Fred Thomas, the restless and prolific songwriter who might be best known as the bandleader of turn-of-the-century indie collective Saturday Looks Good To Me, has a way of sounding cynical and sweet at the same time. On "Cops Don't Care Pt. II," a wordy pop song from his new Polyvinyl solo album, he rambles with a sort of wistful pessimism: Life is so incredibly long/ like a kiss on the bridge/ between two nervous ass kids/ terrified of doing everything wrong, he sings, aided by harmonies from Sam Cook-Parrot of Radiator Hospital.
According to an email from Thomas to FADER, the track is a "a stream-of-consciousness protest song" about wage slavery, police violence, and the severe limitations being put on women's reproductive health in his home state of Michigan. It's a politically-charged sequel to the original "Cops Don't Care," a song about "insane parties" by his old band, City Center. Thomas' new album, All Are Saved, is out on April 7th.
Tour dates:
03.11.15 – Chicago, IL @ The Owl
03.13.15 – Nashville, TN @ TBA
03.14.15 – New Orleans, LA @ Circle Bar
03.15.15 – Denton, TX @ 35 Denton Festival
03.16.15 – Houston, TX @ Walter's Downtown
03.17.15 – Austin, TX @ SXSW
03.18.15 – Austin, TX @ SXSW
03.19.15 – Austin, TX @ SXSW
03.20.15 – Hot Springs, AK @ Valley of the Vapors fest
03.21.15 – Hattiesburg, MS @ Thirsty Hippo
03.23.15 – Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
03.24.15 – Nashville, TN @ Mercy Lounge
03.25.15 – Lexington, KY @ Green Lantern
05.06.15 – Detroit, MI @ UFO Factory (Album Release Party)
05.07.15 – Toronto, ON @TBD
05.08.15 – Montreal, QB @ TBD
05.09.15 – Providence, RI @ The Parlor
05.10.15 – Manhattan, NY @ Elvis Guesthouse
05.11.15 – Brooklyn, NY @ Palisades
05.12.15 – Philadelphia, PA @ Hazzard Hall
05.13.15 – Raleigh, NC @ Neptunes
05.14.15 – Asheville, NC @ Tiger Mountain
05.15.15 – Atlanta, GA @ Drunken Unicorn
05.16.15 – Knoxville, TN @ Pilot Light
05.17.15 – Louisville, KY @ The New Vintage
05.19.15 – Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle
Lead image: Esme McClear
