Seperated By Motorways

ahh... One of my favorite singles to visit my ears for a bit. (oh yah, i'm still doing my year-ender list of what i think is great of the 2005, soon.)

The Long Blondes "Separated By Motorways".

It taught me 2 things.

1. I love and miss Elastica.

2. I have trouble spelling "Separated"

both thoughts bothered the shit out of me. Would I stoop so far as to love a single because it sounds like a marriage between Le Tigre and Elastica?

I'm still working that out unfortunately. I'm learning more about the band, and they are giving me a bit of hope. They are a touch of mid-90's brit-pop for sure. Under the banner that Elastica and Sleeper held up (regardless of the quality of either).

The Elastica is there in force, with the swagger and knowingness of the Kate's vocals. The spare yet highly effective and fast moving rhythm section and housefly guitars buzzin. ahh i love it so.

The Le Tigre-style restless femme-disco-punk sounds (complete with girl-chants!) are I believe an addition of these days we live in. (If there is a group of lesbians without a band imploring girls with thick glasses to get on the dancefloor, then they are behind the times. but i digress, this is a tenth of the single's sound)

um.. or the action sound is just cool. i really hate to get cynical about the post-punk/dance punk sound. its something i awaited for years to be "the" thing. it'll be a while till i need sludge and total trash all the time again.

What they are showing me is that they are an honest band from an honest town (Sheffield, home of Pulp, many awesome 80s synth bands, and post-industrial decay). It just so happens that the singers cooing and knowing voice harkens me back to the days of hearing "connection" and "stutter" on the radio.

Very seductive.

But is it the Devil?

and of course the answer is yes. but that's because music, the internet, left-handed people and vowels are evil.

So.

go to
http://www.myspace.com/thelongblondes

and have a listen and peek at the video. unfortunately they've made both to start at the same time. a selection of other songs at the top, video for Separated By Motorways in the middle.

and speaking earlier of Pulp and Elastica, this song, like the others seem to be great voyeuristic stories and character sketches in Brit cities and suburbs. drinking and running around all night and girls and boys.

here is perhaps their mission statement that perhaps confirms that view from their site (perhaps):

" There are things you won’t forget:
4711 at the nape of the neck
swallow tattoos and cameo brooches
applying eyes on southbound coaches
piles of unread Sunday papers
cheap guitars and timeless vocals

Suburban pop and the politics of love?

There’s more where that came from, you know."

Consider me swooning.

enjoy!

I'm Torn Into Pieces, Can't Deny It, Can't Pretend
-JSNK-