The Microphones – “Don’t Smoke”/ “Get Off the Internet” 7”
P.W. Elverum & Sun LTD, 2007
Acquired: K Records Mailorder, New, 2007
Price: $5
Needless to say, when Phil Elverum resurrected the
Microphones moniker for a one-off 7”, I bit. Even though this 7” is basically
just two PSAs advocating against smoking and the Internet, they’re also PSA’s
crafted by one of indie rock’s most intelligent musicians. Sure, they’re
preachy, but there’s power in ‘em. “Don’t Smoke” runs through my head anytime I
see someone smoking these days. I smoked for a few years in college, and I
partially blame this song for helping me quit if only because I felt Phil
Elverum’s judgment raining down on me all the way from the Pacific Northwest.
He has a point when he sings the line “There’s no excuse to start smoking.” The
track is coated in classic Microphones fuzz and thunders along. B-side “Get Off
the Internet” is a lot quieter and offers up a list of things you could do
instead of sitting at your computer (sweep the floor, open the doors and
windows, shut up about music, etc). “We are the ones who are alive right now so
lets start living,” he intones. I ID with this one a little less than “Don’t
Smoke,” but goddamn if I don’t think of it when I’ve been staring at a screen
for four hours. I’m sure plenty of people find this incredibly judgmental 7” to
be obnoxious. It is kind of obnoxious, but it’s also true, and he’s got a
point, and the music is gorgeous.
"Don't Smoke" (this is the beefier Mount Eerie version)
"Get Off the Internet"
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