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I wrote in Magnet: ‘When she appeared on the Chicago scene, Oberlin art-history grad Liz Phair was an indie nerd’s wet dream. She wrote lacerating songs by the truckload, warbled them as dispassionately as Peppermint Patty on Prozac, could pull the pin on a well-placed f-bomb and skewered the male-dominated geek scene while simultaneously signifying that she was down with all the young dudes. Much was made of how her 1993 debut purportedly forms a song-by-song response to the Stones’ Exile On Main St., but in hindsight, pitting Phair’s cunnilingus anthem “Glory” against Slim Harpo’s “Shake Your Hips” doesn’t make for a very fair fight. Instead, the 18-song Guyville best displays Phair’s encyclopedic knowledge of indiedom’s most hard-baked stereotypes (smashed to bits on the devastating “Divorce Song”) and a triumph of studio smarts over execution (as her pottymouth nod to art rock, “Flower,” makes clear). Before she became suburbia’s trophy MILF, Phair served as scary godmother to a generation of angry grrls-in-waiting such as Alanis Morissette and Fiona Apple.’ 💞
Jun 22, 2024
Related Recs
for music lovers! small books each on a single album. i always see them at the bookstore and i recently purchased the liz phair ”exile in guyville” one which supremely rocked my world. i love an album dissection / some good old music history
Sep 26, 2024
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Yes, my friend Lizzy Goldman's book, which is a colorful first-person account of the NYC/LES indie-rock scene circa 2000.
But also, the (somewhat less loved but still great) documentary of the same.
It also gives some much-deserved shine to the Rapture, whose "House of Jealous Lovers" is way too slept on (and reminds me of Gang of Four, Wire, Mission of Burma, the Raincoats, etc.).
Alphabet City FTW.
Jan 17, 2024
30 years ago today, Chicago‘s Veruca Salt's released its debut album. All killer, no filler. Amazing live band too. Bonus points for the AC/DC ⚡️ lift in the title.
Sep 28, 2024
Top Recs from @coreydubrowa
May 22, 2025
Hey tyler hopefully this doesn’t violate some PI.FYI golden rule
But after nearly two years of writing, editing and arguing, my book about the EP is coming out in May and can be preordered here:
https://hozacrecords.com/product/aifl/
The book is about the origins, history and cultural impact of the EP since these little objects first started coming out in the 50s.
Over 50 of my music biz friends then helped me shape the list and review the top 200 ever released, according to us (ha).
For those of you who are into this kind of geekery/snobbery, I can’t wait to hear what you think. A labor of love, as all books are! ❤️
Mar 27, 2024
“Songs Of a Lost World” coming to a goth listening station near you Nov 1 🖤
The fr FW Me Friday the 13th the world was looking for
Sep 14, 2024