my power pop addiction, no. 135 (207)

I need a little break today from Deep Thoughts, so I thought I’d post a fun song from Holly and the Italians. Power pop is dominated by men, though the frequent appearance of guys with androgynous singing voices complicates the picture a bit. But as is the case with Glam, androgyny in power pop tends to have the paradoxical effect of bolstering the masculinity of the music as opposed to weakening it. The best example I can think of off the top of my head is Nick Gilder, who sounds like a girl in every respect except that the words he sings in that high register of his are frequently drenched in lascivious male sexuality…And here I was thinking I could avoid Deep Thoughts for a day. Back to Holly and the Italians. It’s a nice change of pace when the singer is female and the song addresses boy-girl dynamics from the girl’s perspective. Holly Beth Vincent sounds like a tough cookie in tonight’s song with a style that’s in the same vein as the Runaways and Debbie Harry. I dig her rough and ready spirit, and the song is nice ‘n catchy…