Knew It Was A Bad Sign b/w Knew It Was A Bad Sign (live)
scum stats: NOT ON DISCOGS, this is a lathe-cut, couldn't be TOO many copies floating around
So last week I'm sitting in my office when Third Man storefront associate Quinton comes in and tells me "You have a song-o-gram."
He goes on to explain that he's been told it's like a singing telegram, that I could take it in the storefront, in the back portion of the office, or I could reject it.
No way I'm going to reject it, this is clearly a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence, I didn't even know the world still offered approximated singing telegrams (seemed like one of those things that showed up as a movie plot device FAR more than would ever have found real world application for) so I tell him to send them back to the office.
As soon as the singer walked into the room, heavily stylized black eye make-up I knew EXACTLY what was happening and while the initial let down that it wasn't explicitly a singing telegram that someone was sending me.
So this band the Bad Signs had emailed or DM'd me or been in touch some way or another in the past couple of weeks. I'd checked it out and thought that although it was better than most things that get randomly sent my way, I didn't really have any compulsion to reply and didn't think too much about it.
Not too long after I noticed that some Bad Signs posters had been wheat-pasted on a wall next to the Third Man warehouse. No way it was just a coincidence. This was clearly a targeted attack.
And as any guerilla strategist will tell you, convoluted pretense at someone's place of work is the third and final approach to seal the deal. Replete in a workman-like jumpsuit, Samantha Harlow of the Bad Signs gave a little introduction, blew on her pitch pipe, and then sang a strong, impassioned plea to come check out the band at the American Legion Hall in East Nashville where they currently have a Sunday night residency.
Now on previous perusal, the band didn't really float my boat. Going back through the archives, I see that they first emailed me all the way back in 2016. The updated noir take on girl group sound, filtered through a modern dirtied up vibe just didn't speak to me. I feel like the Raveonettes, Dum Dum Girls, Beach House or even Angel Olsen and Lana Del Rey kinda already appropriately appropriated from that cache(t). Via song-o-gram, Samantha's voice definitely broke through and showed legit chops. Her pipes impressed me, even if standing there confronted with it in the middle of my office with seemingly no warning was a little bit awkward.
The best part though...she left me with a half dozen Hi-Fi cookies in a cute pink box, along with three copies of this "Knew It Was A Bad Sign" lathe cut single.
I'm still not sold on the band. I think the theme or approach or whatever you want to call it could possibly work, but that it maybe needs to be tweaked or re-worked, even if just ever-so-slightly. Regardless, I give a two thumbs-up A+ for effort on the balls it takes to roll into a record label and do an on-the-spot singing plug to see the band play live. Also, Quinton has already been instructed to be doubly scrutinous of any future singing telegrams that waltz through the front door. This is a one-time only exploitation, even if it did put a smile on my face.
I'm giving away one of the extra copies of the Bad Signs single here, seemingly unavailable to purchase anywhere, for the best comment posted below. The writing prompt is...when did you know it was a bad sign? You have until the end of the day Wednesday (March 2nd) to post here. Wishing you good luck with your bad signs.
***WINNER HAS BEEN SELECTED***
The Bad Signs is a groovy band. I am a huge X fan and you get that Exene John Doe feeling with this band. Thanks to Billy Zoom of X who introduced me to Rachael Nagy and the Detroit Cobras before it was too late. RIP
I knew it was a bad sign when the sign said “bad.”
I knew it was a bad sign when I decided to post here to win the Bad Signs single and figured I wouldn’t win. :(
I knew it was a bad sign when I couldn’t understand a thing it said.
I knew it was a bad sign when I saw the bullet holes through it.
When the cats started belting out lyrics from a fall,
And my girl just couldn’t take it – not the first fall after all,
No excuse – the cats a’purring – and love it makes me blind
A calling of her lipstick – I knew it was a bad sign!
I knew it was a bad sign when it said end of road and I drove off the cliff.
I knew it was a bad sign when she told me her boyfriend is getting out of jail.
I knew it was a bad sign when the check at the DMV bounced. 🤦🏻♂️
I knew it was a bad sign when the pregnancy test came back positive and she screamed “FUCK!”