Exile in Guyville

Liz Phair

Britta Pietila

Liz Phair’s “Exile in Guyville” is not only one of the realest, raunchiest, and spunkiest indie rock albums you will ever hear, it is also Liz Phair’s first studio album. Released in 1993, this hormone-inducing monster features 18 songs, all of which sing to the tune–literally–of making weird decisions as a young woman. As a response album to “Exile on Main St.” by The Rolling Stones, Phair attempts to create a conversation between the two by bringing life to the unheard role of a feminine “other” in the Stone’s storyline. If you really want to hear the conversation, take a listen to “Turd on the Run” by The Rolling Stones, followed by “F**k and Run” by Liz Phair. Or vice versa. The song titles and the lyrics stand true, but you are going to need to run faster!

Enough about The Rolling Stones and back to Phair: this album will probably knock your socks off. If you truly want your socks on the floor, take a listen to “Divorce Song,” which tells the painfully relatable story of having friends and lovers and making sure not to mix the two. Or, break into the tauntingly funny, “Soap Star Joe” for a catchy ballad and your daily dose of emasculation. If it hurts your feelings, I am not sorry.

I truly think this album is suitable for anybody. It is comparable to reading someone’s diary who either just got broken up with or knows how to “play the field” extremely well.