I Will No Longer Do The Devil’s Dishes

As we hit the 2/3rds mark of 2015, I don’t have a favorite album of the year, but my favorite song is a lock. “Paper Tiger” is the B-side of this pretty in pink 7″ single, a collaboration between Austin soul-poppers, Sweet Spirit, and Britt Daniel of Spoon. The A-side, “Have Mercy,” is all about Sweet Spirit lead singer, Sabrina Ellis, a powerhouse frontwoman with a huge voice, like a badass hybrid of Freddie Mercury, Lux Interior, and mid-’90s PJ Harvey. I highly recommend any of her bands, including A Giant Dog, her scuzz-punk rock ‘n’ roll outfit with Andrew Cashen (who also co-leadd Sweet Spirit), and Bobby Jealousy, her former band with ex-husband, Seth Gibbs. (Both bands AGD and BJ figure prominently in my 2013 year-end wrap-up post, Remembering 2013: Ruthless, Unbroken, and Profane.)

As great as “Have Mercy” is, the B-side, “Paper Tiger,” is my #1 jam. And as much as I like the song, my daughters — especially 2-year-old Lucinda — have moshed to this song at least 2 million times. We’ve had the single for months — first digitally and then on vinyl — and she still can’t get enough of it. Of course, what’s not to like? The reboot takes Spoon’s starkly minimalist synth-pop original and cleverly repurposes it into a funky rock tune with horns. As weird as it might sound, I hear a Joy Division arrangement, aMiniature‘s angular pop sensibility, and the Rocket From The Crypt horns. If there’s an unsung hero it’s Jon Fichter, the man throwing down that fat, swinging bassline.

It’s worth mentioning that this single was produced by Mike McCarthy, who had a hand in 4 Spoon albums between 2001-07, and is now Sweet Spirit’s producer of record.

Sweet Spirit & Britt Daniel – Paper Tiger
Nine Mile Records Bandcamp

 

Britt Daniel – lead vocals
Andrew Cashen – lead harmony vocal, guitar
Sabrina Ellis – harmony vocal in chorus
Josh Merry – guitar
Jake Knight – keyboards
Jon Fichter – bass
Danny Blanchard – drums
Leslie Matthews – sax
Sam Rives – trumpet
Cara Tillman – backing vocals

Of course, the hefty swing of the Sweet Daniel collab stands in stark contrast to Spoon’s original. Check out this excerpt:

Spoon – Paper Tiger [Excerpt]
Kill The Moonlight, 2002
Amazon

 

Britt Daniel – vocals, piano
Eggo Johanson – keyboards
Joshua Zarbo – bass
Jim Eno – drums, drum machine (?)

Spoon’s original is 3:07, but this :51 excerpt is the song distilled down to its essence. One of the earliest examples of the band’s synth-pop explorations and that’s what makes Andrew Cashen’s “Paper Tiger” facelift so impressive. How the fuck do you get to the new single from these electro-minimalist origins? Sayeth Cashen and Ellis:

I remember sitting in a cubicle 8 years ago. I was not playing music at this time, I was pretty miserable. I remember listening to ‘Paper Tiger’ and thinking it would be really cool if a band covered this song all sped up, ‘Please Mr. Postman’ style. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great the way it is. My brain just heard it differently. Fast-forward 8 years to the day, Britt called me up — I have no idea how he got my phone number — and said, ‘You know that idea you had? We should do that.’ That’s exactly how it happened. If anyone says anything different they are a fucking liar.”
–Andrew Cashen to Spin, Premiere: Sweet Spirit (and Britt Daniel) Cover Spoon’s ‘Paper Tiger,’, May 14, 2015

 

‘Paper Tiger’ is a song that we’ve always wanted to cover. Andrew was attracted to the beautiful melody. He kept talking about giving it the Amy Winehouse beat, Winehouse with the Dap-Kings. We learned the song and began incorporating it into our set. One night we had an early show at Hotel Vegas. Britt Daniel happened to be in the audience and we asked him onstage to sing with us. That’s when we whipped out this coked-up version of ‘Paper Tiger.’ I don’t know who was more surprised, Britt or the 30 people at the bar. We decided to make ‘Paper Tiger’ the B-side to our single, ‘Have Mercy.’

It begins the same way as the original, with a keyboard on heavy delay starting the riff. Then the drums come in and it turns into something wild. Andrew is the second voice. I don’t want people to be mistaken, we sound so alike. He wanted me to sing it, but I think it’s heartwrenching to hear both male vocals together. There’s a lyric, ‘We could go kick down some doors together,’ but we mistook that for ‘We could go kick ass in bars together!’ Britt liked the revision. It stayed. ‘Paper Tiger’ is a real crowd-pleaser, especially when Britt and I are shaking it like Rod (Stewart) and Tina (Turner).
–Sabrina Ellis to Spin, May 14, 2015

Interesting sidenote about the altered lyrics. There’s actually another lyric change in the song and it’s the title of this post. On the original “Paper Tiger,” Britt sings, “I will no longer do the devil’s wishes.” However, for the cover it was changed to, “I will no longer do the devil’s dishes.” Both could certainly be metaphors for any master/servant relationship, but I love the revision because it’s infused with subtle service industry resentment. As a former dishwasher, I can totally relate to the idea that I might be working for Old Scratch himself. The funny thing is Sabrina told me it was an accidental revision. She genuinely thought that’s what the lyrics were. If that’s not a textbook argument against overthinking, I don’t know what one is.

YOUR INSPIRATION WAS A MEMORY THAT YOU KNOW YOU NEVER HAD

 

While Cashen and Ellis reimagined “Paper Tiger” into something wholly different from its source, the track itself is not without antecedent. There’s a couple different elements, in fact, that point us backward. For example, the way the song opens with a drum beat, adds a delayed drum machine (just like “Paper Tiger” 1.0), then bass, then horns and guitar echoes a similar arrangement, albeit one separated by 36 years and 4,775 miles. That’s the distance from Austin, Texas to Manchester, England.

Joy Division – She’s Lost Control [Excerpt]
Unknown Pleasures, 1979
Amazon

 

Ian Curtis – lead vocals
Bernard Sumner – guitar
Peter Hook – bass, backing vocals
Stephen Morris – drums, percussion
Martin Hannett – producer, synthesizer, effects

Real talk: I’m not a huge Joy Division fan. They’re too stiff and monochromatic for my tastes. I understand their influence and the esteem with which they’re held, but I’m mostly unmoved. Mostly. Within their austere, claustrophobic, proto-goth* murk, though, are undeniable grooves that point ahead to rock bands like Spoon, who also use space and minimalism in their songs, as well as maintain a comfort with synthetic textures. (Daniel actually asserts in this 2009 interview with the AV Club that it’s producer Mike McCarthy who’s the real JD fan. Daniel, like me, leans toward The Cure, no doubt for melodic reasons.)

This excerpt of “She’s Lost Control” opens in a manner very much in line with “Paper Tiger.” It kicks off with a Morris drum lick that sounds like it can’t wait to turn into a drum machine loop. Hannett then comes in on synth at :07** playing the same role here as Fichter’s killer bassline on “PT.” Curtis enters on vocals at :20** and then at :53**, just after Morris’ giddy-up drum fill, Hook’s bass and Sumner’s crunchy grunge riff come in together. It’s a cool arrangement and I must give credit where credit is due.

* When I use a term like “proto-goth,” that assumes there’s a goth ground zero that emerged in the wake of Joy Division. It begs the question: What did goths do before goth? Did they just sit around pondering meaninglessness, waiting for someone to invent goth? Lazy, sullen fuckers.

** These times are all relative to my edit, by the way, not the actual track.

If Joy Division represents the artsy, Euro-influenced side of both Spoon and Sweet Spirit, the horns are pure fartsy, taking us to San Diego circa 1994. It was an unlikely spot for a healthy indie rock scene, but it happened, largely under the auspices of Headhunter Records, Cargo Music, and The Casbah nightclub. Oh, to be at The Casbah on a Saturday night with Rocket From The Crypt headlining and Uncle Joe’s Big ‘Ol Driver opening. Rock ‘n’ fucking roll.

Relative to our story, though, it was the decision of lead Rocketeer, John Reis, to introduce horns into Rocket — first Apollo 9 (sax), then JC 2000 (trumpet) — that distinguished them from so many punk and indie rock bands. This wasn’t fucking Blood, Sweat & Tears where the horns were featured soloists. In RFTC, the sax and trumpet were really extensions of the rhythm section, so in that sense they provided a template for the Sweet Spirit horns.

Rocket From The Crypt – Born In ’69
Scream, Dracula, Scream!, 1995
Amazon/Discogs

Speedo (John Reis) – lead vocals, guitar
ND (Andy Stamets) – guitar, backing vocals
Petey X (Pete Reichert) – bass, backing vocals
Atom (Adam Willard) – drums
Apollo 9 (Paul O’Beirne) – sax, backing vocals
JC 2000 (Jason Crane) – trumpet, backing vocals
Diane Gordon, Natalie Burks & Latina Webb – backing vocals

Maybe this is the mescaline talking, but “Born In ’69” kinda sounds like a punk rock version of Deep Purple‘s “Space Truckin.'” Like if Deep Purple is playing at 33 1/3rd speed, Rocket’s on 45. Whatever the case, I love this goofy video which showcases actual elements of a Rocket From The Crypt performance. The showmanship, the matching shirts, the quasi-Nudie suits, the breathing fire … all things I witnessed firsthand. Obviously, music is always primary, but I’m not averse to bands having a sense of humor about themselves. Not everything has to be a brooding existential crisis. But if that’s your thing, I got some Joy Division records you might be interested in. HEYO!!!

WHEN YOU’RE DONE YOU GOTTA ONCE MORE

If I was a betting man, I’d be willing to bet Daniel was a fan of Rocket From The Crypt from back in the day. In fact, if we compare and contrast a Spoon song with a Rocket song, I think we’ll hear a kinship. The Spoon song is from their 1996 debut, Telephono. The Rocket song is from their 1992 sophomore effort, Circa: Now!, their first album to feature horns.

 

Spoon – Claws Tracking
Telephono, 1996
Merge (paired with 1997 Soft Effects EP)

 

Britt Daniel – lead vocals, guitar
Andy Maguire – bass, backing vocals
Jim Eno – drums

Rocket From The Crypt – Sturdy Wrists [Full, Minus Intro]
Circa: Now!, 1992
Amazon/Discogs

 

Speedo (John Reis) – guitar, lead vocals
ND (Andy Stamets) – guitar, backing vocals
Petey X (Pete Reichert) – bass, backing vocals
Apollo 9 (Paul O’Beirne) – saxophone, backing vocals
Atom (Adam Willard) – drums
Tom Geck, Jon Bunch & Gar Wood – backing vocals

“Claws” and “Wrists” are both driven by a similar downstroke-heavy, eighth note riff that pushes forward even as the arrangement’s constant stop-start pulls against the beat. The main difference between the two songs is that “Claws” maintains a driving claustrophobia, while “Wrists” resolves into a major key chorus. “Sturdy Wrists” is actually a bit like “Paper Tiger” 2.0 in that way. The other element that Spoon and Rocket share in common are those distinctive, overdriven fuzz vocals. I remember in the early-to-mid-’90s that vocal effect becoming a go-to sound for west coast indie rock bands like RFTC and The Meices (from San Francisco). While it can be gimmicky if done too often, there’s a reason it periodically gets popular. It sounds fucking cool.

The other main reason I think Daniel would’ve been familiar with Rocket From The Crypt is because he was obviously familiar with their San Diego compadres, aMiniature, a band previously mentioned in Gun Club, Pt. 2: Walking with the Beast: 1983-85. Spoon covered aMiniature’s brooding classic, “Towner On The B-Side” on Telephono, however, they changed the title to “Towner.”

 

Spoon – Towner On The B-Side
Telephono, 1996
Merge (paired with 1997 Soft Effects EP)

 

Britt Daniel – lead vocals, guitar
Andy Maguire – bass, backing vocals
Jim Eno – drums

For at least two years (1994-95) aMiniature was as good as any rock band in the world. They were like a fun, looser Television, with dual lead guitars, a heavy, fluid rhythm section, and bandleader John Lee’s intelligent, cryptic lyrics. It was the perfect example of an American indie band who translated Eurorock into a language I could appreciate. Where Daniel incorporated elements of Joy Division and The Cure into Spoon songs, aMiniature were avowed Echo And The Bunnymen fans. In fact, I have a blurry, beer-soaked memory of the band covering Echo’s “Bring On The Dancing Horses,” though whether it was a soundcheck or during a show proper, I can’t say. Stupid alcohol being the cause of and solution to all of life’s problems.

I was going to do a compare/contrast between the two versions of “Towner,” but Spoon’s take is faithful enough that including both versions would be redundant. The only difference is lyrical, and ironically it parallels what happened between Britt Daniel and Sweet Spirit. Where SS sang different lyrics to the original “Paper Tiger,” Daniel sang different lyrics to the original “Towner On The B-Side.”

Spoon:
“Did it feel good when it felt good?
When it looked like you could settle in”

aMiniature:
“Did it feel good when it felt good?
When it looked like you could peddle it quick”

Doesn’t alter the tone significantly, but worth noting.

SWAM THAT SEA UNTIL HE COULDN’T CARE TO BOTHER

 

aMiniature – Hiker Atlas
Depthfiveratesix, 1994
Amazon/Discogs

 

John Lee – vocals, guitar
Kevin Wells – guitar
Colin Watson – bass
Christian Hoffman – drums

aMiniature’s masterpiece for many reasons: The constantly shifting rhythms (especially Hoffman’s drumming), Watson’s bass dropping in and out, Lee’s strangled vocals, and all damn day those dual/dueling guitars. The first half of “Hiker Atlas” is mostly riffage, but from 2:07 to the song’s quick fade out, Lee and Wells weave around each other in contrapuntal glory, building off the main riff as they struggle for control of the song. No one overplays or shows off, if anything their respective solos are relatively econo. But, it’s the archetypal example of what both aMiniature and John Lee brought to the table. Churning, angular, and intelligent rock music that paid homage to Television, Gun Club, and The Pixies, all while carving out an original niche.

 

Spoon – This Book Is A Movie [Excerpt]
Girls Can Tell, 2001
Merge

 

Britt Daniel – guitar
Joshua Zarbo – bass
Jim Eno – drums

In 2001, 7 years after Depthfiveratesix came out, Spoon released their third album, Girls Can Tell. On that album is an instrumental called “This Book Is A Movie.” It’s probably a shade too long at 3:33, but the reason it concludes this post is because the song’s signature riff is a direct callback to “Hiker Atlas.” The aMiniature influence may not have been as obvious at this point as their “Towner” cover, but it was there. Here’s the two riffs merged together in a single, brief track. The first 9 seconds is “Hiker,” the last 7 seconds is “This Book.”

aMiniature/Spoon – Hiker Atlas/This Book Is A Movie basslines

 

“Hiker Atlas on a mission for his mother
Swam that sea until couldn’t care to bother
Swam awhile because he couldn’t get
The stain out of his hands”