Monday, March 28, 2011

Thinkin' 'bout Moe Tucker

Y'know who I'd like to interview someday? Velvets' drummer Maureen Tucker. Not because I'm hungry for Velvet Underground anecdotes - she must have told all she has to tell about that band, by this point, probably several times over - and not even so much about her music (because, though I definitely enjoy her solo albums, she seems to have left music aside for the last eight years or so, to raise her grandchild; I'm not sure she'd be interested in talking about it). Mostly I'm interested in her life now, as a grandmother and as a woman in America, presumably of a working class, non-rich orientation, even though she also happens to be THE Moe Tucker; it's gotta be a very revealing story of what happens to (female) artists in America... I mean, dig, she apparently sells stuff on eBay, including autographed CDs (tho' she'll only sell to the USA, dammit!). She has her own website, which she appears not to have updated in seven or eight years, with at least two email addresses that don't work; and she gave one interview last year, talking about a controversially conservative public statement (at about the 2:40 mark of that clip) she made about Barack Obama, at a Tea Party rally. Otherwise she keeps a pretty low profile, these days. Those of you not familiar with her 1990's musical output should check out, for example, "Lazy," a favourite of mine, or the harder-rockin' "Hey Mersh," off an album, as I recall, that features guest appearances by various Velvets, members of Sonic Youth, Daniel Johnson, and maybe even Jad Fair (I forget, and am too lazy to dig it out, but she and Fair collaborated a bit...). What do you say, Moe? (If you won't give me an interview, how about selling me a signed CD?).

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