I feel like Post Pop Depression is this year’s most anticipated album. All the tastemakers are discussing it on air and in the streets. It’s like we don’t want to miss a moment before the album dropped so we can say we heard the magic first. It was released on March 18, 2016, after their tour stops in Austin during the South by Southwest Music Conference and Festival. My fellow Austinites and I got the privilege of hosting and seeing this unique tour. I use my word choices her very precisely due to the fact that I believe Iggy Pop is a star. He is a punk legend and what I think of when I say the words “front man”. He is also a bit of a renaissance man. You think you might know who Iggy Pop is one minute but he will do something completely out of his range and nail it with grace.
I think that describes the approach to this album and tour. Post Pop Depression isn’t glam rock, indie, or punk outright. It has so many layers to it that you have to take it at face value. It is gritty, dancey, and profound. The first couple listens I would get little bits stuck in my head and it would remind me of the first times I fell in love with Iggy Pop/The Stooges, Queens of the Stone Age, and even 80s David Bowie. In an overly produced pop world, it refreshing to go back to certain eras of music that are about reinvention and attempting something new.
The SXSW showcase was at the Austin City Limits Live at the Moody Theater. The day before Iggy and Josh did their official taping for the Austin City Limits television show. What was great about the showcase the day after was that they just got to play music without anything technical in the way. The set started with “Lust For Life” which I thought would be a closer. It was exactly the excitement I needed in my life. Then the band went right into the album with songs such as ” American Valhalla”, “Sunday”, and “Break Your Heart”. They also did a cover of David Bowie’s “China Girl” which fits very much into the style of this album. The band covered some Iggy Pop classics such as “Nightclubbing” and “Passenger” which fit well within in the set and is very classic Iggy.
While Iggy Pop danced and thrashed upon the stage, while Josh Homme soothed with his guitar. The music spoke for itself. Some might have thought this collaboration would be odd but they both offset each other organically to make this transformative dance pop. I love that this album doesn’t take itself so seriously but is still a serious piece of music. I can also say that this was one of the best shows I have ever witnessed. So when I die and my life flashes before my eye, its comforting to know Iggy Pop will be there dancing with me till the end.
Punk Rock Anthropology 