So I was at a party a week or so a go (shocker, I know) and at some point the conversation turned to Royal Trux the now defunct, seminal, and purposefully (very) difficult psychodrone band led by Jennifer Herrema and Neil Hagarty (who, for those of you who love trivia grew up in DC and met in Dupont circle when they were 15 only to marry, do some serious drugs together and become the Royal Trux, whom I secretly want to be this week, minus the horrible heroin habit, of course).
This led to an (un)healthy obsession with their music (a lot of which is also unhealthy), plots to somehow get Jennifer to do some sort of a BYT related photo shoot (stranger things have happened) and Jesse Bishop (who initiated that conversation a week or so a go) sending me a bunch of their MP3s the other day including this cover they did of “Money for Nothing”.
To quote:
I do not hesitate to say that their version of “Money for Nothing” is the single best rock song ever recorded. Neil Hagerty wouldn’t (or couldn’t) write such a great pop song, but Dire Straits could never in a million years make it sound so perfectly, awesomely skuzzy.
Best-written song + best-sounding band = Best recording ever.
And it is pretty goddamn good.
So, start your Tuesday right, right here:
listen here:
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
snag the MP3 here:
http://www.zshare.net/audio/1412512644b3a22f/
More (and more difficult) here:
http://www.myspace.com/royaltrux
http://www.myspace.com/rtx (Jennifer’s new band)
I was a bike messenger in ‘90 when Jenny Herrema and this Belgian girlfriend of hers used to hang around in DuPont Circle and smoke everyone’s else’s weed. Bad Brains’ drummer Earl Hudson’s “wife” , this insane (ex?) junkie was also with them, always talking about the good old days of being in the audience at David Letterman’s show when it used to be on saturday mornings. Herrema had a weird but strong sort of sex appeal, with her crazy wooden high heeled clogs from the seventies and her giant hair formation that made her look like she had no eyeballs ever. It was outragoeus in 1990 the same way Amy Winehouse’s stack is totally bananas (to me) today. Anyway, no one appreciated that Belgian chick; it was hard to understand her mushmouth english and she always whined about how she longed for good ol’ european hash.
BTW “Ray-O-Vac” is one of the tightest songs in the world.
June 24, 2008 at 8:49 amWell goddamn. That did the trick better than the coffee I’m drinking. That’s, well, perfect.
June 24, 2008 at 10:45 amBut, but, but what about Cinderella’s “Don’t Know What You Got Till It’s Gone”?
June 24, 2008 at 10:52 amit’s definitely edgy as fuck, but i’ll take the dire straits version. i’m gonna go out on a limb and say that knopfler had more musical talent. i do like the junked-out cover, though.
June 24, 2008 at 11:12 amNot bad, but needs less cowbell.
June 24, 2008 at 11:27 amWho is better looking, Jennifer Herrema or Neil Hagerty? Seriously, I do not know. It’s even a toss-up as to who has better hair. God these guys are awesome.
June 24, 2008 at 12:08 pmI went to law school with Cinderella’s drummer. He was rapidly balding. True story.
June 24, 2008 at 12:23 pm@earlx
“Don’t know watcha got
Til it’s goooooooone”
nothing ever needs LESS cowbell.
June 24, 2008 at 5:13 pmIt is nice to see a royal trux post beacuse they are amazing
June 25, 2008 at 9:47 am
That version is great. Live, however, Royal Trux were probably one of the five dullest bands I’ve ever seen.
June 24, 2008 at 8:30 am