TRACK REVIEW: Kim Gordon - Air BnB — Music Musings & Such

TRACK REVIEW:

Kim Gordon

PHOTO CREDIT: Natalia Mantini

Air BnB

9.7/10

The track, Air BnB, is available via:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Jhhzy7vr8A

GENRES:

Alternative-Rock/Art-Rock

ORIGIN:

Los Angeles, U.S.A.

RELEASE DATE:

11th September, 2019

LABEL:

Matador Records

The album, No Home Record, will be released on 11th October. Pre-order here:

https://driftrecords.com/products/kim-gordon-no-home-record

__________

OVER the years…

PHOTO CREDIT: Natalia Mantini

I have reviewed some pretty cool and awesome musicians – few have been as cool and iconic as Kim Gordon! I will come to address her latest track very soon but, before getting to that, I want to mention a few things around her. For a start, I want to discuss modern music videos and how Gordon’s effort for Air BnB is brilliantly understated and perfect. I also want to discuss artists like Gordon who can have a long career but keep evolving their sound and change things up; the perception we have of legends and the impression we have of Gordon; why artists like Gordon are so compelling and the continuing brilliance of 2019 – a little about where Gordon might head from here. To start things, I wanted to tackle music videos. Through the decades, they have always been a bit flashy and showy. Maybe that isn’t the case for smaller artists but, when you look at the mainstream and Pop artists especially, one is greeted with lots of different angles, cuts and lights. It is meant to give the song an energy and sense of excitement – a lot of times that makes up for the fact the song itself is quite generic and boring. There have been some magnificent videos through the ages but, more and more, artists are not really pushing themselves in terms of concept and ambition. I love discussing music videos because it is something I am pretty keen on. I know I have covered this area a few times but, when faced with Gordon’s new track, it brings the subject back to mind. In this very modern and Instagram age, more and more, artists are putting filters on things and releasing these rather empty videos. We see these videos will millions of views and you wonder whether that has anything to do with quality – are people just watching it so many times because of the artist involved? It is a bad sad when videos are watched because they are attached to a huge artist; it has nothing to do with how great the actual video is.

PHOTO CREDIT: Craig McDean

Kim Gordon has been releasing music for decades and is not someone, one imagines, who has a lot of time for the shallowness and pointlessness of these big, flashy videos. For Air BnB, things were done a little different. NME explains more here:

‘What do you need to make a video that really stays with people in the Instagram age? Expensive lighting? A jaw-dropping location (perhaps a scenic vista or a grimy, fear-inducing cavern)? A bunch of attention-grabbing guest stars and protagonists, and a treasure chest full of sparkling designer bling?

Absolutely none of it. In a time when we’re constantly being reminded that there’s no money in music, unlike the good old days, Kim Gordon is here to prove you don’t need to spend bucketloads of cash to make something funny, smart and engaging to accompany your songs. Her video for ‘Air BnB’ is all three of those things, hooking you early on and making you wonder what’s going to happen next, all without using any images at all.

“This video was going to be shot in an Air Bnb,” it begins, white typeface glaring out from a black void as it explains the pretty obvious starting treatment for a song with its title. “There wasn’t any money though to make it.” While the idea of someone as legendary as Gordon, a former member of Sonic Youth and noise rock hero, not having the budget to go all out – or even halfway there – on a four-minute music video is sad, it has gifted us this, a prime contender for one of the videos of the year”.

What we have is this brilliant video that captures you because of its simplicity, humour and originality. I think a lot of big artists could learn a lot from Kim Gordon and how she has approached her latest video. It is a video I keep coming back to time and time again because it is so engrossing and original. I have nothing against artists who want to release these expensive and big videos but, at a time when we are exposed to endless videos, photos and information, few of these actually stand out.

Kim Gordon, for many of us, will always be known as the bassist and vocalist for Sonic Youth. Albums like Goo and Dirty are classics from the 1990s and were part of my childhood. I have seen so many classic bands reform but, rather than go back to Sonic Youth and try to recapture some of the spirit from the 1980s and 1990s, Gordon is moving forward and embracing her own direction. I think many would like to see Sonic Youth get back together but that seems like a stretch at the moment. Maybe bands like Pixies can capture some of the spirit they had back at the start but I think it would be a little strange if Sonic Youth kept recording. The effect and sound would not be as we remember and, with such a great catalogue under their belts, we can cherish what we have without their memory being tarnished. Gordon has picked up a lot from the band and was responsible for some of the most memorable songs of the 1980s and 1990s. As a solo artist, she has not copied what she did with Sonic Youth and merely done a sole version of this. Naming no names but, when you get someone who goes from a band to solo work, they often do not change things up and try to replicate what they did before. Kim Gordon experiments and weaves so many different sounds together. I think the legends are where they are because they understand what the public want in terms of music but add something special. By that, I mean they can capture some form of universal spirit but there is this U.S.P. and special edge that puts them ahead of the pack. When it comes to Gordon, she is an artist who is a literal artist. She is a visual artist and actor and, because of that, I think her music is afforded a lot more flair, physicality and imagination. A lot of other musicians are involved in other areas of the arts but Gordon has always had an attachment to art.

PHOTO CREDIT: David Black

Not only is she defying convention with her music videos but her music is so interesting and fresh. No Home Record is out next month and it is an album that you will want to get involved with! Without losing focus and quality, Gordon switches between sounds and throws so much into the mix. In many ways, she is acting as a visual artist and painter with her music; mixing colours, hues and visuals together to come up with something that is truly moving and exciting. This is a reason why Gordon has remained so popular and fascinating: her music cannot be defined and easily predicted. Here, in this feature with The Times , that point about diversity and originality is enforced:

“Music is, then, just part of the equation. But, as No Home Record shows so compellingly, it remains a hugely important part of Gordon’s armoury. Sonically, the album veers from Slits-like dub to raucous dissonance, one minute becalmed with a brass ensemble (on the new single, Sketch Artist), the next exploding into Stooges-recalling cacophony. On the feral, techno-tinged Don’t Play It (with its wonderfully catty, Trump-targeted line “Golden vanity/You can pee in the ocean”), Gordon satirises consumerism and entitlement with such audible disgust, you can almost hear her lip curling in contempt.

At times, the album recalls the no-wave music scene Gordon was swept away by when she moved to Manhattan, whose fiercely avant-garde, structure-shunning, genre-bending stylings gave her her first inkling that she might have something to say as a musician. She is often described as having “fallen into” music. On the one hand, that’s not inaccurate; yet by implication it denies her agency in the matter and downgrades her contribution to Sonic Youth. “I do worry about how I’m perceived,” she muses. “It’s almost like a shadow. You think, ‘Ah, people are perceiving me differently.’ And I never was aware of that, and that made me wonder, ‘Do I need to be aware of that or not?’ Yet when it comes to making something, especially music, there’s this thing of, ‘F*** it.’ And I’m going to call the album No Home Record, even though you’re not supposed to use a negative in a title”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Sebastian Kim

Kim Gordon is in her sixties and, whilst this is not something that should be focused on, she has been in the industry for a very long time. In fact, actually, I want to nod to age and the fact that, in 2019, we still have to ask why certain radio stations ignore artists when they get to a particular. A lot of the more youth-orientated stations ignore music from the likes of Gordon because of her age and the fact the sound is not what their audience are used to. Listen to stations that play a lot of modern Pop and you wonder why they are so restrictive. BBC Radio 1 offers a great service but you do not often hear slightly older artists being spun that often. It seems a shame because the likes of Kim Gordon have given the world so much and inspired so many modern artists. Rather than repay that with some airplay and love, many stations are simply refusing to play the music. It seems wrong that there should be age barriers and a perception that artists are not cool or relevant when they pass forty, fifty or sixties. In terms of sheer cool, there are few who have the same reputation and legacy as Kim Gordon. She is effortlessly cool and brilliant and, for that reason, I have to ask why particular radio stations refuse to play her music. I guess it is the same with a lot of icons. Maybe it is the fact that Gordon is an actual human and someone who has a personality. So many modern artists are devoid of any interest and they seem to marketed and shaped to the nth-degree; parroting what they are told to say and desperately vacuous and unappealing. The music itself rarely goes beyond the facile and routine and you wonder, again, why artists like Kim Gordon have to fight harder for airtime. Maybe there is an image of her that cannot be shaken. Sonic Youth were a tremendous band but do they come across as too-serious and detached?

PHOTO CREDIT: Olivia Bee

Do people think Gordon will be a tricky interviewee or that her music somehow lacks fun and excitement? I don’t know, but it is sad we have these preconceptions and ideas regarding Gordon. In fact, as you can see from the article below, she has changed through the years:

“Gordon’s image has always been aloof, cool and serious, but she says: “The older I’ve gotten, the less serious I am, in a way. I mean, I like humour a lot. Whatever critical edge my visual art has, it’s often humorous. It’s not like ‘ha ha’, it’s not overt. But it’s always been there.” She points to the 1990 Sonic Youth track Kool Thing, written in the wake of a disastrous interview she did with rapper LL Cool Jay; in the song Gordon mocks the underlying fantasies and self-interest of her own liberal politics: “I just wanna know, what are you gonna do for me?” she sings to her black male interlocutor; “Are you going to liberate us girls from white male corporate oppression?’” Quoting that line to me, she says, “If you’re deadpan, or dry, people don’t really get your humour so much.”

And humour didn’t always match with the image others had of her, or the labels they made for her: “If you’re quote-unquote ‘a strong woman’ they want you to look really hard and humourless and whatever,” she complains, and mentions one photographer in particular who, she says, “makes women into men”.

I should get down to reviewing Air BnB but, before I get there, let us tick off a few points off the list. In many ways, this is the trip that leads us to the Air BnB itself; a bit of a foreword before we actually get to the main event – or maybe I should just drop that! How many modern artists coming through at the moment do we get struck by? I think so much modern music revolves around streaming figures and algorithms. There are some genuinely compelling acts who do make you smile or intrigue you but, as I was saying, there are still too many that are pretty dull.

PHOTO CREDIT: Natalia Mantini

Back when she was with Sonic Youth, Kim Gordon always stood out. I loved what she was about and the fact she was so cool without being aloof. There has always been this idea that she is aloof but I never got that impression when she was being interviewed. Now, there are so many great interviews of her where she talks about her art and life; where she lets us into her world and is warm and accessible. It might be like, as she said, how she has changed through the years but that is another reason why Gordon is such a legend. She adapts and changes with the times but keeps her core and cool intact. I shall stop using the word ‘cool’ but it is hard to get away from that when we talk of Kim Gordon. Not only is it the magic and wonderful personality of Gordon that keeps us hooked but her music remains some of the best out there. I do urge people to order her forthcoming album because it is going to be one of the best from this year. 2019 has been a huge one for music and we have seen some truly tremendous albums arrive. I know I keep mentioning how strong albums from women this year are but, when faced with a female artist to review, it is relevant. There is such range and brilliance this year; so much of it is coming from women. From Julia Jacklin and Little Simz to Sampa the Great and Lana Del Rey, you just marvel at the brilliance that has been put forward. Kim Gordon is about to add her contribution to 2019 and, as mentioned, I think she could come up with one of the strongest efforts of the year. I am not sure why 2019 has been so strong but one just how to enjoy the brilliant music coming our way.

PHOTO CREDIT: Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images

A lot of iconic artists struggle when they step from their bands and go out alone. Maybe they lack the grunt and support of their band members or we get hung up on the past and want to see that repeated. Gordon has released albums as part of Free Kitten and Body/Head but, as a solo artist, this is her first effort. Rather than people wondering if we will get something Sonic Youth-like, few are asking that question. Gordon’s music now is so different and brilliant that one embraces it and does not ask whether there is anything Sonic Youth-related. Sure, there are shades of her former band but Gordon’s music now is so deep and varied that you take it on its own terms and fall in love. I have already mentioned how Gordon mixes sounds together and always evolves; No Home Record is another sign of that. I am keen to address Gordon’s new single in a minute but, just before that, I want to spend a second on the appeal and attraction of Gordon. She is a very real artist who has a rich and exciting past. I wonder whether her story will ever come to the big screen because, when it comes to musicians who have made their mark and changed things, one has to recognise Kim Gordon. Such a compelling, staggering and always-moving artist, I wonder what the future holds for her. Gordon has inspired so many other artists and I think she is as relevant and popular now as she was back in the 1980s and 1990s. Maybe some radio stations ignore her music but there is an excitement and sense of passion for Gordon that you do not get when speaking of other artists. Let us move on to the brilliant Air BnB and, before getting there, go and see the video when you listen because it adds extra layers. Such is its humour and brilliance that it almost steals the show! Together with a wonderful song, we have another brilliant Kim Gordon effort that must rank among the best songs of 2019 – certainly, the video is one of this year’s finest!

PHOTO CREDIT: Sebastian Kim

Not only do we get a caption for the video of Air BnB – saying that the video was originally going to be shot at an Air BnB – but we get some tangled strings and a really interesting sound. I love the fact that, during the verses, the composition mainly consists of these strangles, raw strings that twist and bite. So many artists would pack too much in but Gordon juxtaposes the supposed glamour and elegance of an Air BnB with music that conjures something quite basic and dirty. The video’s captions keep coming – we learn just how kick-ass the video would have been, if the budget was there – and, actually, one can get an interpretation of the song from reading these captions. In the song, Gordon talks about this idyllic location where there is a flat-screen T.V. and beautiful views; this Air BnB that sets her free and opens her mind. For the ‘proposed’ video, Gordon would have been shot in black-and-white and crawling on the floor with her guitar; it would have been wonderful and filmic – maybe there will be an ‘alternate’ video where these ideas are actually illustrated! Gordon’s voice is arresting and fascinating throughout. In some ways, one can hear little hints of Sonic Youth in Air BnB. It is a fascinating song that sort of hints at her past but pushes Gordon forward. Those incredible and simple strings promote a sense of thrills, chills and physicality whilst Gordon repeats certain words and lines. Air BnB is almost like a piece of art of performance piece. Rather than provide this conventional song with the same riffs and hooks as everyone else, there is so much nuance running through Air BnB. From Gordon’s delivery and interpretation to the wonderful video; the fantastically sparse-yet-wonderful composition to the lyrics…it is a magnificent song. I keep wondering whether Gordon is literally checking in and marvelling at all the comfort and luxury around her.

PHOTO CREDIT: Olivia Bee

Maybe it is a metaphor or a sense of emotional discovery; a dream or somewhere she wants to be in life. Again, one is blown away by the video because it actually forces of us to come up with our own conclusion. The fact we see captions saying what the video would have looked like is a red herring; it is a tease that seems to mock the way videos are shot now – all these expensive locations and scenes that add nothing to the song and lacks any real depth. As Gordon keeps describing the Air BnB and what we would see – parking garages and setting up her guest -, the composition keeps striking. I love the balance between the description of the Air BnB and the angular, toothsome bite of the guitars. There is a sense of dislocation and ramble you get from the guitar and something more composed and visually arresting regarding the lyrics. The blend is brilliant and means you come back to the song time and time again. Gordon casts herself as this host, perhaps, that is showing someone around this fancy Air BnB. I do keep wondering whether Gordon is using this location and setting as a side of herself; maybe beckoning a lover towards her and showing what they will get. Everyone will have their own interpretation but you there is a lot more to Air BnB than meets the eye. I have played the song a few times and keep going back to certain lines. There is so much emotion coming from Gordon. She delivers the lines in such a wonderful way that you do need to keep going back to take it all in. The chorus is as addictive and catchy as any I have heard this year and the entire song leaves you feeling strangely uplifted – or maybe that was the intention all along! One will have their views as to what inspired its creation but I think it is great being left with some mystery hanging in the air! Each Kim Gordon song has a different skin but I think Air BnB is one of the best songs she has released for years. This all bodes well for an album, No Home Record, that is shaping up to be one of the most varied and brilliant of the year. Not only has Gordon released a genius video but she has given us a song that gets under the skin and will stay in the head days after you have heard it. She is truly in a league of her own and a songwriter who seems to get stronger as time goes on!

PHOTO CREDIT: Proenza Schouler

This year is a busy one for Kim Gordon. No Home Record arrives on 11th October and she will be promoting the album when it arrives. I cannot wait to get hold of it because, judging from the singles we have heard so far, it is likely to be one of the most interesting and golden albums of 2019. This year has been a huge one and I love the fact we have new material from Kim Gordon. At the start of the year, few would have expected an album from her! One of music’s true greats is about to put an album into the world and I think we should all pay attention and marvel. Away from the songs themselves and Gordon remains this utterly enticing and wonderful person that has so many strings to her bow! I keep stating how artists have been inspired by Gordon and, with every album, new generations are discovering her music. I followed Sonic Youth when I was growing up and there are albums of theirs that I would rank among my favourites. I actually find myself more intrigued by Gordon’s solo material. Maybe there are new depths and sides that run deeper and hit harder. Whatever the reason, she is an artist that I will always follow because I think she is so much more interesting and arresting than most musicians out there today. Let’s wrap things up but, going forward, I would encourage people to grab a copy of No Home Record and, if you are new to Kim Gordon, revisit her past work and see where she has come from. Read interviews and see how this marvellous human leaps from the page. Gordon is fascinating and there is so much to unpack when addressing her new music. It has been great reviewing Air BnB and that video alone warrants its own feature! 2019 has been a vibrant, exciting and bountiful year where we have seen some of the strongest albums of the decade. No Home Record promises very much and I actually think critics will rank it among the absolutely best…