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Music for $u*Kingby Lisa Butterworth on Sep 13, 2004
You may think you've never heard the homegrown beats and sleazy lyrics of Peaches. If you've seen Sofia Coppola's highly touted, well-deserved new film Lost in Translation, you're wrong. There's a scene where the camera finds Bill Murray's character sitting somewhat uncomfortably with a nonplussed look on his face in a swank, sterile exotic dance club. As the Japanese women shake their asses, you hear it in the background: "Sucking on my ti**ies / like you wanted me…" leading in to the looped chorus "$u*K the pain away". Those who know Peaches are delighted when they recognize her on the soundtrack. Those who don't are offended, compelled or simply curious. But few are ambivalent. Love her or hate her - Peaches demands attention. "You go extreme when you get with me," Peaches raps seductively in "Bag It" on her new album Fatherfucker and she ain't lyin'. This Toronto native, born Merrill Nisker, covers everything from sodomy, masturbation and transgenderism to d*ck-shaking, ti**ie-sucking and S&M in her addictive, minimalist beat-driven songs. Nisker has come a long way since her after-hour club beginnings, first as a quarter of no-wave band the Shit and later as a third of the cock-rockin' Feedom. With an MC505 Groovebox, an itch for beat-making, a libido fighting for the spotlight and a penchant for gender-bending, Peaches was born, assailing the conservative and sexually modest since German label Kitty-yo released her first album Teaches of Peaches in 2000. Now she reigns in art galleries (she recently performed at an upscale fundraiser), cinema (last year she starred in a John-Malkovich directed short film), university classes (her lyrics have been added to queer studies curriculum in Toronto) and even mainstream pop (look for a cameo on Pink's upcoming album). With her ubiquitous hot pink hot pants and faux facial hair, everyone wants a piece of the peach. Teaches (re-released in the US in 2002), debuted on the XXX side of the electroclash spectrum, and found her getting off somewhere between the political agenda of Le Tigre and the horny explicitness of Cex. The new album Fatherfucker (she says the title's about equality) is more hardcore smut paired with dirty beats like her debut, but also has a raunchy rock element. Fuzzy guitar riffs invade the electro-simplicity and the first track pairs a Joan Jett sample, "I don't give a damn about my reputation", with Peaches passionately screaming "I don't give a $u*K / I don't give a sh*t". The album also features "Kick It", a duet with Iggy Pop that references one of Peaches favorite topics, her unshaven bikini line (see the crotch gallery on www.peachesrocks.com for further insight). From a white Jewish girl who grew up next door to Rush (she's told stories of playing red rover with Geddy Lee's younger brother), to a sexed-up, taboo-shucking beat junkie Peaches knows she's hot stuff. "I'm the kinda bitch that you want to get with," she sassily sings on the second track of Father$u*Ker. And yes, she is exactly that. by Lisa Butterworth on Sep 13, 2004 |
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