Lady Gaga may be Mother Monster, but Debbie Harry is trying to establish her place as “Mother” Zombie.
She and her band Blondie are releasing their first album in eight years, “Panic of Girls,” and have dropped the set’s first single, “Mother.” Featured in the throwback video are club revelers, the band in their finest stage get-ups and the Living Dead. That’s right, watch your back at the next tour stop: making out in the bathroom with that cute girl/guy/girl-guy is out, swapping spit with zombies is in. It’s supposed to be a tribute to New York City”s West 14th Street nightclub. Must’ve missed that one.
This will sit well if you’re OK with Blondie still pushing a still-slightly-out-of-date sound. “Mother” isn’t Harry’s finest vocal performance, but they’re pushing for relevance with that patented New Wave sound that put them on the map to begin with. It could be apropos that the announcement came the same day The Cars are back on The Billboard 200.
In addition to “Mother,” the band has covered Sophie George’s 1985 track “Girlie Girlie,” also below.
And yet another cover has made it into the tracklist: recent Immaculate Noise interviewee Beirut‘s “Sunday Smile” made the cut. And Zach Condon will actually guest on a spot, as well.
“Panic of Girls” has no release date or tracklist ready but “glances backward but resolutely moves forward, remaining keenly observant of street-level pop culture and continuing to find inspiration in the roiling musical melting pot of New York City.” Melt on.