Ani DiFranco’s record label, Righteous Babe Records, has revealed it’s latest find with the Sept. 11 release of feminist duo Bitch and Animal’s CD “Eternally Hard”.
Bitch and Animal met in 1994 in Chicago and immediately recognized each other as kindred spirits. They started writing songs and performing their unique music for devoted audiences all over the East Coast. They found crowds responded well to their stage names, so they dropped their own and began living life as Bitch and Animal.
As they gained popularity and continued touring, they caught the eye (and ear) of indie music queen Ani DiFranco. After cutting their first independent album, “What’s That Smell?”, they began a worldwide tour opening for DiFranco, attaining an even bigger following of fans. In May of 2000, they launched, after a yearlong production, their Righteous Babe debut.
In an interview about the making of “Eternally Hard,” Bitch discussed some of DiFranco’s unconventional production methods.
“At one point we were doing a take of ‘Passports.’ I was having a hard time hitting the vulnerability of that song,” Bitch said. “So Ani made us all get naked and do more takes.”
Scanning the song titles on the back of the CD, titles like “Best Cock on the Block” and “Sparkly Queen Areola” stand out right away. Two impressions immediately come to mind; either this is a CD of uber-feminist women doing some intense male bashing, or it’s sophomoric lesbian pop catering to the Howard Stern crowd. Well, first impressions are not always accurate.
Their style is hard to pinpoint-their self-described “tribal chick hoedown funk poetry with a political wedge and bass line edge” is a mixture of singing, speaking and some pretty impressive human beat-box action courtesy of Animal.
Track one, “Best Cock on the Block”, quickly establishes Bitch and Animal as a daring, lovely mixture of comedy, sarcasm and anger. The song has a funky beat and explains the title of the CD. “Eternally Hard” refers to the benefits of the store-bought faux version of male genitalia-that’s right, they are singing about the d-word that rhymes with ’tildo’. Make no mistake, there is no penis envy lurking beneath these sarcastic lyrics.
Not all the songs on the CD deal with sexual accessories. Bitch and Animal sing of environmental and political frustrations in the song “Pissed” and profess their love of marijuana in the song “Ganja”, a goofy parody of a song usually reserved for Catholic mass.
While a lot of the music plays upon the wicked wit of Bitch and Animal, some of the songs have the charming honesty of real-life experience. “Boy girl wonder” ponders the frustration of liking someone who isn’t really available, while “Passports” exposes all the facets of loneliness.
The wide variety of sounds and lyrics are one of the great strenghts of “Eternally Hard”. “Scrap Metal” and “Blah Do Blay” will make listeners want to get up and dance, while songs such as “Traffic” and “Miss Me My Dear” are perfect for wallowing in the mess of love gone bad.
Ani DiFranco fans will definitely hear her influence in the CD’s music and lyrics, but Bitch and Animal’s sound is still unique. Occasionally, Animal’s backup vocals are overwhelming as she screams, moans and whispers along with the music. Overall though, Bitch and Animal produce music that is energetic and spirited.
Bitch and Animal’s image and lyrics might seem a bit intimidating for some, but once one gets past this they will discover smart and funny lyrics delivered with a creative blend of instruments-bass, African drums and ukulele, just to name a few.
One does not have to be a card-carrying member of the lesbian community to appreciate this music-it sounds great, and it has songs that everyone can relate to. This CD will inspire both laughter and thought.
Rating: A-
