Against Me!: “Transgender Dysphoria Blues”
Like a less melodic Distillers and a rougher Alkaline Trio, Against Me! has always been the punk band with politically charged yet simple, sing-a-long lyrics. The band’s apathetic voice and attitude has made them revered rebels.
“Transgender Dysphoria Blues” has been in the works since 2012, but the full album was released on Tuesday. Like always, Against Me!’s apathy is what makes them so lovable, for instance, their lack of rhyme verse and roughly recorded songs ending on the seventh note seem as if the single was just finished in the garage and released the next day.
The charge, however, is wearing off now. The quality of their recordings has improved over the last decade, like much of their older music, but it’s not something you’ll be able to sing along with like their old classics, “Baby, I’m an Anarchist” and “Sink Florida Sink.”
Some of their older albums held the brightest flame in “Reinventing Axl Rose”, and it’s still blazing in “Forever The Eternal Cowboy,” with songs like “Cavalier Eternal,” where Gabel unforgettably recited “…this just isn’t love, it’s just the remorse of the loss of a feeling.”
“I Was A Teenage Anarchist” in their 2011 album “White Crosses” said goodbye to the lovable era of raw, acoustic rebellion music for which Against Me! was loved by Mohawked moshers in patched jean and leather jackets. Ever since, they haven’t been quite the same.
The change in attitude, though, didn’t come out of thin air.
Having struggled with gender dysphoria, or gender identity disorder, since birth, front man Tom Gabel publically admitted in May 2012 during an interview with Rolling Stone that he was changing his identity to Laura Jane Grace.
Although they reemerged a few months after Grace’s announcement, drummer Jay Weinberg split and bassist Andrew Seward left, leaving only lead guitarist Bowman and Grace (who is bowman?) to carry on the legacy.
Loyal fans were wondering what would happen if Grace embraced her gender issues and went through with the transition that shocked their fans, and “Transgender Dysphonia Blues” reveals what’s really under Grace’s skirt.
Although it’s not as passionate as one might hope, the new album contains a sensibility that has gradually accumulated since Grace’s transition. This new album overtly and openly shows the band’s stance on gender issues, namely Grace’s own uncensored commentary.
Grace repeats “there will always be a difference between me and you,” in their song “Drinking With The Jocks,” and sings about silicone and fake breasts, “I don’t have the heart to match /The one pricked into your finger…” in “F**kmylife666.”
“You want them to notice the ragged ends of your summer dress / You want them to see you like they see any other girl / They just see a faggot,” she sings in the title track with hints of hatred and pain in “Black Me Out,” which is arguably the most powerful track that culminates the album.
Childish Gambino: “Because the Internet”
Writer-turned-actor-turned-rapper Childish Gambino dropped his sophomore album “Because the Internet”, showcasing his growing talent and artistic creativity in a concept album that people will either love or hate.
Rap audiences have always questioned Childish Gambino because his nerdy character and untraditional lyrics did not fit hip-hop stereotypes.
“Because the Internet,” released at the end of 2013, is an answer to his critics as it displays his storytelling skills by separating the album into acts like scenes in a play.
The album starts strong with “I. Crawl” by bringing in a hard beat and clever lyrics, and then listeners are taken through a story told throughout five acts.
This rapping storyteller brings the audience into his mind by wearing his emotions on his sleeve when he sings about topics like love, existentialism and living in luxury.
Gambino has changed a lot since his rap debut in 2008 because he gained more fame as a rapper and actor (under his real name Donald Glover) on NBC’s Community. As a result, his music has a bit more ego.
The rapper has gone from an insecure, troubled youth into a mature young man who displays his internal conflicts while he boasts about his triumphs and riches, and complains about the artificial people in his life.
Songs like “II. Shadows” illuminate Gambino’s softer side, adding lyricism about about his attempts to be a better man when a girl tells him “Love me better/ kiss me back/ listen more.”
Producer Ludwigh Goransson lends his musical talents to the album with beats, vocal effects and jazz fills that make “Because the Internet” unlike most other hip-hop albums.
“I. Flight of The Navigator” is a great example of an imaginative song that combines these elements and is clearly something you wouldn’t hear from another rapper.
In order to fully appreciate this album, listeners should watch the short film “Clapping For The Wrong Reasons,” which was written and produced by Donald Glover and serves as the inspiration to his most recent album, “Because the Internet.”