Tacocat prefers to make you think while having a laugh
Tacocat’s new album, Lost Time, kicks o ff with “Dana Katherine Scully,” a tribute to the X-Files special agent played by Gillian Anderson. It has echoes of Brill Building pop, with a bright, bouncy Latin beat that makes it unforgettable. “We finished the album before they rebooted the series,” says bassist Bree McKenna. “Emily (Nokes, the band’s singer) is a huge fan. She’s always talking about The X-Files.”
“Scully” is just one of the woman-centric songs on the album. The band, which also includes guitarist Eric Randall and drummer Lelah Maupin, has spawned a new wave of feminism in Seattle, with its blistering energy, catchy melodies and arch, ironic lyrics. “I’m angry about a lot of things,” says Nokes, “but it’s better to make fun of the people in power. We laugh at them because their behavior is ridiculous.”
The quartet was inspired in part by the riot-grrrl bands of the ’90s, and while Tacocat has a sense of humor, the message it conveys is serious. “We write songs about being women,” says Nokes. “We sing about being in love, but we also talk about our bodies and relationships and what it means to be female. When we started playing punk clubs, there was a lot of young male energy in the audience—guys who’d freak when we said ‘tampon.’ Now we have men coming up to us saying, ‘Every time my partner is on her period, we sit together and listen to your song (“Crimson Wave”).’”
Lost Time mirrors the energy of the group’s live shows, but it’s also darker than their previous efforts. “I pushed myself when I was singing,” says Nokes. “We wanted the album to be louder, more serious and moodier than our last record but still fun. Even our moody tone is pretty much hot pink.”
—j. poet
