We Can Be Nice Or We Can Be Mean

PWR BTTM “Dairy Queen”

I felt compelled to mention this when I wrote about Diet Cig, and I feel like I have to reiterate it here in writing about PWR BTTM: It is amazing to me that I have been writing this site since 2002 and I can probably (still) count on one hand the times I’ve featured bands from the Hudson Valley, which is where I’m from. It’s crazy that all of a sudden there’s a music scene forming in the area where I grew up – where the hell was all this when I was a kid?? – but also totally logical in that it’s a place very close to New York City where young musicians can live a lot cheaper and have a lot more practice space and generally have this sort of suburban-bohemian lifestyle. More bands should move there.

PWR BTTM are a joyful and openly queer rock band, but carry themselves in this very ‘90s casual indie boy sort of way. It’s an interesting balance, for sure. “Dairy Queen” is a very suburban rock song, both in vibe – that clinky metallic riff just feels like being in a shitty car driving to nowhere in particular to me – and in sentiment, which is mostly about fantasizing about doing super cool things and settling for making your own fun. It ma be a song about living with compromises and practical concerns, but it’s not hung up on that stuff. It’s more about really throwing yourself into the sorts of fun you get to have, and that’s usually a lot more satisfying.

Buy it from Amazon.