Jamie’s Team Pick:
For those looking for a way to garner lesbian internet fandom only matched by the girl who wrote about Autostraddle with the autoharp, Bust magazine informs us Ani wants your help in making the music video for her song “Mariachi” from her album Which Side Are You On? To participate, you can submit Youtube videos of you (or your friend’s) interpretation of this new song, be it singing, dancing or (if we can judge your talents by the A-Camp talent show,) interpretative hula-hooping to a ukulele cover of the song. Stuff you could win includes a signed vinyl test-pressing and a Righteous Babe Records prize pack in addition to potentially being in her new music video.
Full disclosure: I was underwhelmed by this new song. But it’s Ani! So either go submit a video or maybe let’s just talk about our favorite Ani songs from her arguably more righteous earlier albums and/or favorite concert experiences watching her wail on a guitar before a sea full of lesbians. I know I’ve seen you at Ani Difranco Appreciation Club Meetings before.
I’m also feeling pretty “meh” about this song. The Living in Clip album will always hold a special place in my heart for being the soundtrack to a month of post-breakup cryrunning in 2008.
I actually think Mariachi is the strongest song on the album. Especially the guitar work, it harkens back to some of her earlier stuff that I really enjoy.
I’m with you on the guitar work but I think the fact that the first time I heard this song I was reading the lyrics on that video REALLY influenced how I feel about it.
I can get that. I only listened to it when I first listened through the whole album at once. But Mariachi and J are probably the best songs on the album. The rest has grown on me somewhat, but I’m still pretty underwhelmed by it.
(And I mean, I’m probably way biased to begin with, I pre-ordered it. On vinyl. I was probably going to like it anyways).
I haven’t heard the song yet, but in my head it goes “Mari-Mar-i-a-chi to the tune Lady Gaga’s Paparazzi.
great, now I hear ani actually doing a cover of paparazzi in my head. It works with acoustic guitar actually. This will be my daydream throughout today ;P~. =D
when i read that it was “Mari-mari-achi, Mari-mari-achi” in the tune of Alejandro. great, now i have to actually listen to Mariachi to get this song out of my head
I really like “Mariachi” for the same reason as Zach! Actually, this album in general is probably my favorite of the last few.
All of her older stuff I still adore, but I felt like around reveling she stopped progressing musically, and artistically. I don’t mean that in a bad way, from what i read in interviews, she seems more content with life and also just writing simple songs which t each their own. I still love her and would go see her, her presence at a live shw is so fierce. But yeah, this song sounds like a million Ani songs, which again, is cool, but I like it when artists keep things new/fresh/exciting.
In addition, as she has matured and grown as a person — and I guess I’m still very far off from calming/settling down in life, I find a lot less in common with her lyrics, and that’s kinda hard to cope with when you’re talking about “folk” music. idk, I’ll check out her new album anyway :)
wow, i felt this was my one of my favorite tracks on the album next to Promiscuity and of course Amendment. Which Side Are You On? is a “righteous” album. makes me sad y’all don’t like. maybe i should be making this video.
promiscuity is far and away my favourite song on this album. also this whole album was better than I expected.
Album better than expected = yes, me too.
“Hearse” is far and away my favorite, though I do dig “Promiscuity” a lot as well.
I LOVE promiscuity. I just like that it’s a new take on an old concept. Whenever people accuse me of being slutty, I just tell them I’m generous, which is way better than being stingy.
Is the Ani Difranco Appreciation Fan Club coming back? I miss it so and it is easily one of my fav Autostraddle creations. I’m willing to help in any way possible to get it back!