Transgender Dysphoria Blues
by Against Me!

From Fischman 04/11/2017 19:23 | #189103

This is a subject matter I have some difficulty relating to, but the songs are so good, the writing so effective, and the playing so engaging, it's impossible to not like, and try to understand, everything that is going on here. A surprising musicas achievement through and through.

From SuedeSwede 03/26/2016 00:09 | #162568

\m/ much love jhuik, i love when people who grew up in a world with much more conservative views can be so open-minded. thank you for putting a smile on my face tonight :D

and yes this album is, beyond other things, just a real pleasure to listen to. the chorus of True Trans Soul Rebel is like no other in punk rock i swear

From jhuik 01/09/2016 23:52 | #156194

I'm just going to chime in on what you BEA peeps are saying. I will just say that I find this accessible, yes, actually deliciously catchy in every way that could ever be good. This album gets the trans message across better than anything else in the media ever has in my opinion. I read Laura Jane Grace's story and totally sympathised with the issues faced by transgender people after listening to this punk rock epic. I love this album for being so ridiculously likable as a means of spreading that message to an old fart like me.

From SuedeSwede 01/04/2016 16:45 | #155726

Oh fair enough. It just sounded like you were stabbing at the fact it shared the same subject matter.

I also deeply connect to I Am A Bird Now more so than this album, but both have their sheer breathtaking moments.


"You want them to notice
The ragged ends of your summer dress
You want them to see you
Like they see any other girl
They just see a faggot
They hold their breath not to catch the sick"

"You should've been a mother
You should've been a wife
You should've been gone from here years ago
You should be living a different life"

lyrics like these are brutally difficult to listen to, being trans myself, but comforting in a way. but yeah I'm not arguing others don't convey the subject better, but there is certainly more to this album than just a socially progressive topic.

From babyBlueSedan 12/23/2015 19:01 | #155001

It's not every day I notice when someone calls me out for an asinine comment I wrote, so I'll take the time to try and defend one-year-ago me. The goal of my previous comment was, much like ShaneSpear's, to call out a musically sub-par record that's been getting attention for dealing with a progressive topic. I didn't feel the need to explicitly mention my support of the transgender community since I thought that went without saying, but I apologize if I offended anyone.

Yes, the topics of Androgynous and this album are different, but fundamentally they're both about not fitting in and a desire to be loved for being yourself. Whether you're trying to present yourself as a gender that others don't associate you with or without a gender, the anxiety of being something society is uncomfortable with is the same. A better comparison would undoubtedly have been I Am a Bird Now, which I feel covers this topic better (it just happens that Androgynous is one of my favorite songs). I also think Antony addresses her situation better on I Am a Bird Now than Laura Jane Grace does here, but that's probably just a personal preference. I'm sure there are people who connect with her outrage and anger, and that's great, but I connect more with Antony's internal conflict as she tries to understand herself. And there's nothing here as poignant as Bird Gerhl or For Today I Am a Boy. It's certainly unfair to compare the two, but again that's just my preference. And I think musically this album could also be something that doesn't connect with a lot of people who, like myself, am more inward with their feelings.

And of course there's nothing wrong with addressing issues that have been covered, especially when it comes to a topic that is as severely underrepresented as this. I'm sure Against Me has and will continue to help many who feel scared to be themselves, and that's great. But this album isn't for me, and I'm not going to give it points just for being progressive.

From SuedeSwede 12/21/2015 18:32 | #154873

"It's cool hearing the topics discussed by someone who is actually transgender, but keep in mind the Replacements released Androgynous 30 years ago."

Believe it or not, "Androgynous" is about androgyny not transgender. It's literally about how gender doesn't (or shouldn't) define how people dress and that the "gender" of clothes they dress as can be fluid. Nothing about transgender issues.

Besides, what does it matter if someone tries to explore the same theme a SECOND TIME in 30 years? Oh no, burn them at the stake for daring to explore a hugely important [and clearly under-represented since you can only name one SONG that has anything to do with gender never mind trans in particular] topic.

Probably got too salty at what was just you sharing your passion for another song but man you have to be more sensitive

From jhuik 11/14/2015 20:16 | #152941

The best punk rock has always been done by people who knew how to channel anger into the graceful, glorious aggression of rock and roll music. Laura Jane Grace has a lot to be pissed off about, and sounds... not revitalised but far more vital than ever. I hear at least two different voices (maybe more; the first two songs epitomise this) and this sounds like an artist discovering her voice. One of the best backstories ever, and also a great album, period.

From glitter-bubbles 08/10/2015 16:21 | #147451

I like running to this album!

From paladisiac 12/30/2014 22:31 | #130458

Awesome rock/punk that would make green day proud, with a heavy dose of transgender alternative rock narratives that give this album its own personal character. I love the brutal honesty of songs like "unconditional love" and "dead friend", and with titles like "transgender dysphoria blues" and "fuckmylife666", you know it's all in your f*ckin' face whether you like it or not.

From babyBlueSedan 12/29/2014 18:41 | #130377

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