Valentine’s Day With Acmatic: Grilled Cheese and Stevie Wonder
"I don't think we have any Valentine's day tradition in Jamaica other than TRAFFIC."
Valentine’s Day – that celebration of love, romance, and Catholic martrydom – is almost here. Whether you cherish it or despise it, you can’t really get away from it, so we asked a few of our favorite bands to share their own experiences. Funny, bitter, sad, romantic, tragically awkward...they didn't hold back. So if you're dreading V-Day, read on! You're not alone.
Jamaica can lay claim to some of the world’s most soulful love songs. From Bob Marley’s “Is this Love” (stuck in the Collective Unconscious’s head since 1978) to I-Octane’s fresh and gooey “L.O.V.E.Y.O.U.”
This has nothing to do with Acmatic. The Kingston-based synth-hop collective isn’t on the same page as any of Jamaica’s music scenes. Really, they aren’t on quite the same page as anyone else ever and that’s why we love them. Valentine’s Day is not an exception.
We sent them our Valentine’s Day questions and found out the holiday for lovers is as much of an enigma to King Lopo, Beatnik Bill, MXY, and Dan Haggar as Plateface is to … everyone who isn’t a member of Acmatic.
Read on for an installment of our Valentine’s Confessions series that would make Beres Hammond weep.
What’s your most memorable/worst/funniest Valentine’s Day date?
Plateface/MXY, producer: This will be my favourite Valentine’s Day because I finally don’t have one. The end.
King Lopo, vocalist: Taking a bottle of gin to dinner this year to proclaim my love to her.
Dan Haggar, guitarist: I have never been on a Valentine’s day date for some reason. LADIES … my body is ready. Love you long time.
Acmatic Photo Credit: Randy Richards
What is the most hated Valentine’s Day tradition in your country?
King Lopo: The plethora of red and white worn by EVERY jackass around here. Epileptics, stay home. It’s mad jarring.
Alex “The Beatnik Bill”, Producer: I don’t like any Valentine’s Day tradition, but if there’s one I actually hate it’s “Anti-Valentines Day.” Basically, those girls that for whatever reason happen to be single and don’t want anyone to know how much that fact upsets them. Sooo annoying. You can usually point them out when they say things like “Love is dead!,” “I’m wearing black on Valentine’s Day,” “I actually don’t care about Valentine’s Day, that’s why I’m protesting it.” (Actual confusion at that last quote, but I’ve heard it spoken).
Dan Haggar: I don’t think we have any Valentine’s day tradition in Jamaica other than TRAFFIC.
If you really did want to impress someone on Valentine’s Day, what would you do?
King Lopo: Make ‘em a grill cheese sandwich.
Dan Haggar: Wow, I dunno, I’m not the romantic type, but if I was, it would be something cheesy enough to be in a John Hughes movie.
If you HAD to pick the most romantic song ever, what would you pick and why?
King Lopo: “One Beer” – MF Doom … aite, I’ll not be horrible, “I Was Made to Love Her” – Stevie Wonder. Young Stevie, and to the point. You know? None of the round about abstractness, just you … me … made to happen.
Dan Haggar: “Alison” by Elvis Costello. It’s not exactly romantic, and there are many interpretations of it, but I think it’s about unrequited love and there’s nothing more romanticized than same. Granted, the song might just be about murder/heroin, but we can all pretend, right?