2000 Great Songs #1258: Everywhere That I'm Not
Early 80s (plus some later revivals) San Francisco band Translator were tough to pigeonhole. You can hear New York punk-era acts like Television , jangly indie pop bands like the dB's and the Plimsouls , and moody UK new wave/goth all tangled up in the mix. Single "Everywhere That I'm Not," off 1982 debut Heartbeats And Triggers , captures all of that captivating enigma. They play with the same blend of Velvet Underground darkness and college radio jangle as early R.E.M. ; the minor-key verses are haunting, but then they make a pivot into a bouncy chorus; it's infectious, sure, but the song is just a tad too off-putting for MTV-friendly new wave pop. In a good way. Live 2009: 2021 remake--a little cleaner, but still magical: Cover by Hala:
