Monday, September 27, 2021

Music Monday: MUNA Edition

Full confession, as much as the VMAs keep making me feel like An Old, indie music also keeps showing my age. Before their release of “Silk Chiffon” earlier this month, I’d never heard of MUNA. Like, sure, I knew some of the other big millennia/Gen Z queer names — your Phoebe Bridgers, your girl in red. But MUNA? That’s a full “sorry to this man”-for me.

But, now that I’ve watched their wonderful video for “Silk Chiffon” (featuring the above-mentioned Phoebe not to be confused with Waller-Bridge), I feel confident in saying I’ll never forget them.To put it simply, it’s a queer girl love song. And the video is a hommage to none other than “But I’m a Cheerleader,” one of the seminal 90s indie lesbian classics.

Now, we all know “But I’m a Cheerleader.” Natasha Lyonne! Clea DuVall! Melanie Lynskey! Cathy Moriarty! Ru-FREAKING-Paul! The film holds up as a cult classic, not to mention continuing tale about acceptance and the futility of trying to pray or simulate the gay away.

You may not know MUNA, but you will now. The trio is made up of musicians Katie Gavin, Josette Maskin and Naomi McPherson who met while in college at the University of Southern California about eight years ago. Four years ago they released their first full-length album, “About U,” on major label RCA followed by another album, “Saves the World,” two years later.

But this spring they signed with Bridgers label Saddest Factory, and now they’ve released the glorious single “Silk Chiffon,” and its accompanying video. Have I watched it a ton once discovering it? You betcha. Do I wish openly lesbian/queer songs like this existed when I was A Young? You betcha as well.

All three bandmates identify as queer — which, duh — and Naomi identifies as non-binary as well. They’ve toured with Bridgers and next year they’ll go on the road with Kacey Musgraves and King Princess which, hello, looking at tickets for that IMMEDIATELY.

So, sit back and enjoy. If you’ve already heard of MUNA and love them and yadda yadda, enjoy feeling righteously smug. And if you haven’t, well let the experience of another quality queer group wash over you like the soft, pleated fabric of a cheerleader’s skirt. I’m a homosexual, you betcha. Happy Monday, kittens.

2 comments:

Helena said...

Thank you Dorothy for keeping this rather old lesbian up to date. Have a good week and stay safe.

Shazzer said...

Where has this band been all my life?! (Or at least the last 4 years of it!) Thanks so much for sharing, Dorothy!