #whitepeopleproblems gag—that joke isn't funny anymore.
This post was edited on 11/7/14 at 9:24 pm
Posted on 11/7/14 at 11:55 pm to lsu2006
That's the biggest bunch of bullshite since Madonna said.......said anything. I like Father John Misty but its just music.
Posted on 11/8/14 at 6:40 am to Zappas Stache
The writing is overwrought, as it everything published on Pitchfork. That being said, I wouldn't dismiss any music as "just music." Music can certainly have deep meaning, resonance, social commentary, philosophical underpinnings, and even religious significance. I was just listening to Fear Fun again for the first time in a long time on a road trip last week. That album is a pretty clear narrative concept album... and it's damned dark.
This post was edited on 11/8/14 at 6:41 am
Posted on 11/10/14 at 10:06 am to hogfly
I like Bored in the U.S.A. J. Tillman has a lot of potential. Fear Fun is easily his best release, but I always felt that it lacked something and I struggle to stay interested when trying to listen to the whole album. I think it's because the songs are just so slow. If the whole album is like the new single, then I'll probably have the same problem.
This is my favorite J. Tillman song, hands down. It's the last track on the album, "Vacilando Territory Blues." He actually gave this album to me after one of his shows at sxsw in 2009, when I asked if he had any albums that I could buy. He was the nicest, most laid back musicians that I've met.
LINK
This is my favorite J. Tillman song, hands down. It's the last track on the album, "Vacilando Territory Blues." He actually gave this album to me after one of his shows at sxsw in 2009, when I asked if he had any albums that I could buy. He was the nicest, most laid back musicians that I've met.
LINK
This post was edited on 11/10/14 at 10:07 am
Posted on 11/10/14 at 11:19 am to SUB
We just bought tix to go see him.
Posted on 11/10/14 at 1:09 pm to SUB
quote:
Fear Fun is easily his best release, but I always felt that it lacked something and I struggle to stay interested when trying to listen to the whole album. I think it's because the songs are just so slow.
Fear Fun is one of my favorite albums ever. Pretty much a perfect album that I can listen to over and over and over.
Posted on 11/10/14 at 1:26 pm to Funky Tide 8
And over and over and over and over again
Posted on 11/11/14 at 12:56 pm to TreyAnastasio
Just got tickets for the show at the Civic. Only have to wait till April 25th. Haha
Posted on 11/11/14 at 1:24 pm to JaiYaTiger
quote:
Just got tickets for the show at the Civic. Only have to wait till April 25th. Haha
Really, really upset I won't be able to make this.
Posted on 11/13/14 at 6:12 pm to TreyAnastasio
quote:
And over and over and over and over again
quote:
And over and over and over and over again
quote:
And over and over and over and over again
quote:
And over and over and over and over again
quote:
And over and over and over and over again
quote:
And over and over and over and over again
quote:
And over and over and over and over again
Posted on 11/13/14 at 6:29 pm to Funky Tide 8
it's so good. not huge on this new song though. I'll be honest, didn't listen to the whole thing though
whatcha been listening to lately funky?
whatcha been listening to lately funky?
Posted on 11/13/14 at 6:35 pm to Gnar Cat21
quote:
not huge on this new song though. I'll be honest, didn't listen to the whole thing though
It's pretty bleak. Par for the course for him. I dig the shite out of it.
Posted on 11/13/14 at 6:52 pm to Gnar Cat21
quote:
it's so good. not huge on this new song though. I'll be honest, didn't listen to the whole thing though
I honestly haven't had a chance to listen to it. Will tonight, though.
quote:
whatcha been listening to lately funky?
Man I've kind of fallen off at the moment as far as getting new music. You got any suggestions gnarbrah?
Posted on 11/13/14 at 7:20 pm to Funky Tide 8
Don't dig the new one that much
Posted on 11/27/14 at 6:34 pm to TreyAnastasio
on Letterman
What an incredible performance.
Some great commentary in the youtube comments too. (Things you thought you'd never hear for $200, Alex).
Can't stop watching. I love this man.
What an incredible performance.
Some great commentary in the youtube comments too. (Things you thought you'd never hear for $200, Alex).
Can't stop watching. I love this man.
Posted on 11/28/14 at 12:16 am to Blue Velvet
quote:
Some great commentary in the youtube comments too. (Things you thought you'd never hear for $200, Alex).
Can't stop watching. I love this man.
Yea....that's pretty lame. He is enjoyable but who is paying $200 to see him......?
Posted on 11/28/14 at 12:48 am to Blue Velvet
It's complicated isn't it Alex?
Posted on 11/28/14 at 10:06 am to Zappas Stache
You're trying pretty hard.
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