Mary Bell - Be A Mom

 

(photo : Josephine Fournis)

  The weekend has arrived so I suppose I better start putting together a playlist for Tuesday's Just Some Punk Songs show (shameless plug :  https://www.facebook.com/events/235748777103418/). One song that'll feature is a new one from Mary Bell.

  Influenced by the likes of Sonic Youth and Bratmobile, they're a band from Paris who I wrote about last year when featuring a song from their very fine (name your price on Bandcamp) debut album  https://justsomepunksongs.blogspot.com/2017/01/mary-bell-empty-puppet.html I don't really need to repeat myself so I'll just point you towards their Facebook and band pages (https://www.facebook.com/MaryBellFTW/) (http://marybellftw.com/) and get on with telling you that they're preparing to release (on Oct 1st) a new ep titled Histrion. It'll contain 6 tracks on 45 rpm 12" vinyl and it'll also be available digitally. Pre order it here :  https://marybellftw.bandcamp.com/

  There's a couple of songs already available for you to stream, this is the second one that's been teased out. When I play Mary Bell on the show, the chatroom folk are always very complimentary, I'm sure they will be again for this critique on the pressures faced by women after giving birth and the need to put their lives on hold and Be A Mom...

They tell me I'm a muff
and i'm supposed to hide my stuff
Since birth that I am wrong
Abort my ideas and get along

They tell me I must be a mom
Forget what's really turning me on

Living at society's pace
10-day-make-up dripping on my face
Since birth that I'm too serious
And now I know that...
We are living in a farce
And I'm so pissed at the human race

They tell me I must be a mom
Forget what's really turning me on

Since birth that I'm too showy
And I'd rather hide my cavities
Living at society's pace
10-day-make-up dripping on my face
We are living in a farce
We are living in a farce

They tell me I must be a mom
Forget what's really turning me on

And I'm so pissed at the human race...
And I'm so pissed at the human race...

Mary Bell - Empty Puppet

"They say Mary Bell was an angry child who wanted to hurt someone, and that’s what she did when she killed two innocent young boys. Razor sharp, ripping scissors, our aim is to fulfill her legacy. Think raw girl vocals, dark fuzz, post-punk, grunge and dissonance. We are angry children and we want to hurt you."

  In 1968 a young girl named Mary Bell strangled to death 2 younger boys in Scotswood, Newcastle Upon Tyne. She was convicted of manslaughter and imprisoned until 1980. Since her release she's lived under a series of pseudonyms and in 1998 she collaborated on a book which detailed the abuse she suffered as a child at the hands of her mother. Now she has a band named after her.

  Mary Bell are a Bikini Kill influnced feminist punk band from Paris who recently followed up their 2015 s/t ep with a s/t debut album which is on Danger Records and Le Turc Mecanique. You'll find both those releases "name your price" here :  https://marybellftw.bandcamp.com/


  The line up is comprised of Alice Carlier (vocals), Tristan Bardre (bass), Victoria Arfi (guitar) and Gailla Montanier (drums). As with the child killer whose name they appropriated, their music rages with anger, and the song you'll see below sees that anger backed up by a wonderfully threatening bassline that is a must hear.

  This is Empty Puppet.....

When I was a little girl

l was so out of my body
Skinny dirty little thing
Disgusting, disgusting little thing

Frustrated
Out of me

When i was a little girl
l was so out of me
Accustomed to being loved and rejected
Rejected little thing

Frustrated
Out of me

Empty puppet, unstable behaviour