You Should Listen To Bad Cop / Bad Cop
There’s a band I’ve been obsessed with for a few months now. Maybe a bit longer. They’re from Southern California and go by the name Bad Cop / Bad Cop. I can’t say exactly what it is that’s made me enjoy them so much. I do have a bit of an obsessive streak. For example, if there’s a song I like, I’ll listen to it over and over again. Like hundreds of times in a week. But this feels a little different. It’s like I’m looking into the future.
The future is female and so I suppose it would make sense that I’d feel this way. I think the obsession started when I saw their video for a song called “Nightmare”. I get emotional almost every time I watch it, which has been in the hundreds. I’ve never felt so seen by a song or visual representation. The video is brilliant, taking horror tropes and turning them on their head. Hey, even ax murderers need love.
OK, I am going to get really hyperbolic now. Bad Cop Bad Cop reminds me of probably the greatest band ever: The Beatles. Hear me out. They’re a four-piece with two guitars and a rhythm section. They can all sing and part of their songwriting includes three-part harmonies. They take the best elements of a musical genre (SoCal Punk) and put their own special sauce on it, just like the Beatles did with American Rock ‘n’ Roll. Each member offers something unique, either in vocal quality or songwriting.
Stacey Dee (one of the guitarists) has an abrasive, gruff voice that’s perfectly suited for punk rock and passionate music. Jennie Cotterill (the other guitarist) has the opposite voice. It’s high and sweet and unassuming. Filling the void between the two is bassist Linh Le who straddles both worlds. She is also the most entertaining part of their live shows with energetic, delightful dances. Below is a video for a song from their most recent album The Ride in which Linh recounts her own family’s struggles being refugees during the Vietnam War and how it contrasts with Americans’ attitudes towards immigrants today.
I’ve listened to punk music for as long as I can remember. And what these four ladies do with the form is unlike anything I’ve seen before. It’s inspiring. They aren’t the first female punk band to do it (Riot Grrl) but whatever reason (misogyny) most of their predecessors seemed to be emulating male bands. BC/BC is different. They are unapologetic, enthusiastically female. Their song topics range from the typical like love and loss to more specific topics such as domestic violence and breast cancer. They speak about political things. They are unabashedly who they are and I think that’s what appeals to me most. The core of the punk rock ethos can be boiled down to “this is what I am” and BC/BC exemplifies this.
The first single off The Ride is a tune called “Simple Girl” and the video for it really embraces this concept of being female in all its forms. The song was supposedly inspired by an ex telling Stacey Dee that their next girlfriend would be a “simple girl” the implication being that Stacey was not. The COVID-produced video features clips sent in from fans and friends that really highlight what being a woman is. Everyone is represented in it. There are moms, there are workers, there are old and young women. It runs the gamut and it makes my heart full to see so many beautiful, strong women.
I don’t know if BC/BC will be touring in America anytime soon. When they do, and if they come anywhere close to me, I will be first in line to get tickets. For now, I’ll have to settle for various live videos I’ve found online. Some are of pretty good quality, others are shitty cellphone video recordings. I posted below one of the most recent performances I can find. It’s a four-song set at a backyard concert from last September. You can skip ahead to 1:20 for the start of their performance.
I don’t know what else to say. I could go on and on about why I love this band but honestly, I’d rather you spend your time listening to them. So check them out. They rock! And so do you!