Laura Jane Grace, vocalist and guitarist for punk rockers Against Me!, had plenty of fodder to talk about for the band's new album, Transgender Dysphoria Blues. If you hadn't already heard, and the new album title didn't give you a hint, the biggest development for the group since its last release, 2010's White Crosses, was that Grace (formerly named Tom Gabel) announced her identity as a woman.
We can only imagine what such things are like, and it makes sense that at least part of the band's new LP would be dedicated to the turmoil that Grace has gone through. For now, all we have is titles, but the opening title track, "True Trans Soul Rebel" and "Unconditional Love" all suggest the theme. The latter may refer to her wife Heather Hannoura, who has remained married to Grace despite the gender change.
Still, being the punk rockers that the band is, gender identity issues won't be the only thing listeners find shocking (if they find that shocking at all). The track "Osama bin Laden as The Crucified Christ" will probably, and rightfully, offend listener's sensibilities the most, and the eyeful "F**KMYLIFE666" ain't fooling around either. The album's art features a human breast atop an animated chunk of meat that looks like it came out with the first body part.
Although Grace and guitarist James Bowman are the only original members of the band, she felt the need to pick up some more members to get her thoughts off her chest, she said. The group picked up bassist Inge Johansson of (International) Noise Conspiracy and drummer Atom Willard of The Offspring to tour with.
Transgender Dysphoria Blues is scheduled to drop during 2014.
