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Enjoy a mix of heart, humor, and ‘anti-fascist anthems’ with Carsie Blanton in Boston
Blanton will take to the City Winery stage May 15.
Included on “Love & Rage,” Carsie Blanton’s 2021 album of what the New Orleans singer-songwriter refers to as “anti-fascist anthems,” is a provocatively titled track called “Sh*t List” (asterisk ours) that’s aimed at a certain brand of complainer who lately seems to make up an outsized segment of the general population.
“So your life ain’t the dream that you thought it would be; so you cry and you scream like a cat in a tree,” she sings. “You want a medal just for being a white boy. That ain’t the way we do it no more.”
What’s funny about “Sh*t List,” like many of the tracks on “Love & Rage” and in the rest of Blanton’s repertoire, is that it comes off as anything but an angry screed — Rage Against the Machine she isn’t. Rather she’s imbued her music with catchy hooks, power pop chords, and such downright delightful harmonies that her lyrical messages go down super-smooth.
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It’s a sound that fits in with Blanton’s overall feeling about music, whether hers or others’: “If there’s not a sense of humor or playfulness, I don’t want to listen to it,” she says. “Music is about play.”
And Blanton’s play has been attracting attention — she’s opened shows for none other than Paul Simon, and drew praise from another famous half-of-a-duo, John Oates, who said Blanton’s “sly wit and urbane imagery” reminded him of Cole Porter. Also, she sells all of her music downloads using a “pay what you please” pricing strategy. Talk about a revolution!
So if you hate fascists and love thoughtful, catchy songs (not necessarily in that order), you’ll want to check in on Blanton when she plays City Winery this May.
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