The Counterforce No. 47

Jane's Addiction, Fightmilk, Desperate Journalist, The Indelicates

So I didn’t get to see Love and Rockets. And it was such a bummer. It seemed like the coup de grâce of this incredibly difficult and disappointing year. It’s gotten to the point where things seem so bad I’ve been forced into positive thinking for my own sanity. I have to look for the good in things just to not sink into despair. I mean the state of the world is bad enough without dwelling on my own personal problems. At least there are good books to read and music to listen to and a few good friends who sometimes check in on you amidst the darkness. And I was furious with Jane’s Addiction. Not that I was going to see them anyway, but I really wanted to see Love and Rockets. It’s weird, I haven’t put on a Jane’s Addiction album in almost 30 years. We listened to them so much in college, and of course in high school, that I’ve never felt the need to put them on again. And also too - and this isn’t a great criticism because one of my favourite bands is Van Halen, who also have next to nothing in unreleased/rare completed songs - but when I think about Jane’s legacy, they only really had those two albums back then. Sure, there was the first live album, though I’ve never much listened to that. But those rarities comps that have come out, there wasn’t much in the way of new material on those.* They only really had those 20 or so songs.

*That said, I’ve been really into Slow Divers lately. Lovely chords

But then, my fury started to transform, and a dark fascination took over. I wanted to hear all those again. And oh what songs they are. They sure did have an effect on me as a teenager. Any who has ever heard me play bass would hear the influence of Summertime Rolls. And they really must be given their due as provocateurs. I’ve always disliked the word ‘alternative’ when it comes to music, because in what way does that describe the sound, but Perry Ferrell’s title of ‘Godfather of Alternative Music’ is spot on. They were a major force in American rock, paving the way for what would come a few years after them. Sure, there were all the great SST and Dischord bands in the 80s who put so much effort in to get a truly underground scene going, and in no way should that be discounted. But Jane’s Addiction were something different as they were on a major label and seemed to have no issue with that. And Lollapalooza was huge undertaking, bringing such cool diverse bands, at least for the first few, and it was really interesting thing that was going on, lifestyle-wise as well as musically.

Most of all, Been Caught Stealing is one of those songs, and there are very few of these I can think of, but a song that seems so familiar but in fact you can’t quite place what it reminds you of, revealing it to be a wonderful, singular gem, bursting with an energy all its own. Very unique in that way. Daisy Chainsaw’s Love Your Money is the other one I always think of as an example of this.

I can’t think of another song that sounds like Been Caught Stealing. Super fun, the rolling bassline, odd suspended guitar chords, plus that beat that would soon be all over the place in the early 90s. And it’s catchy as hell. I remember being a 14-year old and hearing that at record stores and seeing the video and feeling uncomfortable. They set out to be provocative and they were precisely that. I remember being a straight-laced church-going teenager who, confronted with this amoral tune and purposely weird-looking people acting in bizarre ways, really forced me to question the world around me as well my likes and dislikes. So I have to give them their due with that too. Plus, watching it now, this video seems like the heir to David Lee Roth’s Yankee Rose video, which was the reason I started playing guitar in the first place

So here I go from in a matter of days being furious at Jane’s Addiction for causing me to miss seeing Love and Rockets and never wanting to listen to them again, to being wrapped up in their history, reading all about them on the internet. If you haven’t seen it, here’s a great piece by Casey Niccoli about her contribution to the band, a contribution it’s vital to recognize. Perry Farrell’s ‘What I’ve Learned’ for Esquire, published three days after the onstage altercation, is also interesting. I even went so far as to order the Whores oral history book, as I really want to know more. Because they did make their mark.

The 3 Days documentary is up on YouTube, which I watched most of in a fit of insomnia the other night. Cool to see/hear Flea play bass on these songs. And the look and feel of the film is exactly how I remember them being from the early 90s. That slow entrancing darkness at the psychedelic end of narcotic use

I also found out about this awesome looking book by Fabrizio Pedrotti, El Ritual de Jane’s Addiction. Focusing on the recording of the Ritual album and what came after, looks like a great read, but is only available in Spanish. Fabrizio’s site is pretty rad too, tons of interviews with cool bands

And speaking of cool bands, there is a new Fightmilk single out, That Thing You Did. And of course it rocks and is catchy as hell

Fightmilk came on my stereo last weekend and that was a totally awesome thing to have happen. They can be as snarky as the best of them, and with great earworming melodies and a fuzzily warm sonic attack. But also what I really love about them is that each album so far has had one amazing, unashamed and unapologetic ode to the joy of being in love, nestled in amongst the sass and biting humor. Over from their debut and Maybe from Contender, this latter one stuck in my head for a good week now

Third album, No Souvenirs, is out November 15th and you can hear two additional songs from it here. I had Fightmilk on both my podcasts, The Counterforce and Etcetera Etc. With Aug Stone, both now defunct. But! The Universe seems to keep hinting to me lately that I should re-start the ETC podcast up again, and as Fightmilk were so awesome to chat with each time, and them having a new album coming out, I’m thinking of rebooting the show. What say you? Would you listen?

Two other criminally unheard British bands everyone should know have releases out sooner than November though. This week, in fact.

Desperate Journalist’s No Hero, described as “our difficult synth album with a thousand guitars or perhaps our difficult guitar album with a thousand synths." Loving the chorus of You Say You’re Lonely

And The Indelicates’ Avenue QAnon is out today. I’ve raved about The Indelicates in these pages before. Their second album Songs For Swinging Lovers is still one of the best records of the new millennium. They seem to almost alternate between more traditional albums and crazy -ass concept projects. I haven’t heard it yet -rectifying that today - but this new one seems to be a combination of both. And for all that, I’ve always felt that if you like The Jam, you’ll really dig The Indelicates. There was also an Instagram post that I can’t find now, comparing the new one to Fleetwood Mac playing the theme song to Laverne & Shirley. So that’s intriguing

Support independent music! And if you’d like to support my work, please buy a book. Or leave a review of them somewhere. It’s gutting that there’s only two reviews of Sporting Moustaches on Goodreads