AWmusic

It’s almost December – I can’t let 2008 pass without a post about my favourite kitschy alt pop Frenchies. As someone with internet access, I’m sure you’ve heard of them before. Maybe you don’t like them because their music sounds like everyone involved did their job as half-assedly as possible. But that is the brilliance of the Teenagers, you see.

Kitsch sucks because it’s shitty, inferior art. Kitsch rules because it’s ironic and strangely honest an telling.

The Teenagers capture the spirit of our generation perfectly. Everything from their band history to their simple lyrics explains us. If adults want to know what’s up with generation Y, they should listen to Reality Check. Here, watch this video with me and do attempt to distract yourself from Dorian’s sexy asian face to listen to the lyrics:

“I’m not in love/ I’m not in love/ But it’s okay to stay with you” – this pretty much sums up my first, second, third, and possibly current (in a few months) relationship. Now maybe I’m just an apathetic person but come on, don’t tell me those 17-year-olds at the mall have found true love. Or the 25-year-old chainsmokers over there.

The Teenagers make me reminisce about the 90s in a completely naive, whimsical way … Blink 182, Myspace, Showgirls, 90210, Scarlett Johansson (back when people still gave a shit about her and before she did that awful Tom Waits cover album). They’re feeding off the same 90s nostalgia frenzy as that time last month you thought of Crazy Bones and smiled. Do the Teenagers have lasting power? I don’t know. The actual music isn’t groundbreaking and like most kitsch, they might just be a flash in the pan/blogosphere but do people ever stop daydreaming about the “good ol’ days”?

It’s also interesting that they’re songs seem so American-centric yet they’re clearly not American themselves. It’s like they’re mocking American culture in their snooty little French accents which is hilarious and awesome. I mean, they did start the band as a joke.

The Teenagers – Homecoming
The Teenagers – Starlett Johansson

Tags: feature