Since its germination in 2007, Meg Remy's U.S. Girls has continually defied expectations. Emerging from a primordial no-fi pool, Remy's one-time solo project (now host to an ever-expanding constellation of collaborators) has embarked on a gradual, decade-long crescendo to become a beacon of riotous experimental pop.
Her latest — the plush, synthetic wonderland of Bless This Mess — is a leap to a whole new dimension, eschewing the live, creaking warmth of 2020's innards-baring Heavy Light for something elastic, joyful and, as always, deliciously subversive.
On the cover, a heavily-pregnant Remy (she gave birth to twin boys following the record's completion) wears a casually unkempt tuxedo shirt — a vision of luxe, unconscious power.
"I had never worn a tuxedo before being 34 weeks pregnant and putting one on for the album cover shoot with Colin Medley," Remy tells Exclaim! "But after having written 'Tux (Your Body Fills Me Boo),' it seemed the obvious thing to do, 'cause have you ever seen a pregnant person in a tuxedo? I like to see things I have never seen."
"Tux (Your Body Fills Me Boo)" is a new high watermark in Remy's catalogue: a madcap, multi-suite funk romp sung from the perspective of a lonely tuxedo, longing for the warmth of its owner's skin. It's a bit sexy, a bit goofy, a bit deeper than it first appears, layers of meaning peeling away at the end of the party.
It's another strange, head-spinning insurrection from Remy; another trip-up of the expected. So it should come as no surprise that, when asked to rank her five favourite U.S. Girls songs for Exclaim!'s High 5 feature, she did things a little differently, choosing instead to honour the work of beloved collaborator Onakabazien, a.k.a. Louis Percival.
"Bless This Mess is the first U.S. Girls release since 2011 to not feature a co-write or production by [Percival]. But Bless This Mess could not have been made without the O," she explains."I felt [Percival's impact] was ripe for exploring in listicle form. The U.S. Girls catalogue reads like a 'How to Collaborate' guide. I am proud of that."
"Working with Louis helped me break the seal on the pop bottle and really chug," she continues. "My life would be less vivid without his music."
Read Remy's picks below, and check out past editions of Exclaim!'s High 5 column here.
5. "High School Poetry"
"The Island Song" (2011)
"High School Poetry" is one of my earliest collaboration with Louis. When I heard this instrumental, it made me reminisce about Friday nights at the Tinley Park Roller Rink. That of course led me to reflect on all the awful (but necessary) poetry I wrote in high school. Ya gotta start somewhere...
4. "Woman's Work"
Half Free (2015)
Louis as mad scientist giving me a potion to drink and seek oblivion. Heavy and dark but oh so melodic. This song has 444 layers — there's even some mandolin in there. And Louis's is the voice being vocoded. He really turned me onto that sound, which has appeared on almost every U.S. Girls record since Half Free.
3. "the boy is mine"
U.S. Girls on KRAAK (2011)
Okay, so neither Louis nor I wrote this song, but it was one of U.S. Girls' first "hits." Can't really beat a cover of "the boy is mine" where one person is playing both characters in the song. Louis has a real knack for making music that is as sweet as it is sinister. I love that duality.
2. "Damn That Valley"
Half Free (2015)
This beat still haunts me. To this day, I feel blessed that Louis let me have it and make it my own. He got went deep into the subject matter, really took it to heart. He gave me great notes towards my vocals and he embodied the concept into the production. He made me feel that lyrics are important and can/should affect the production of a song.
Someone once told me that Flying Lotus listened to this on repeat the night Donald Trump was elected. I haven't verified this story, but I can perfectly picture it. This is a song of untethered grief, the perfect soundtrack for witnessing American media events.
1. "Pearly Gates"
In a Poem Unlimited (2018)
It was deeply satisfying to bring this demo to its full potential with the help of the Cosmic Range and James Baley, but this song is all about the Power of O. If I remember correctly, Louis actually plays bass on this track. He rerecorded it in the mix phase, unsettled with the studio bass that had been laid down. Louis does not stop until he is 100 percent satisfied, snubbing all deadlines like a true artist. I can still feel the hug he gave me after I performed this at Polaris with my choir of friends. He was so moved to hear his music transcribed for voices. The music Louis constructs is sturdy. His songs can be done endless ways because he put the time in at the beginning to ensure a strong foundation.
Her latest — the plush, synthetic wonderland of Bless This Mess — is a leap to a whole new dimension, eschewing the live, creaking warmth of 2020's innards-baring Heavy Light for something elastic, joyful and, as always, deliciously subversive.
On the cover, a heavily-pregnant Remy (she gave birth to twin boys following the record's completion) wears a casually unkempt tuxedo shirt — a vision of luxe, unconscious power.
"I had never worn a tuxedo before being 34 weeks pregnant and putting one on for the album cover shoot with Colin Medley," Remy tells Exclaim! "But after having written 'Tux (Your Body Fills Me Boo),' it seemed the obvious thing to do, 'cause have you ever seen a pregnant person in a tuxedo? I like to see things I have never seen."
"Tux (Your Body Fills Me Boo)" is a new high watermark in Remy's catalogue: a madcap, multi-suite funk romp sung from the perspective of a lonely tuxedo, longing for the warmth of its owner's skin. It's a bit sexy, a bit goofy, a bit deeper than it first appears, layers of meaning peeling away at the end of the party.
It's another strange, head-spinning insurrection from Remy; another trip-up of the expected. So it should come as no surprise that, when asked to rank her five favourite U.S. Girls songs for Exclaim!'s High 5 feature, she did things a little differently, choosing instead to honour the work of beloved collaborator Onakabazien, a.k.a. Louis Percival.
"Bless This Mess is the first U.S. Girls release since 2011 to not feature a co-write or production by [Percival]. But Bless This Mess could not have been made without the O," she explains."I felt [Percival's impact] was ripe for exploring in listicle form. The U.S. Girls catalogue reads like a 'How to Collaborate' guide. I am proud of that."
"Working with Louis helped me break the seal on the pop bottle and really chug," she continues. "My life would be less vivid without his music."
Read Remy's picks below, and check out past editions of Exclaim!'s High 5 column here.
5. "High School Poetry"
"The Island Song" (2011)
"High School Poetry" is one of my earliest collaboration with Louis. When I heard this instrumental, it made me reminisce about Friday nights at the Tinley Park Roller Rink. That of course led me to reflect on all the awful (but necessary) poetry I wrote in high school. Ya gotta start somewhere...
4. "Woman's Work"
Half Free (2015)
Louis as mad scientist giving me a potion to drink and seek oblivion. Heavy and dark but oh so melodic. This song has 444 layers — there's even some mandolin in there. And Louis's is the voice being vocoded. He really turned me onto that sound, which has appeared on almost every U.S. Girls record since Half Free.
3. "the boy is mine"
U.S. Girls on KRAAK (2011)
Okay, so neither Louis nor I wrote this song, but it was one of U.S. Girls' first "hits." Can't really beat a cover of "the boy is mine" where one person is playing both characters in the song. Louis has a real knack for making music that is as sweet as it is sinister. I love that duality.
2. "Damn That Valley"
Half Free (2015)
This beat still haunts me. To this day, I feel blessed that Louis let me have it and make it my own. He got went deep into the subject matter, really took it to heart. He gave me great notes towards my vocals and he embodied the concept into the production. He made me feel that lyrics are important and can/should affect the production of a song.
Someone once told me that Flying Lotus listened to this on repeat the night Donald Trump was elected. I haven't verified this story, but I can perfectly picture it. This is a song of untethered grief, the perfect soundtrack for witnessing American media events.
1. "Pearly Gates"
In a Poem Unlimited (2018)
It was deeply satisfying to bring this demo to its full potential with the help of the Cosmic Range and James Baley, but this song is all about the Power of O. If I remember correctly, Louis actually plays bass on this track. He rerecorded it in the mix phase, unsettled with the studio bass that had been laid down. Louis does not stop until he is 100 percent satisfied, snubbing all deadlines like a true artist. I can still feel the hug he gave me after I performed this at Polaris with my choir of friends. He was so moved to hear his music transcribed for voices. The music Louis constructs is sturdy. His songs can be done endless ways because he put the time in at the beginning to ensure a strong foundation.