Indigo Girls: Closer to Fine & Everything In Its Own Time
The Dave Matthews Band was just inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I’m sure there are a lot of people whose favorite band is Dave Matthews Band, just like there are people whose favorite bands are The Eagles, The Doors, The Grateful Dead, Aerosmith, and Red Hot Chili Peppers. Personally, I’ve never understood the popularity of any of those bands, but this blog is nothing if not open to the fact that everyone is allowed to enjoy any music they want without judgment. I certainly like a lot of music that most people do not. However, the Rock and Roll Hall of Shame has been a focus of this blog since I started it in 2021, so I am not going to ignore the fact that they obsess over male artists like Dave Matthews at the expense of much more talented female artists. You can read my 2021 thoughts about the Rock Hall, my 2022 list of artists I would induct, or my 2023 continued thoughts about their inability to improve. So, what does this have to do with Indigo Girls? For that answer, you can read my 2022 thoughts about the sexist history of the Hall of Shame. Here is an excerpt from that post regarding Indigo Girls.
Separating the Indigo Girls‘ iconic status in the Lesbian and LGBTQ communities from their music is impossible, but I am going to focus solely on their songwriting. I was working in college radio when Indigo Girls (Amy Ray and Emily Saliers) released their self-titled third album and major label breakthrough in 1989, and the impact it had on everyone who heard it was impossible to ignore. They gave a voice to all of us who felt disenfranchised by the bullshit views of the Reagan/Bush era and gave Generation X a Dylan-like artist to turn to for social and political solace. The fact that they were openly gay at a time when no artists were allowed to be was a breath of fresh air, but was secondary to their music. It was the music that mattered when one listened to their 1989 album. It was powerful folk music in a time of grunge, rap, and horrible pop music. Their two guitars, wonderful harmonies, and vocal mix of power and beauty sounded like they could fill a stadium when they exploded off of that vinyl. R.E.M. certainly heard it and named them as their opening act during their first major-label tour for the album Green in 1989. The critics heard it when they won a Grammy for Best Folk Album. They even almost hit the Top 40 with “Closer to Fine.” After that initial success, they have spent the last thirty years giving their devoted fans a steady stream of their trademark sound. They are arguably the most important folk artists of the last forty years.
As for today’s song of the day, I have selected a tune from the soundtrack to the new film Glitter & Doom. I haven’t seen it, so I have no idea if the film is worth watching, but I can’t believe that Ms. Faux and I would not enjoy it. Ms. Faux is an original Indigo Girls fan and believes they are one of the most important acts of her lifetime. I do not disagree. Therefore, a movie about the relationship between two gay men based on 25 Indigo Girls songs seems like something we need to watch, although it is an odd choice to make a movie about two male characters by using Indigo Girls songs. No matter what, Hollywood has trouble passing the Bechdel Test. “Closer to Fine & Everything In Its Own Time” combines one of the best songs of the last 35 years (“Closer to Fine”) with a deep cut from their 1997 album Shaming of the Sun (“Everything In Its Own Time”) to create a poignant medley which I assume helps wrap up the themes of the movie.
To learn more about Indigo Girls, check out their website.
To listen to all of the songs of the day, check out the Radio Faux Show Song of the Day playlist.
The Radio Faux Show 