Like irony-breathing critic-turned-rockers from Blue Öyster Cult to Pet Shop Boys, Elizabeth Nelson writes the kind of lyrics those of us still unturned just want to quote at you all day. “An icepick deep in Trotsky’s back — his last thought is that it’s understandable.” “U put the ‘u’ in ‘cruel and unusual’ / But u typically put urself first.” “He went to Julliard / Which isn’t as easy as it sounds.” “What in the world’s come over me? / Asking for a friend.” “They digitally removed the coke from Neil’s nose, you know / Or so the rumour goes. I don’t know.” “I’m pretty sure ‘Ana Ng’ is the best one / But ‘They’ll Need a Crane’ is certainly a close second.” And these are all from 2019’s A Goddamn Impossible Way of Life alone — their seven-year catalogue keeps going back like this; may it keep going forward too. It may be healthier that Nelson and husband Timothy Bracy head up one of the most confident and muscular garage-rock bands going, threading all that deadpan text deftly through darting-needle melodies that stitch together hurtling hard-rock rave-ups. You’ll forgive them for being critical darlings because they’re also the goddamn life of the party.
The many moods of wishing ‘A Goddamn Impossible Way Of Life’ a happy first birthday. The Paranoid Style released our second full-length LP a year ago today, and few things quite literally have ever been the same. I loved making this record so much and only regret not going with my first instinct for an album title: “More Songs About Grover Norquist And Food.” Thanks to everyone who purchased it. The late-adopters and heretics are forgiven.
If all of the above didn’t sell you, “Turpitude”‘s “I smoke for the following reasons — the Contract With America / I smoke because of Pulp Fiction / I smoke because of Mojo Nixon” can’t, can it?
The Paranoid Style Presents: A Girl’s Gotta Eat. The Paranoid Style is Elizabeth Nelson and Timothy Bracy from The Mendoza Line. On this song they are joined by Ken Flagg (MC Frontalot, Edible Norris) and Bruce Bennett (The A-Bones). All songs are written by Nelson and Bracy except where noted.
The Fat Angel Sings 