Jill Tracy's macabre torch songs

"Jill Tracy - I thank you for your deliriously sweet and evil musical beauty, your unique talent and independent strength in these, the days of not only the Dumbing Down Of America, but the profoundly redundant state of music in general." ~ Lydia Lunch

In a RE/Search piece, V. Vale recalled a few other quotes about Tracy, including that she's "the femme fatale for the thinking man," producing "macabre torch songs."

Vale continued: "it's nice to have discovered another artist of depth and substance, especially in an age where it's easy to feel that almost none still exist... Jill Tracy: 'the elegant side of the netherworld' - maybe 'netherworld' has replaced 'underground' now. No wonder (Jello) Biafra had raved to me about her. The new music of the future will give us history lessons, and restore to us our lost authentic emotionality, in an age which J.G. Ballard has described as 'the death of affect.' The death of authentic emotionality and emotional response, indeed... NOT YET - not as long as a handful of people like Jill Tracy, Jello Biafra, Nick Cave, Henry Rollins, and Lydia Lunch keep 'kicking against the pri-cks' (to paraphrase Shakespeare). And handing us reasons to still keep living and deciphering what we really feel - what our intuition tells us instantly - while hating the old, still-clinging-to-life, fake world of pervy Bush Republicans and twisted religious psychopaths..."

This music in ways, obvious and otherwise, brings me a real sense of Halloween, my favorite holiday, and since I'm behind on posting related music, thought this would be a beautiful place to start.

Jill Tracy's music is available through 125 Records, and they were kind enough to offer a few treats from her catalog.

Haunted by the Thought of You
(from The Bittersweet Constrain)

The Fine Art of Poisoning
(from Diabolical Streak)

Evil Night Together
(from Diabolical Streak)



"I'll hold your hand while they drag the river
I'll cuddle you in the undertow
I'll keep my hand on your trigger finger
I'll take you down where the train tracks go

Let's wile away the hours
Let's spend an evil night together

We'll drink a toast in the torture chamber
And you'll go down on a bed of nails
We'll rendevous in cold blood
I'll tie you up to the third rail

Let's wile away the hours
Let's spend an evil night together"