Punk Pixie I first saw your beautiful and forbidding face in a music magazine. Razor sharp cheekbones, Death glare, heathen sounds, searing vocals: A misfit friend found. You were hardly 14, when you ran away from home, never revealing the reasons why only providing your new name, a new soul: Alice Glass. Shards of innocence stripped away your companions the punks of Downton Toronto. Blue eyes dilated skin sickly pale hair once fair dyed black to deny the image that you were once a helpless child. Your look: a mesmerizing witch, Ripped tights random shirts, Jack Daniel's in one hand, a cigarette in the other. A look formidable, Always paired With a pencil skirt. You took to the stage Staring down rabid males A spirit more punk than theirs Spitting beer in faces Wielding the mic Screaming your poetry. I must admit that I’m surprised— and utterly relieved— That you’re still here. That the angry cuts The abusive creeps The aching psyche Did not silence you forever: That which is the short, violent history of your life. But at that show in Denver, You proved yourself very much alive. When you jumped into the crowd There is absolution, Born of adulation, inspiration, hope. The image of your face becomes flesh, As I hold you up to the heavens, misfits and individuals bracing our friend, the goth eccentric, rebel beauty Alice Glass: a legend in my own time. ~LMC
This poem I wrote in college, dedicated to one of my true heroes, the lovely Alice Glass. A singer and songwriter, Alice holds such reverence in my heart in that she is utterly unique in both her life story and talent. Alice Glass is the former vocalist (and as far as I’m concerned the only vocalist) of my favorite band, Crystal Castles. An electro-punk duo, CC’s songs are seared into heart in the same way as Bowie is part of my identity. I love electronic music, and I discovered Crystal Castles at the right time: just before I started college. Their music was unlike anything I had heard before. From jarring, mind rattling 8-bit pieces (“Love and Caring,” “XXZXCUZ Me”) to dark synth ballads (“Suffocation,” “Wrath of God”), I was, and still am, enthralled. Mesmerized. A day does not go by that I do not listen to my beloved CC. I’m not kidding!
Just as my poem alludes to, I came across Alice in Spin Magazine, July 2010 edition. Accompanying a brief album review of the newly released Crystal Castles II, was a photo of one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen: Alice Glass. Her short black hair reminded of the Sneaker Pimps Kelli Ali, another badass female vocalist whom I revere. It was an immediate girl crush, that sense of having found a new friend for life. But it is not just Alice’s face that is stunning, but her aesthetic. This I immediately learned from watching CC music videos and live performances. Her dark eye makeup, punk yet feminine attire—black everything with a pencil skirt—paired with her fearless demeanor, is both striking, sexy, and confident. A no f&$#s given attitude. Diving into the crowd multiple times, climbing onto the drum kit, all while wailing out her soul: I had never seen such wild, naked passion in a singer, let alone a female vocalist. It was and is such a beautiful, reassuring thing to see. As a woman, I relate to and respect Alice in shattering expectations for women. Forget the plastic, robot façade pop singers of the mainstream: Alice was, is, and will forever be my girl crush, my role model, my hero.
Alice departed CC in 2014, citing sexual, mental, and physical abuse by her own band mate, the other half of the duo. I won’t mention his name. Enough about him. Since then Alice has embarked on a solo career, with her first EP, the self titled Alice Glass, released August 2017 to critical acclaim. I love her new work. As one interviewer described the work, “Alice Glass sounds everything like and nothing like Alice Glass.” If you’re a CC fan hoping for more CC stuff, don’t bother. Alice continues to cultivate her own new sound, a catalyst for dealing with the trauma of her past, while still asserting her voice and her persona. A brilliant lyricist, she explores feelings of self doubt, hope, particularly rage and vengeance. One thing that has remained the same since Alice of the CC era: Alice’s passion and sincerity are ever present in her work, as I witnessed at her show at Boulder’s Fox Theatre, May 2018. She held my hand while cooing Celestica, and not once, but several times I sang literally right next to her when she stepped down onto the floor. The reverence she has for her fans is palpable, just as her fan base utterly adores her.
10 years has passed since I discovered Crystal Castles on 26 June 2010; in this past decade I’ve followed and grown up with Alice and her journey. Just as my hero has experienced dizzying highs and terrible lows, Alice’s music has been there for me in my own journey.
We love you Alice; never stop fighting.
~LMC
- Featured photo of Alice Glass at top of page, and Moon Dagger, are from public domain.
