The Hidden Cameras
Hola from Mazunte, Mexico. Puerto Escondido was amazing, but Mazunte (just a little further down the coast) is great, too. A lot less people here–in some ways it feels a little bit like a ghost town, with all of these restaurants and posadas for tourists but only a few dozen actual people. I think it’s on the upswing though, with more people to come in the years ahead. Justifiably so, since it is beautiful here. Anyways, a little bit of time for music, even though the beach calls me…
Let me throw some bands at you: The Polyphonic Spree, The Magnetic Fields, Morrissey, Brian Wilson, Belle and Sebastian. Now let me mention some instruments: guitars, the glockenspiel, the tambourine, about a million kinds of strings, bells, piano, trumpets, hand-claps, and the kitchen sink. Now imagine if all those bands were playing all those instruments, all in the context of a Broadway musical about a bunch of gay gospel-singers.
Impossible to imagine? Most likely. Fortunately, The Hidden Cameras are here for us, so we don’t have to imagine.
Named in after (or, in recognition of) Michel Foucault’s take on the panopticon, with songs about urine, the joys of sex (mostly of the gay variety, but they consistently expand the scope of their songs to include everyone), and with a song that embodies what I sometimes think might be the best response to the Right’s attempt to make gay marriage illegal: why not go further and ban all marriage?
Here is that song and one other from their 2003 album The Smell of Our Own.
Ban MarriageBoys of Melody
“Ban Marriage” is the song that made me fall in love with this band. Ridiculously fast-paced, with lyrics that tumble out so quickly they almost stumble on themselves, and a rousing chorus that bursts out with “Ban marriage!” this is a song that is simply a joy to listen to.
“Boys of Melody” takes longer to build and is one of the less “topical” songs. It is simply about the the joy of summer on the beach. It’s a little sappy, but sometimes that’s exactly what you need.
And, you can head over to Brooklyn Vegan for “Music is My Boyfriend” from Mississauga Goddam.
And, while I’ve never seen them live, I hear they put on an amazing show. So I’m keeping my eyes open for the next time they come by.