Sunday, April 25, 2010

Contenders Series #32: Scissor Sisters - "Invisible Light"

Last weekend, a few of us were hanging out in Dolores Park, and people started getting hungry.  Goldberg's girlfriend had never been to the park, so I was trying to explain our nearby food options.  "If you go that way," I said, pointing toward Mission Street, "it gets more and more Mexican.  If you go that way," and this time I pointed toward Castro Street, "it gets more and more, um, gay.  And I don't think they really have a signature food."

So we got burritos.

But, after thinking about it ... why doesn't the gay community have a culinary tradition?  Do they, and I just don't know about it?  I would love to be able to say, "Oh, come by our neighborhood, there's all kinds of great little ______ places."

I only ask, because, as discussed last week on Glee,* the gays pretty much create culture in every other realm.  They certainly have an easily identifiable musical style, tracing a lineage down from Queen and mid-period Bowie to flamboyant New York glam rocker Scissor Sisters.  "Invisible Light," the first song released from this summer's upcoming Night Work, is more of the same from them, glittering falsettos, an electro backbone, and a spoken-word breakdown that's just enough Thriller to keep the party from bogging down.  I always imagine that, if I ever went to a gay dance club, it would just be gems like this all night long.  Deep down, though, I know they probably just play Ke$ha over and over again, just like everywhere else.  Things are always better in my imagination.

*And, really, the fact that I watch Glee proves this point better than anything else ever could.

Ilana has always contended that the real tragedy of Prop 8 passing is that Californians have been denied the chance to experience gay weddings, which would almost definitely be the kind of over-the-top spectacles you would talk about for years to come.  I tend to agree.  I've been working on the music for Kathryn and Jeremy's wedding for a few weeks now, and I've been trying to shoehorn as many Scissor Sisters songs in there as I would consider appropriate.*  In fact, when I asked Ilana for wedding dance party suggestions, she said, "How much do you think it would cost just to get Scissor Sisters to play a wedding?  Do you think they would do it?  I think it would be totally defensible just to blow an entire wedding budget on that."  Which is why I love her with my whole heart.

*Though Return to Oz's "Take Your Mama" might not be totally appropriate, as its lyrics involve taking your mother to a seedy gay bar so you can get her drunk before informing her that you're canceling your wedding since you're coming out of the closet.  Or, I don't know ... maybe appropriate.  I don't know the Cantrells and Siweks all that well.

Download:  Scissor Sisters - Invisible Light

Official Site
Hype Machine
Pre-Order Night Work

1 comment:

  1. Having seen the mix so far, I definitely approve the Scissor Sisters selections--especially the dance party starting with "I Don't Feel Like Dancin.'" Inspired choice. I think if the family has the sense of humor to dance to Rihanna's "Rude Boy" at the end of the night (ha!), I'm sure "Take Your Mama" will be received just as well.

    ReplyDelete