Sometimes, just sometimes, I wonder, “Who am I?” I’ve struggled with this question most of my life. Quantifying your whole life into one easily digestible category can be objectively hard. But, you know what I found out? What I found out is, “that each one of us is a brain… and an athlete… and a basket case… a princess… and a criminal.” Pretty deep right? Yeah, I know.
You’re probably wondering to yourself right now, “Daw, why are you quoting Breakfast Club and faking that you’re sentimental?” It’s because Beach Bunny’s new album, “Honeymoon”, just came out, which resulted in me watching three John Hughes’ movies in three days, because it just felt right. Now I’m in a Hughes loop. I don’t know when I will get out, but what I do know is that I need to hear the song “Danke Schoen” in the next 20 minutes or I am going to LOSE MY MIND.
Anyways… how are you all doing?
Oh, me? I’m great, obviously. Right now, I’m taking a break from planning parent teach conferences to write a whole article about how Beach Bunny’s new album “Honeymoon” should be featured in a rebooted version of different John Hughes movies, because this seems like an adequate way to spend my time.
I hope you all enjoy. But if you don’t, please don’t tell me. I’m fragile.
Also, Ferris is the antagonist of that movie and Cameron is the protagonist. Deal with it.
Ferris Buehler’s Day Off – “Dream Boy”
Ah, the love story/vest to white tee combo that I, as any good North Shore white boy, dreamed would be my destiny. Stealing my friend’s emotionally abusive father’s fine automobile? Sounds like a great day! AMIRIGHT!!?! Remember, Ferris is the antagonist. Don’t get it twisted.
For Ferris Buehler’s Day Off I chose the song “Dream Boy”. “Dream Boy” feels like a song that Sloane may write for Ferris after watching him take over downtown Chicago like a young Richard Daley.
You’re poetically inclined,
Scrambled words, painting her in Technicolor
Easy love is hard to find
Blushing eyes she replies “You feel like summer”
Come on guys, that shit works. When you started reading this you were like, “This is a gimmick”. But don’t you lie to me, THAT SHIT WORKS.
As far as the actual music goes, I love the stripped down guitar at the beginning. The treble is turned down just a tad, and that my friends makes ya boy swooooon. Gimme some guitar that sounds like it’s coming from the end of an empty hallway and I will give you my heart. Those are the demands. Then boom, here come the drums and the fuzz. One of my favorite things about Beach Bunny is how they layer some fuzzy guitar, over Lili Trifilio belting, with a nice little background melody bringing all that together into an ice cream Sunday for your ears (ice cream Sundays were invented in Evanston btw, North Shore pride bb).
Breakfast Club – “Rearview”
We aren’t all that different after all huh? Everybody has their regrets; everyone is just trying to live up to who they think others want them to be. But is it really enough if you aren’t who you want to be? Does it say something about me that I think Brian Johnson is the coolest one in the group? These are the questions that I ask myself after watching this masterpiece every single time.
For a movie riddled with as much self-doubt and internal questioning as Breakfast Club, I chose the song “Rearview”. This is my second favorite song on this album. I can’t get enough of Lili Trifilio’s voice, first and foremost. I love the slow build to this song. I mean the first two-minutes of this song are just Lili singing and playing us a nifty tune on her guitar. It’s stripped down, it’s raw, and it makes me want to cry or smoke a whole carton of cigarettes (gotchu Bender family). Then a little feedback on the ol’ electric guitar, a click of the distortion pedal, and this sad song just turned into an angry sad song. Woah. Did you go to music school or something? No I didn’t, and stop asking stupid questions.
Pretty In Pink – “Cuffing Season”
Okay everyone. I’m going to be completely clear. I’m not as well versed in Pretty In Pink, as I should be. Honestly, the idea of Molly Ringwald as a record store employee just doesn’t get me going. Maybe I’m being way too nitpicky for my own right. I mean come on, the whole record store thing really doesn’t have much significance to the plot as a whole. Or maybe I’m finding reasons to hate things that are universally accepted as being “good”, either way, not my favorite John Hughes film.
Anywaays, now that that’s all out of the way. I’ll actually talk about this song. I chose this song because that whole movie is really about, “cuffing season” when you think about it. It’s a weak reason to pick a song, but I really don’t think that the record store iteration of Molly Ringwald would have cared that much. Oh boy, these lyrics were me circa 2017. Freshly single and not looking for anything other than someone to share a large chicken tender with. I was getting looks okay?!
Sometimes I like being on my own
I’m afraid of winding up alone
Um, yes (dabs ranch sauce from upper lip). This song sounds exactly as angsty as the lyrics. Start us off with some power cords that bring me back to a little band you may have heard of, Sum41. When Lili hits the lyric, “Just an empty promise” the drummer, Jon Alvarado, hits us with a few crash cymbals which bring across the vibe that Lili is yelling at me. This whole song feels confrontational in the best way possible. It’s kind of like someone was asked to prom, and then their date informed them that they forgot that they asked someone else, thus crushing our main characters dreams of showing up to prom in her beautiful pink dress that her father got her. Wait, maybe this song does fit with Pretty in Pink.
*Sidebar: So, my fearless leader, Mates, informed me that I should write this article about 5 John Hughes movies instead of 3. He then also informed me that I can no longer say f*ck in my articles. So, as an act of youthful rebellion I will only be writing about the music in isolation and will no longer be referencing John Hughes. Suck it Mates!*
The Best of the Rest with Zero John Hughes References!
“Racetrack” – This was the first song on the album to speak to me, and is still my favorite song on the album. My tens of fans who read my last article (you know who you are) know one thing about me. I’m a sad boy. I love me a depressing ass song (What’s an ass-song? Shut up). This song lays it on thicker than a bowl of oatmeal covered in molasses.
Love is but a game of give and chase
What is a runner without a big race?
The harder I try to keep up with the pace
I always wind up in second place
Pardon me while I go cry in a corner while yelling, “ALL GIRLS ARE THE SAME”. The lyrics of this song are paired with a steady piano bass line with a soft melody layered over it. Haunting. Drums? Who needs em. Guitar? Not today guy. This song is stripped down, beautiful, and just so damn sad. There’s a small piano bridge towards the end of the song that gives me chills every single time. Honestly, this may be my new go to sad song that I listen to while staring out of a rain soaked window and drinking coffee in an oversized sweater (imagery).
“Promises” – I like this song a lot. This song really is a great example of why I love Beach Bunny. It starts off with a stripped down first verse that will really set us up for the whole song. In this Lili begins to take us through the theme of a love that was lost, or neve was there to begin with. But the idea of what we want said love to be keeps us going. Been there doggy dog.
Promises and problems were all left unsaid
Buried away at the back of my bed
Close my eyes but every time I try to rest
It’s hard to think clearly, you live inside my head
Then the guitar and drums come in. In this song I love how we get to hear the vocal range of Lili as she sings in a lower and more subdued tone in the start of the song and then by the chorus she is just belting
Part of me still wants you
Part of me wants to fall asleep
This is why I love this album and Beach Bunny’s previous EP’s. Her ability to navigate from soft and subdued to high energy while constantly matching the energy with her vocal tone and register. Also right around the 2:45 minute there’s a nice beachy guitar break down. Makes me wanna surf, but like in a nostalgic way where it’s mainly me sitting on my board staring off into the horizon. Just a little buoy-boy bobbing on the surface. Sigh.
Okay, that will just about do it for me. I enjoyed writing this, and I hope you enjoyed reading it. MATES, I DIDN’T SAY F*CK ONE TIME! I will now be accepting my Pulitzer. Thank you.