LE TIGRE
This Island
Universal
· Le Tigre alienate their fan base.
It's been a strange year for Le Tigre. Mr. Lady, their previous record label, shut down; the group signed to Universal and one of their songs appeared in a Telus commercial. All this was enough to make any devoted fan worry and, with their third full-length release, This Island, Kathleen Hanna, JD Samson and Johanna have only confirmed that the days of being "for the ladies, and the fags, yeah" are over.
Since when are Le Tigre concerned with subtlety and simplicity? While they haven't erased their politics altogether, the album's dance-party esthetic (including a cover of "I'm So Excited" devoid of irony that’s just plain irritating) overshadows even the most subtle political moments (like dropping the word "dyke" in the track "Viz," or screaming "you make me sick" in "Seconds" – presumably about President Bush). And, right when you think all hope is lost, they throw in the embarrassingly obvious "New Kicks" – the album's obligatory antiwar track. Recorded at a rally in New York City and put to a dance beat, the track centres on the crowd chanting "This is what democracy sounds like!"
This is what alienating your fan base sounds like. Le Tigre fans have come to expect more than just a cry of "stop the war." Take past tracks like "Bang! Bang!" which explored the murders of unarmed black men Patrick Dorismund and Amadou Diallo by members of the New York Police Department. Or "FYR," a look at feminist history and a call to arms against modern-day patriarchy. Or "Dyke March 2001" (which employs the exact same concept as "New Kicks"), a representation of lesbian activism While aiming for accessibility is perhaps an admirable cause, what was wrong with pleasing their following of politically-charged hipsters?
Watered-down politics aside, the music itself has changed. Their once homemade-sounding fuzzy electronic punk has been replaced with overproduced dance beats, more likely to receive play on MTV than college radio.
Blame it on the new label or blame it on the band – Le Tigre aren't what they used to be.
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