One-Mind Tracks: Manic Pixie Dream Girls

For those who do not know, Manic Pixie Dream Girl" is a title that was coined by a reviewer of the movie Elizabethtown. It was used to describe Kirsten Dunst’s character, and it has expanded to describe the over-the-top, happy-go-lucky girls that are often featured in…guy romantic comedies? These girls are sometimes depicted to have their own deep-seated flaws and insecurities, but frequently the main focus is their impact on the guy and how they can fix his life, or how he can get her to date him. Kate Hudson in Almost Famous and several Zooey Deschanel characters are considered to be manic pixie dream girls, but examples of the trope date back as far as Katherine Hepburn’s character in the 1938 film Bringing Up Baby. These characters also occur in Breakfast At Tiffany’s (story and film), Annie Hall, the comic and film Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, and the character of Jane in Breaking Bad.

There are also Manic Pixie Dream Guys, like Will Ferrell’s character in Elf, Jason Segel in I Love You Man or Brad Pitt’s character in Fight Club. But that’s another topic unto itself.

Although Zooey Deschanel often portrays this type of character, 500 Days of Summer is actually a deconstruction of the trope. Likewise, young adult novelist John Green utilized the trope in Looking For Alaska, and then deconstructed it in Paper Towns. The deconstruction of the manic pixie has almost become part of the idea at this point, but from Paper Towns comes the moralistic idea to "imagine people complexly," and a wonderful quote that sums up the manic pixie dream girl storyline better than this entire rant, and that is:

“What a treacherous thing to believe, that a person is more than a person.”

While some people would argue that the "Manic Pixie Dream Girl" trope is anti-feminist, I would argue that it is no more damaging to women than any other cliche (in fact, less damaging than the woman in romantic comedies whose life is going to hell until she meets that guy). Due to the deconstruction part of the trope, manic pixie dream girls are not often one-dimensional either. The lesson, much like in Paper Towns, is often to try to see women as more than just redeemers or golden tickets into a world of happiness. I happen to love the trope, because it can be explored many different ways, and often is, in films, books, and song.

So finally we get to the playlist I have compiled, which includes songs about many different aspects of the manic pixie dream girl.

Ruby Tuesday by The Rolling Stones

Although I've never been much of a Rolling Stones fan, if you asked me to sum the manic pixie dream girl up in a single song, this would have to be the one. You've got the mystique, the "dreamer" quality, the independence,and the narrator's intense desires for the girl in question. You also have the fact that in The Royal Tenenbaums, "Ruby Tuesday" is used at a turning point involving mpdg Margot (played by Gwyneth Paltrow).

She's Got You High by Mumm-Ra

Used in the (500) Days of Summer soundtrack, this track is perfect to describe the part of the story when boy first meets mpdg.

Watching the Detectives by Elvis Costello and the Attractions

Apart from the fact that this song evokes the spirit of a noire detective film complete with the femme fatale (which I believe to be a relative of the mpdg), this song is also kind of the basis for mpdg film Watching the Detectives about a man who is content watching movies about adventures until he meets the adventurous Lucy Liu, who teaches him to go on real adventures. Parts of the basis for this story can be heard directly in the song.

She's So Mean by Matchbox Twenty
This is the first of two songs on this playlist which features a clear mpdg in the video. And the lyrics too!

Come On Sister by Belle & Sebastian
Not only does the narrator see the female character as someone that everyone must be after, but features the lyrics "And it's fun thinking of you like a movie star//And it's dumb thinking of you like the way that you were," which is the kind of misimagining of people that mpdg pieces are all about.

Makeup by Everybody Else
This song tells the story of a troubled girl who "[doesn't] believe in love," but is still incredibly interesting to the narrator who doesn't seem to know much about her.

Plans Get Complex by All-Time Quarterback

From Ben Gibbard side-project All-Time Quarterback, this song has always reminded me of Paper Towns.

Vancouver by They Might Be Giants
They Might Be Giants did a challenging project in which they wrote a song for every venue they played at on tour in 2004. In Vancouver, they wrote and performed this Cars pastiche, about a girl who is "a different kind of girl//the kind you see in pictures." She also wears a monocle, so she's either a mpdg or just a hipster.

She's So High by Tal Bachman
And now for the second mpdg-centric video, and a song that no one who lived through the 90s can forget.

Rhiannon by Fleetwood Mac
Stevie Nicks based this song on the novel Triad by Mary Leader. She didn't know that Rhiannon is also a character from Welsh legend until after the completion of the song. The song character is a woman who can be many things and "wouldn't you love to love her?"

Born To Do by Everybody Else
A female character who walks into a grocery store singing, steals something so the narrator can see, then makes it clear she has money. The narrator is besotted with the girl, and loses his job and girlfriend in order to pursue her. Then she disappears...

Wildflowers by Tom Petty
The title track of Tom Petty's 1995 album, this song features a "free" woman who is perceived to be much better than everyone else.

Sunny Girlfriend by The Monkees
A girl who fixes everyone's problems and champions their thoughts with no concerns for herself. Almost a perfect example of a mpdg (spoiler alert, it's probably actually about drugs).

Just Like a Woman by Bob Dylan
Rumored to be about Joan Baez or real-life mpdg Edie Sedgwick, this song still shows both sides of the mpdg, who seems strong and tough on the surface (enough to have power over the narrator), but who is deeply flawed underneath.

I'm Looking Through You by The Beatles
The narrator comes to realize the mpdg is not who he'd thought. To me, it's reminiscent of the scene in Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World when Scott finds out Ramona has dyed her hair without consulting or informing him,

She's Not There by The Zombies
This song is a little tough to interpret, but I think it could be taken to mean the woman turned out to be so different from what he thought that the woman he knew disappeared. The narrator seems to know all of her physical attributes and the fact that she lies, but not much else.

Windy by The Association
Much like the girl in "She's So High," "Windy" is put on a crazy pedestal. Just a reminder, putting anyone on a pedestal is unhealthy. Unless of course you're Steve Martin.

Grey Sky Eyes by Carbon Leaf
The narrator of this song seems attracted to the mystery of the woman in this song and her "grey sky eyes," but she fights back, warning him not to romanticize her.

Complex Person by The Pretenders
I'm not sure if anyone ever thought Chrissie Hynde was a mpdg, but she is still fighting back against being imagined one-dimensionally. She does the same in "Every Mother's Son," but spells it out better here.

Mouthwash by Kate Nash

Kate Nash asks people to imagine her complexly and realize there are many elements to her life.

Undun by The Guess Who
Like Alaska in Looking for Alaska and Penny Lane in Almost Famous, this song outlines the mpdg who tries too hard and feels like she fails.

That Girl Has Love by Rooney
Once again, this song features a girl who is very confident and in control when it comes to relationships, but deeply troubled and ends up committing suicide.



Any More? I'd love to hear them.

And if you live in the area of Marion, Ohio, be sure to catch most of this playlist Thursday night at 7 on One-Mind Tracks on 97.5 WDIF.

Album Review: Former Lives by Benjamin Gibbard

Benjamin Gibbard is one of those rare modern songwriters who manages to be both prolific and wonderful. Just since the inception of Death Cab For Cutie in 1997 (prior to which, Gibbard fronted a punk rock band called Pinwheel), Gibbard has had at least two major side projects (namely ¡All-Time Quarterback! and The Postal Service), not to mention his collaboration with Andrew Kenny on Home, Volume V, and work on the soundtracks for One Fast Move or I'm Gone (with Jay Farrar) and the recent remake of Arthur, amongst other things.

But Former Lives is his first full-length solo album. It's clear from the fore that this album is not like the work of his bands. Former Lives kicks off with "Shepherd's Bush Lullaby," an a capella tune apparently recorded on an iPhone. At fifty seconds long, "Shepherd's Bush Lullaby" serves more as an intro to the album than a song by itself. "Dream Song," on the other hand, is a splendidly catchy song, with much more Gibbard-esque lyrics. "Dream Song" gives way to "Teardrop Windows," the first song from this album that was made available. "Teardrop Windows" tells an interesting story, but is ultimately dwarfed by the rest of the album.

One of my favorite tracks on the album is "Bigger Than Love," which features Aimee Mann. Mann's voice compliments Gibbard's so perfectly that, at the start of the song, I almost thought Gibbard was using some vocal effects on his own voice. "Bigger Than Love" contains the gorgeous lyric, "...our house got crowded and I'd never felt so all alone," a sentiment many have tried to express, but which is nonetheless poignant in this instance.

"Bigger Than Love" is followed up by another beautiful piece, "Lily." "Lily" contains strong and elegant imagery, along with a folky melody that has touches of early country to it. Gibbard's voice is truly highlighted in this number as well, with minimal instrumentation. "Something's Rattling (Cowpoke)" is a mildly western-style piece, featuring Trio Ellas and vocals by Zooey Deschanel. Trio Ellas play a modern form of mariachi, which gives the piece its feel. Gibbard and Deschanel sing a "chorus" that's somewhere between a humming lullaby and howling, but in a smooth and graceful manner, which makes the voices into truly irreplaceable instruments.

Amongst the weaker tracks on the album is, "Duncan, Where Have You Gone?," a slow whine that could have been rejected from a Death Cab album. The tempo of the album picks back up with "Oh, Woe." Despite the positive feel, "Oh, Woe" is much in the vein of "Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse" by Of Montreal (rather than a song like George Harrison's "Blow Away"), calling for irrational depression to leave. The lyricism of "Oh, Woe" is terrific. Gibbard personifies the emotion, and points out the way depression touches people. He even mentions the romanticized sadness that can draw people in, by speaking of woe like a lover, "...oh, woe you caught my eye//And I thought that I'd give you a try//But you're nothing like the way you looked//in all those famous songs and books."

Another of my favorite tracks is "A Hard One to Know," a rock-ey number with smart lyrics. The chorus is catchier and stronger than that of any other song on the album. "Lady Adelaide" is a slower and softer song than "A Hard One to Know." "Lady Adelaide" tells the sad story of a woman who has become cold due to a broken heart. It features another of my favorite lines from the album, "Now she's a bird with a broken wing//She likes the ideas of things//More than what they are bound to bring." Gibbard delves deepest into country on "Broken Yolk in Western Sky," which features a pedal steel guitar played by Mark Spencer. 

The album closes on "I'm Building a Fire." "I'm Building a Fire," much like "Shepherd's Bush Lullaby," is quiet and gentle, and it features only vocals and guitar. Gibbard recorded "I'm Building a Fire" using Garageband. "Shepherd's Bush Lullaby" and "I'm Building a Fire" create lovely bookends for an already brilliant album.

Benjamin Gibbard's songwriting rarely disappoints me, so it's no surprise that Former Lives is already one of my favorite albums of the year. His melodies and lyrics are just as sharp (and, at times, cute) as ever. While I would be inconsolable if Death Cab For Cutie never put another album out, I think Former Lives and future Gibbard solo works could help treat the woulds.

 Benjamin Gibbard is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Former Lives is his debut solo album.

Former Lives can be purchased here.

I've Got This Covered: She & Him: Volume One

What would it be like if 60s artists were able to cover She & Him's Volume One? I think it would go something like this...

1) Sentimental Heart - Leslie Gore
The teen singer was always singing openly about her emotions. The clarity and tone of her voice are a great starter for the cover album, seeing as her voice is a near perfect match for that of Zooey Deschanel.
  
2) Why Do You Let Me Stay Here? - Nancy Sinatra
Although this is a little more upbeat than most of Sinatra's songs, I think her voice would suit it well. The abundance of tambourines is also reminiscent of "These Boots Are Made For Walking."

3) This is Not a Test - Bobbie Gentry
Although the guitar intro to this song reminds me more of George Harrison circa All Things Must Pass, I think the country-rock feel of the song along with the vaguely throaty vocals would be well suited to Gentry. Gentry's song "Seasons Come and Seasons Go" happens to feature a bass line similar to the keyboard part in "Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?" 

4) Change is Hard - Joan Baez
The tempo of "Change is Hard" along with the fact that it relies entirely on an acoustic guitar and vocals make it a perfect match for Baez.

5) I Thought I Saw Your Face Today - Marianne Faithfull
Faithfull has vocal clarity and talent for singing a sad song that "I Thought I Saw Your Face Today" can't survive without. 

6) Take It Back - Lulu
The strings in "Take It Back" are almost lifted straight from "To Sir With Love." Lulu would lend the entire song an intense power.

7) I Was Made For You - The Chiffons
I was originally trying to stick with female 60s solo artists, but several songs on Volume One really need to be covered by girl groups. "I Was Made For You" features female backing vocals reminiscent of 60s girl groups like The Chiffons. The range of the song suits The Chiffons better than other groups and there's a slight "wall of sound" quality to "I Was Made For You" that could be exaggerated in The Chiffons' cover.

8) You Really Got a Hold on Me - Mama Cass Elliot
It amazes me that Cass never seems to have covered this Smokey Robinson song in the first place,but it would be great to hear her sing it in the vain of "Dream a Little Dream of Me."

9) Black Hole -The Ronettes
I feel like this song needs "wall-of-sound." I can just hear Ronnie Spector wailing out the vocals with the rest of The Ronettes performing the required backing vocals.

10) Got Me - Dolly Parton
Parton's sweet voice and 60s country sound are the only things that would do a cover of this song justice.

11) I Should Have Known Better - Johnny Cash and June Carter
For this cover of the Lennon/McCartney masterpiece, I wanted a male and female country duo who could carry the country/Hawaiian elements She & Him added into their cover version. Who better than Cash and Carter?

12) Sweet Darlin' - The Crystals
To close the album, we have yet another 60s girl group brought to you by Phil Spector. The key is great for The Crystals and the song already seems to feature the "wall of sound."

  
That's how I think it should go down. Questions? Better ideas? Drop me a comment. Or if you're a time traveler that has magical powers over artists, feel free to make this happen.