don't get lemon and the gorgeous British 80's post punk / new wave tropicalia of "Paid Holiday" (Official Lyric Video)

 

"He said there’s more to life than contentment / A house and dog and never worrying about rent / He said he wants to know when it’s his time to be off his nut in the sweet sunshine..."

The gorgeous British 80's post punk / new wave tropicalia of "Paid Holiday", by Austin, Texas synth-pop trio Don’t Get Lemon, feels so authentically dreamy that it feels like found footage from that iconic era and space. Within the Nick Ross's percussive bubbly synth rhythms / smashed beats and soulful surf noir guitars, Bryan Walter's boppy rolling bass lines and Austin Curtis's luscious new wave drawl that has hints of David Wakeling of English Beat and Mick Jones of The Clash smashed together. Languishing in this fascination, there are memory flashes of artists like Culture Club / English Beat, The Clash and Alphaville or maybe a lovely amalgam of all those artists.

I have to admit that sometimes artists that harken back to the 80's might feel too nostalgic for me but here, don't get lemon, embodies the sound so fucking earnestly that this feels beyond a homage, beyond net iterations from iconic inspirations but, rather, something so pure as to feel freshly drawn with pure love.    

LINER NOTES (excerpted / bracketed):

[The track carries a bold sense of swagger, confident and composed, but underneath there’s a clear emotional weight. The lead vocals are sharp and direct, with a clarity and urgency, reminiscent of Damon Albarn on a serotonin comedown, cutting through the lush production with purpose. At the same time, there's a theatrical restraint and detached wit at play, like Alex Cameron doing his best suburban Bowie impression, giving the performance both grit and glamour. Midway through the track, warm harmonies rise behind the lead, evoking the ecstatic lift of Primal Scream and the loose, dreamlike swirl of Happy Mondays. It's a sonic contrast that creates tension and releases movement and memory caught in the same breath.]

-Robb Donker Curtius

LYRICS

He said there’s more to life than contentment
A house and dog and never worrying about rent
He said he wants to know when it’s his time to be off his nut in the sweet sunshine
Hearing the colours in an open field
Wondering if this is how love feels
He said his ex is his best friend and his mother worries it’s happened again
How long can this last for?
A paid holiday and to settle the score
How long can this last for?
A sunny day and nothing else more
He said he can go on a holiday to Spain get some sun and forget the rain or end up broke and deceased laying face down on a grey beach
He said he can work from a hotel in France maybe have some kids given the chance or end up bald and obese sipping wine on a budget beach
How long can this last for?
A paid holiday and to settle the score
What more could he ask for?
A sunny day and fuck else more






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THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM 

https://open.spotify.com/artist/5p61frN4B9cphPQvnWmC9i

https://www.youtube.com/@dontgetlemon5670

https://dontgetlemon.bandcamp.com/album/paid-holiday

https://www.instagram.com/dontgetlemontx

https://www.tiktok.com/@dontgetlemontx

https://www.facebook.com/youdontgetlemon

https://linktr.ee/dontgetlemon


Don’t Get Lemon is a cool, ironic, stylish, detached, danceable pop trio based in Austin and Houston, Texas. Commanding a sound that ranges from 70s Berlin to 80s Manchester, DGL seek to entice the senses with their glam infused synth-pop. There is an alternative to DGL, but could we live with it?


FFO: Depeche Mode, OMD, Pet Shop Boys, David Bowie, The Smiths, Roxy Music



Don’t Get Lemon are:

Austin Curtis - vocals

Bryan Walters - bass, percussion

Nick Ross - synth, guitar, drum programming

don't get lemon, Austin Texas indie trio, 80's music, new wave, post punk, dance music, postpunk, Singer Austin Curtis, percussive dream pop, synth pop, synth pop trio, romance wave, "Paid Holiday" (Official Lyric Video),