The Red Bulletin July 2019

BULLEVARD
Karen O
“I GOT STEVIE
WONDER TO
BLESS MY KID”
The iconic Yeah Yeah Yeahs
singer on four songs that are
guaranteed to lift her spirits
A pril 2003 saw the
release of one of rock’s most
exciting debuts. Oscillating
between noisy guitar riffs and
jittery new-wave, New York trio
Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ album Fever
To Tell was a catalyst in the
decade’s dance-punk explosion,
and it made singer Karen O – the
daughter of a Korean mother
and a Polish-American father
– a cultural icon. On her second
‘solo’ album, Lux Prima, a teamup
with producer Danger Mouse,
she addresses the current sociopolitical
climate and offers songs
as a means of escape. “Music is
my favourite way of dealing with
anything,” says O, now 40. Here
are four tracks that build her up
when she feels overwhelmed…
karenomusic.com
THE RAMONES
JUDY IS A PUNK (1976)
“The Ramones were a band with
a lot of charisma. They were
one of a kind and their music
is just undeniable – it always
makes me want to jump and
dance around like a teenager.
It’s simple and energising and
the lyrics are so good. Judy Is
A Punk is the kind of song that
is guaranteed to get me going,
no matter what the situation
or context.”
STEVIE WONDER
A PLACE IN THE SUN (1966)
“This is a ‘young Stevie Wonder’
song and it’s like a warm, happy
place for me. It’s so pure and
beautiful and it really makes
me feel good. I met Stevie when
I was pregnant [with her son
Django, now aged three]. I didn’t
even know how to talk to him,
so I just said, ‘Can you put your
hand on my belly and bless my
child?’ He did, and hopefully
it worked wonders.”
MOSES SUMNEY
DOOMED (2017)
“This is a sad song, because
even sad songs make you feel
good sometimes. And this one
is definitely cathartic. It has
a beautiful, transcendent quality
that I haven’t heard in many,
many years. And there’s a sadness
in it, but because his voice is
so beautiful, it’s not heavy, it’s
almost light. There’s a lightness
to it, but it’s sad. [Laughs.] I’m
having trouble describing music.”
ZHANÉ
HEY, MR DJ (1993)
“This is such a laid-back song,
but it still makes you want to
dance. I don’t go to clubs so
much to dance these days,
but if I’m meeting up with
a group of friends then I’ll dance
no matter what, because it’s
a necessary ingredient
to my life. And hey, we all
need music that makes us
feel good – especially in these
current times.”
ELIOT LEE HAZEL FLORIAN OBKIRCHER
26 THE RED BULLETIN