Liz Phair Releases New Song to Banana Republic Compilation

Liz Phair has released a song exclusively to a Banana Republic compilation, completely dancing on the grave of her former indie rock fame (although, you could argue she's been doing that for close to 15 years). Phair has already appeared in an ad for Banana Republic, which is trying to run some random thread through the "City Stories" of Phair, Dashboard Confessional and that band that ran on treadmills a few years ago, and her new song "Faith & Tenderness" appears exclusively on Banana Republic's City Stories Vol. 2, which you can pick up with your over priced cargo shorts.

Since I don't live close to a Banana Republic, I haven't heard the track, but Pitchfork has, and they say it's awful. Given that most of Phair's recent output has been of varied degrees of terrible, I'm betting that's probably a pretty fair assessment.

The song is also going to be included on a new Phair album that is not even in production yet. So make of that what you will. [Pitchfork]

Posted in: LIZ PHAIR

8 Responses

May 15, 2009 at 3:38 p.m.

tonys

I'm probably in the minority in this crowd, but I prefer Liz's pop stuff to her early alternative rock. To me, her rock always sounded forced and like she was trying to be cool. When she went pop, I thought her singing dramatically improved and her songs finally grew hooks. So sue me! I also like the Ramones better as a punky pop band (circa 1979-83) than as a punk rock band.

May 15, 2009 at 4:20 p.m.

Daba

crazy Tonys!

May 18, 2009 at 1:57 a.m.

Per

I am sooooo bored concerning Liz Phair`s alleged sell out and treating the so called INDIEmusic with contempt. All I can say is that Liz has a mind of her own and she is a fantastic songwriter! Show me one musician without any change over the years! All these people judging her are just intolerant and ignorant nerds! They sometimes should think out of the box or just stop babbling crap!

May 18, 2009 at 10:30 a.m.

andross

Why are you yelling?

May 19, 2009 at 5:46 p.m.

liz fair

if liz is REALLY writing the music she wants to write - this only mean she wants to write brainless songs. There's no plot or even anything remotely interesting in her new song - save for a few corny cliches. If this is the best she can pump out, I'm just no longer interested. show some brains liz. i know you've got 'em.

May 21, 2009 at 3:47 p.m.

Joe

Liz has had a few good songs here and there (Firewalker comes to mind), but it's undeniable that Exile in Guyville is by far her best work. I saw her last summer at the 9:30 Club in DC where she performed Exile in its entirety. It was an amazing show and I wish she had kept some more of that edge rather than go mainstream.

May 27, 2009 at 10:55 a.m.

rick

The only remarkable thing about Liz Phair's more recent work is that people think it is some sort of decline in quality, when in fact it is at the quality Liz Phair's music has always been at: mediocre. The very idea that Liz Phair is some uniquely talented artist who has lost her way is laughable. Steve Albini put it best, way back in 1993, when he compared Liz, unfavorably, to Rickie Lee Jones.

May 28, 2009 at 11:55 p.m.

Jim

It's always fun to crap on a song you haven't heard.

I do love the implication of your review though: