Poetry Aloud

Mr. Z. Pennington, whose work I find fascinating and (it follows) whose opinion I value, has lauded Family Fodder as one of the most important and overlooked bands in post-punk history. His description of the group (long defunct) and its leader, Alig Fodder, betray a fan's passion: brilliant, brilliant, brilliant! So when we learn that his Society plans to release Fodder as part of their conceptual Pregnancy series, it's impossible not to share his excitement.

Idol Fodder - Death and the Maiden [mp3]

Listen to the insistent staccato note that runs through the song-- a ticking clock; a clucking tongue.

She takes her clothes off in a bus
She doesn't want to make a fuss
She susses what there is to suss
She takes her clothes off in a bus

She takes her clothes off all alone
And strips her skin back to the bone
Eyes, lips, teeth, hair and mobile phone
Death and the maiden all alone

Listen to the progression: the beach, a tree, a bus, a car, a void, my dreams. A cloud, alone. In the tension I can't tell if we're zooming in or out.

Bäbytalk, the sixth installment in the Pregnancy series, is out in limited numbers on Tuesday.