"so you never dig down / don't disobey / screaming in my ear / smelling like an ashtray!"
The bold faced angular anger and proggy punk stomp of "Dumb Men" by Bureau De Change is an acerbic battle cry, a bear spray to the male face of rape culture and every distillation of it. As a father of two daughters, who like all women have had to deal with stupid fucking men (and boys), this could be, should be a daily affirmation to listen to every time you face yourself in the mirror and brush your teeth and as I write this, it should be an affirmation for all of us.
As Flora whose brazen vocal countenance voices this track shares:
"‘Dumb Men’ is the first single off the second Bureau De Change EP. It is an anthem surrounding the issues of Catcalling, toxic masculinity and rape culture. ‘Dumb Men’ viciously mocks and pokes at the words that people use to excuse men’s behaviour towards women. Written from personal experience, men have often told me to be quiet, less outspoken, and put up with the actions of those around them. This anthem is about taking back autonomy, making those words obsolete, and shouting back into the faces of those who use them."
Not for the faint of art, "Dumb Men" is a full throttle alt punk rocker, besides Flora's audacious vocal wail, the guitar, bass, drum attacks feel feral chopping away while feeling musically tightly wound. At one point the song spins down into a precise drunken stumble (really dig this). The furious punches slap you in the face and then you begin to think, question just how much generational toxic masculinity has cost women and men all over the planet. Sad and disgusting, disgusting and sad.
LINER NOTES:
[Bureau De Change, the rambunctious and loud local crime syndicate that no one asked for. Flora, Will, Connor, and Louis have been playing all over the UK and Europe with other industry darling projects and have come together to create a sound that truly stands out amongst the ever-growing and developing UK post-punk scene. The band's recognizable writing style full of sardonic humor and decisive political messaging is carried by their strong feminist undertones, using striking imagery to draw idiosyncratic parallels to the world around them and the romanticized version of femininity. This is juxtaposed by the disjointed musical prowess (or lack of) to create a definitive sense of dissonance. The group has worked together to create a melodic and striking wall of sound that fills your entire body, a band that's strength come through in their love of performance both live and recorded. ‘The Potter’s Wheel’ is the band's first single. Heavy in subject and sound, ‘The Potter’s Wheel’ has strong themes around sexual assault and how men have ‘molded’ women to become their own personal statues, seen and not heard, beautiful but not opinionated. the band is unafraid to shout in the faces of current social perceptions and norms and allow the listener to stare down the mirror of society.]
-Robb Donker Curtius
THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM
https://www.instagram.com/bureaudechangeband/
Bureau De Change, the rambunctious and loud local crime syndicate that no one asked for. Flora, Will, Connor, and Louis have been playing all over the UK and Europe with other industry darling projects and have come together to create a sound that truly stands out amongst the ever-growing and developing UK post-punk scene.
Bureau De Change, alt rock, punk, garage rock, noise, proggy, artful, politico punk, "Dumb Men", acerbic, sardonic, thoughtful, social commentary, UK post punk, toxic masculinity, Flora, Will, Connor, and Louis,
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