album #15

b-52's (b-52's)

Sparse, dark rhythms. A certain tinge of savagery. Hints of Joy Division. The B-52s were a different band in the early years (as the AVClub phrases well, attributing to late guitarist Ricky Wilson.) This is a cool record- a mix of the dark, snaky, post-punk sound of '79-80, with a cool, campy, surf flavor. I especially love "52 Girls" (the jaunty low surf rhythm, the harmonic vocals) "Dance This Mess Around" (a dazzlingly strange track, the rhythmic sparseness, the steady builds and discoveries, the unleashed passions, the semimelodic quality), "Rock Lobster" (the spacy, underseas tremble of the backup vocals, the measured dark strike of the guitars), "6060-842" (the upbeat melodic energy, the harmonic clarity in the chorus.)

I'd like to listen to this record more and also explore more of their early years. 1979-1980 really seems like a golden age of music, so much of what I'm interested in comes from that incredibly specific window of time. And I'm also interested in bands like the B-52s and the Police, groups that are perhaps more known for a blander, broader sound, but began in really dark, strange, exciting places.