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Monday, April 17, 2023

Grady Strange and the bric-à-brackity punk runaway "Flowers Surround You" (Official Video)

 




"I am all alone, perpetually riding home / Every day's a drone, stuck on a metronome / I was digging a hole, a place I could lay my bones / Yea but then, "something's all wrong" yelled the man with the megaphone..."


Watching, listening to the smile inducing, bric-à-brackity punk runaway "Flowers Surround You" by Los Angeles based Grady Strange (the solo music mission of Grady Wenrich, with help from his partner Mackenzie Howe aka Pet Dress, their dog Dolly Parton, and friends) and I have questions. Like why is this wonderful escapist thing so short? (I wanted more). Where did these guys get matching grandpa suits? And what is Grady Wenrich going through, emotionally, spiritually and / or otherwise? As of late, his songs seem to be his normal acerbic avant garde art punk full of jagged puzzle piece-eee poetry but (is it me) or are his songs feeling increasingly stepping into L.A. potholes full of rainwater that seem shallow but are treacherously deep (existentially speaking).


Now, mind you, the brevity of "Flowers Surround You", shorter than a Ramones, song actually feels spot on, perfect. Not unlike a Ramones song, the sonic thrust, the jangly punk push literally makes you want to run through cityscapes like a hyper teen with arms flailing. 


The chorus can mean a lot of things. 


"Why waste your time worrying bout the time when the light is around you / In the back of your mind through the door you will find that the flowers surround you...!!!"

Or the chorus can mean absolutely nothing, it is ying yang-esque in this way or it could just be a mirror. I think, however that the frenetic pace symbolizes how we are always chasing something (whatever that might be) and the lyrics suggest the inherent worry of success (whatever that might be) because when that spotlight is attained you fret about how to feel it once again or even if you ever will feel it again when all the while, if you discard the worry life could be that much better, lovely. I know that is some dense hippie shit and for that I apologize. 

Kick ass song anyway. 

-Robb Donker Curtius 


https://gradystrange.bandcamp.com/track/head-am-i-out-of-my


Grady Strange is the solo music mission of Grady Wenrich, along with help from his partner Mackenzie Howe aka Pet Dress, their dog Dolly Parton, and friends. Based out of LA, some call it "saltwater cowgirl rocknroll", others call it an honest attempt. And what else can we do these days? The world is dying and giving you all that it can so you can have a good time. Don't let it down.




Grady Strange,  Lo-fi Rock, indie rock, stripped down production, raw indie, live indie,  "Flowers Surround You", "See You Later, Separator" album, Perpetual Doom, acerbic lyrics, existential punk, 

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