The Teenagers are one of those bands you smugly drop into conversation with a 'Jeeves' (a phrase coined by a friend to describe those people who like to think they know everything about every band that's ever graced the earth. Also referred to as know-it-alls and/or wankers). In most cases, you'll most likely be met with a blank expression or confused look. Ha! However, on the off chance anyone actually knows of them, you're probably guaranteed a friend for life.. or at least someone you can sneakily steal some more musical tip-offs from.
Or maybe that's just me.
If you're not familiar with the Teenagers, now is the time to correct that. They tick all the right cool boxes (french: check, young: check, the word c**t in songs: check, obsessed with sex, celebrity and, er, ham rolls: check) but do actually have the songs to back them up. I've heard mixed things about their live shows, but they are perfection on record. Their unique blend of laid-back storytelling, simple, plodding basslines and hilariously honest lyrics ("sometimes, when I wake up, it's a circus in my underwear") work so well, it's a wonder they aren't more well known.
Anyway, this week upon opening NME (which I only buy for my Journalism dissertation research, honest) I turn to their "What to wear to look cooool/new rave/whatever!!!" page, and see my beloved Teenagers shirt staring back at me, worn by some geeky NME writer. I cry a little, mainly because wearing the tshirt will now look like a declaration of love for NME's fashion expertise, rather than the Teenagers. OK, I might be being a little dramatic here, but that was my favourite tshirt, and now it's been NME-ified. Next thing you know, the Teenagers will turn into those nothingy bands that people never even bother admitting they like, simply because everyone else and their gran is also a fan.
So on this dark day, let us remember the Teenagers' golden, pre-NME years, before they get given some obscure genre made up especially for them (Parisian perv-poppers already seems to be a favourite) and are used to advertise iPods.
Tracks:
(all ysi)
Sunset Beach mp3
Homecoming mp3
MySpace
Teenagers' MySpace
Their new single, Starlett Johansson, is out now on Merok. Buy it here.
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