SOTW: "Break My Stride" by Matthew Wilder || LIVE ALERT: TJLs and P.I.C. at NYC's Knitting Factory

Even though it's still sunny in L.A, there's something slightly Shining-like about my current state of writerly seclusion, only I'm more like the frustrated "Redrum" kid looking for playfriends while cruising around on a big wheel, than an axe-wielding Jack Nicholson. Lately it seems I only get out into the world in very scheduled ways (mostly for the "Lift" class at 24HR fitness, and my Wednesday night poker game with semi-strangers in Hollywood...oh... and to teach my one frakking class, because I only have a 75% leave year). But we won't waste time complaining.

To invoke the time-honored wisdom of Matthew Wilder, "ain't nothin' gonna break my stride." Even this scheduled song break is brought to you by the curious debris floating around the chapter I'm currently working on called "Behind the Orange Curtain."


[Side note: I love Marilyn McCoo's pageant-plus-Wowowee interlude in this video. For Oh!, Solid Gold has always been an ur-text. Also, did y'all catch "Pepsi and Shirlie" announced up next on this cable network? For those who don't remember, P and S were George and Andrew's back-up ladies in Wham! during the Fantastic era]

Though Matthew Wilder will probably be relegated to a footnote, the year of his wondrous one hit--1984--is a big deal in my OC chapter. I'll leave you guessing as to why. Some reasons are obvious, others not so. The single came from Wilder's album, I Don't Speak the Language, which was released in 1983. "Break my Stride" peaked at #5 on the Billboard charts in January 1984.

Wilder didn't recede into the ether after his John Oates-ish 'stache ceased to be relevant (that is until the more recent facial hair revivals in various hipster worlds, queer and straight). Matthew Wilder produced No Doubt's Tragic Kingdom, thus defining for the last decade what mainstream imaginaries think of as an "OC sound." And if you listen to "Break My Stride" it all makes sense. Friendly ska-ish upbeats, doubled by "stabbing" New Wave synth (to use one of QBN MAMI's favorite, awesome action words about synths). These two are among a total of probably 4 elements that made Tragic Kingdom such a smash. The notion of a "Tragic Kingdom" to follow-up the Cold War fantasies inspired by the Orange Curtain is where I'm stuck today, so back at it.

That's all the time I have out of the cage for now. Back to life...back to reality... (KT)

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LIVE ALERT: Ain't nothin' gonna break HER stride either...

After a successful series of gigs with The Jack Lords in L.A. at Fais Do Do and The Festival of Philippine Arts and Cultures (FPAC), our very own CBB is on the road again for a couple of shows with TJL and, DJ Un-G's hip-hop, funk, soul bros., P.I.C. at NYC's Knitting Factory. Check them out this Saturday night!