Tell us in a couple of sentences about you/LV Girls Rock
Salutations! My name is Ty McMaster and I am a trans feminine songwriter, guitarist, bassist, and vocalist from Bucks County, PA. I’ve been a part of Lehigh Valley Girls Rock for about a year now. LVGR is a nonprofit dedicated to empowering girls, women, and trans & nonbinary folks through music and art.
Name of record/artist
Being that it was recently the five-year anniversary of the record, I have been revisiting Transgender Dysphoria Blues by Against Me!
What emotion does this record invoke for you?
Apprehension, teetering on excitement. I was not out as trans when this album was released. In fact, I didn’t entirely know what the trans experience truly was UNTIL Laura Jane Grace came out in 2013. It was a completely new state of experience, and I felt so proud of her for living her truth. Unbeknownst to me, this album planted a seed in the back of my brain that would slowly flourish over the course of two years. I adore this record, but at the time I simply thought the euphoria I was feeling was a form of empathy towards Grace herself. I couldn’t truly connect to this album because I wasn’t trans, right? Right…? The apprehension and excitement were a dichotomy I couldn’t understand at the time. Now I feel full-fledged euphoria when I blast this in my car.
What is your favorite instrumentation part on this album?
I have two. The opening guitar riffs to tracks 6 and 10 are two of my favorite Against Me! riffs of all time. Though they both convey wildly different emotional dynamics, I get so pumped up whenever I hear them. Also, those tones??? MA’AM????
Does this record bring back any memories for you?
I’ll never forget my initial listen to this album. Hearing the opening lines of the title track clobbered me square in the jaw. I was genuinely breathless for a few moments. I always recall the power I felt, hanging onto every word Laura sang. Once I realized and named my own gender dysphoria, that power grew exponentially, and many of these songs became the anthems that comfort me when I am at my most dysphoric. It also makes me think of the drives I would take with my best friend Charles, replaying this album full blast.
What are the standout tracks?
My knee-jerk reaction is to say the whole album, because it is truly a masterpiece, start to finish. However, I will concede and state that “Black Me Out” is my absolute favorite song. Not only is it the perfect closer, but it is the song that has always been most empowering to me. One of my favorite pastimes is howling the chorus at the top of my lungs. There is a specific kind of rebuke in cursing out the people who seek to demoralize, oppress, and erase you. I also can confirm it is 200% what many trans people want to shout at bigots on a normal basis. Aside from that song, “Transgender Dysphoria Blues,” “True Trans Soul Rebel,” and “Two Coffins” are definite standouts for me as well.
Describe the album artwork
Oh my, excellent challenge. The cover is completely white, with what appears to be a graphic black and white image of a breast that is likely being observed and scrutinized. I’ve taken it to be representative of our society's obsession with basic biology, coupled with the insistence that secondary sexual characteristics determine gender/femininity. It stands as an excellent criticism of the trans misogyny and sexism that trans women face every day. There is also a subtle theme of violence against trans women, which is still a widespread issue, especially for trans women of color.
RAPID WORD ASSOCIATION- what is the FIRST word that comes to your head when this album comes on?
Power. Power expressed; power reclaimed; power reborn. Nothing but pure power.
Why should WE listen to this record?
This album was released during a time where trans voices were still underrepresented in all media. We were just on the precipice of wholly screaming our existence into the cultural conscience. We were just meeting Laverne Cox on Orange Is the New Black and Janet Mock had released her groundbreaking memoir, Redefining Realness. In the mainstream punk world, trans representation was virtually non-existent. Laura Jane Grace introduced many young punks to a life outside of restrictive gender expression. I know that for me, as well as many young queers who grew up loving punk music, her coming out was the spark, the moment of realization that we all needed. She snarled a new way of living and expressing into a genre that was rife with misogyny, offering an aggression that many of us felt, but weren’t sure how to express. This album deserves your time because trans voices deserve to be heard. Transgender Dysphoria Blues is a visceral look into the trans experience, offering emotion, language, and stories that deserve to be treated as valid. There’s a lot to learn from these lyrics. That being said, Laura’s is only one voice, and a white voice at that, so be sure to listen to other trans voices as well, such as Jackie Shane, Vivek Shraya, Shea Diamond, Anjimile, and so many more. There is a rich and vast cornucopia of intersectional trans experiences. Let them color your life with love.