Introducing the new single from the Brooklyn punk trio, who sound “like The Clash went to a Devo dance party and Jack White threw up all over the dance floor”
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We’ve all been there.
You’re at a BK show/party/water park/Wendy’s/whatever and start talking to a stranger or acquaintance, only to find a casual conversation rapidly pivot to peacocking—an unspoken resume comparison, street-cred competition and game of crazy/sexy/cool experience one-upmanship as one or both individuals try to present the most impressive version of themselves. Even if, let’s be real, it’s like 98% bullshit.
“When I was in Paris*…“
*Texas
“I just had a piece published*…”
*On Wikipedia
“So, I was talking to Tom Hanks*…“
*My childhood orthodontist
Or to give it to you straight, in the words of punk trio Mary Shelley: “We live in Brooklyn. You go to parties and there are pretentious assholes. Sometimes you’re the pretentious asshole.”
C’est la the scene and c’est la the premise behind “Bourgeois de Ville,” the very sick debut single from the Brooklyn band, which I could not be more stoked to premiere right here!
Ahead of the release, Mary Shelley’s Jackson Dockery (guitar/vox) provided the following background on the song, which started with a few lines of lyrics—“I’m a faux intellectual, pretend bisexual, Timothée Chalamet twin, incestual…”—that popped into his head on the way to rehearsal, as he was thinking about a party he’d recently attended:
“I think the song’s about the type of person I hate – the type of person I find myself turning into a lot at a party. Laughing at jokes I don’t think are funny, agreeing with beliefs I don’t agree with, wanting to be the center of attention; it’s this kind of fabricated way of talking and behaving that doesn’t mean anything. It’s just a means to an end to come off a certain way. To be seen as you want to be seen. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been on a rooftop in Bushwick at like 3am talking to someone whose name I don’t know, and I’m just hovering above myself, listening to myself, and am just going ‘what are you doing?’”
Sounds about right. That said, as we all try to live our best Instagram feed-like lies… er, lives… and act kinda like dicks while doing it, maybe we should cut each other, and ourselves, a little slack. After all, as the band says of the meaning behind their name, a reference to Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein:
“‘Mary Shelley’ means to look deeper into what you see. To not miss the human being inside the monster.”
… Even if it’s Friday night at a warehouse party and the monster is pretty damn drunk and obnoxious right about now.
“Bourgeois de Ville” is one of several singles and a forthcoming full-length album to come. Grab your tickets to celebrate the release—and the OG Mary Shelley’s belated 8/30 birthday—with the band (that’s Jackson + Sam Pinson on guitar/bass/vox + Charlie Hull on drums) LIVE this Friday night at FirstLive Studios!
Like all Brooklyn events, this one’s BYOB…
Bring your own bullshit, obviously.
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Follow Mary Shelley at @maryshelleyband and pre-save the single before it drops everywhere TOMORROW!
Feature image: Keira Zhou