Tennis – “Never Work For Free”
Ritual in Repeat
If this record had released in June rather than September, “Never Work For Free” would have been the Song of the Summer, no question. It’s Madonna-tier Pop with, as you can see, a capital P. You can’t unhear it, and you won’t want to. (insound)
cathead: a beam projecting from the bow of a ship used as support in lifting anchor
coaming: a raised frame around a roof, floor, or hatch, to keep water out (or in)
pergola: an arbor or colonnade with horizontal trelliswork for vines or plants
cenotaph: a monument honoring someone who is buried elsewhere
marplot: the person or circumstance that defeats a plan or design
saker: a field gun below demiculverin size; also a type of falcon
goffer: decorative frills or plaits, or the process of adding them
bawcock: familiar term for a comrade (from Fr. beau coq)
cess: Irish slang for luck, particularly in “bad cess to you”
madapollam: a smooth, glazed calico cotton fabric
wherry: a light rowboat or skiff, or to pilot one
doxy: a woman of questionable reputation
marline: a tarred two-strand nautical rope
veracious: a better way to say truthful
plethoric: turgid or overstuffed
And here is the more violent type of progression. A girl quits going to school and Sunday school, begins going to dives. She gets coarse and vulgar, while her parents stand by and do nothing, and when a policeman attempts to reason with her, she throws a brick at him. She is sent to a training school, then released. Within a few weeks she is back in the hands of the law again, for picking up men and blackjacking them.
Still from “Il Capo,” following the boss of a marble quarry and his gestures
Radar Brothers – “Change College of Law”
Eight
The sleepy, strummy crooning of Radar Brothers has been on my playlist ever since 1999’s The Singing Hatchet, but Eight may as well be from a different band (15 years will do that). The rich, shifting phases and varied tones of this track, to say nothing of the almost Grails-like crashing drums and descending bass, were a huge and pleasant surprise, and there are plenty of others worth listening to on the album. (merge records)
Is that all I am ever to do in life — dress myself carefully, put leaves in my hair, and think about the effect?
Odilon Redon – St George and the Dragon (1909)
Better our work unfinished than all bad.
