Each year, critics at the Chicago Tribune name a "Chicagoan of the Year." The 2008 winner for music was Local H.
Local H started as hard-rock duo formed by Scott Lucas (vocals/guitar/bass) and Joe Daniels (drums). The two began in 1987 at their mainline high school in Zion. After failed attempts at recruiting a bassist, Lucas added bass pickups to his electric guitar.
Local H's 1995 debut Ham Fisted was released to lukewarm reception, but their 1996 follow-up As Good as Dead was certified gold and contained the hits "Bound for the Floor" and "Eddie Vedder." It was better received by critics, as was 1998's Pack Up the Cats, which spawned the single "All the Kids Are Right." Unfortunately, their label Polygram merged with Universal, and the album was all but forgotten in transition.
Daniels left in 1999. Lucas recruited recent Triplefastaction drummer Brian St. Clair later that year. St. Clair was a drum tech for Bun E. Carlos of Cheap Trick. Lucas and St. Clair released their first album together, Here Comes the Zoo, in 2002 on Palm Pictures. The No Fun EP came next in 2003, and Whatever Happened to P.J. Soles? followed in 2004 to favorable reviews, with the track "Everyone Alive" being featured in the 2004 video game Burnout 3. The break-up concept album 12 Angry Months followed in 2008, and to coincide with the 2012 presidential election the group issued Hallelujah! I'm a Bum that year, both albums receiving critical praise.
Brian St. Clair would amicably leave the band, playing his last show in November 2013, before Ryan Harding joined to fill in his spot. In 2015, the duo would issue their ninth studio album Hey, Killer through G&P Records, an independent label they operate that has also been utilized for smaller releases for the band in the past. In 2020, the duo iussued Lifers through AntiFragile Music.
Local H garnered good publicity for a cover of the Britney Spears hit "Toxic". The cover was available on the band's web site and is the last track on the otherwise live album Alive '05, issued in 2005. "Toxic" has been performed at recent concerts.
Local H is known for creativity in concerts. In 2003, the band auctioned off a concert on eBay, and in 2004, performed at Fritz's Corner in Zion. In 2005, the duo performed a series of set-list request shows, where the audience got to vote on what they wanted the band to play. Gabe Rodriguez often accompanied the band on tour and provided back-up vocals or kazoo playing.
Every Halloween, Local H plays in Ardmore, masquerading as a certain group. They have performed as Nirvana, Tom Petty, Oasis, The Doors, Led Zeppelin, and Sex Pistols.
Mayonnaise And Malaise
Local H Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mayonnaise and Malaise to go
The catcher in the rye caught a Catch 22
Keep it at a pace
My life is like a crawl to me
Catatonic face
I'm marking time randomly
Mayonnaise and Malaise to go
Dull and null and void and all my best instincts stink
They pay me by the hour and I don't even have to think
Charismatic bore and I don't want to work no more
I'm gonna kill the next customer who walks in the door
Mayonnaise and Malaise to go
It's really something to be twenty-nothing
I feel my place is so secure
A culture spot that I have got
So glad to be unsure
We've passed our prime in record time
I never thought we'd fall so low
We've come this far to sell your cars
I want all my unease to go
It's really something, to be twenty-nothing
I feel my place is so secure
A culture spot that I have got
So glad to be unsure
I've come to resent what I represent
I'd like to smack that smile off your face
But for my angst I must say thanks
So good to be put in my place
Mayonnaise and Malaise to go
Punk Rock Car
The lyrics to Local H's song Mayonnaise And Malaise describe a sense of disillusionment and frustration with the monotony and meaninglessness of life. The phrase "Mayonnaise and Malaise to go" suggests a feeling of being trapped and boxed in, like a fast food order. The reference to "The Catcher in the Rye" and "Catch 22" highlights the feeling of being caught between conflicting expectations and pressures. The singer feels like life is passing him by, as he crawls through each day with a catatonic face. He marks time randomly, without purpose or direction.
The second verse amplifies the feelings of boredom and dissatisfaction with work. The singer's best instincts are dulled and nullified by the mind-numbing routine of paid employment. The job is so unrewarding that the singer fantasizes about killing a customer. The final verse describes the singer's sense of insecurity and confusion in his twenties. He feels like he's passed his prime already, and that his place in the world is uncertain. He's glad to be unsure, but also resentful of what he represents. He wants to rebel, but is too angsty and conflicted.
Line by Line Meaning
Writing what you say and saying it all back to you
Repeating what you say and parroting it back to you
Mayonnaise and Malaise to go
Feeling indifferent and unmotivated in life
The catcher in the rye caught a Catch 22
Being stuck in a difficult and paradoxical situation
Keep it at a pace
Maintaining a steady and consistent speed
My life is like a crawl to me
Feeling like life is slow and unfulfilling
Catatonic face
Having a blank and emotionless expression
I'm marking time randomly
Passing time aimlessly and without direction
Dull and null and void and all my best instincts stink
Feeling uninspired and lacking creativity or passion
They pay me by the hour and I don't even have to think
Feeling unchallenged and unfulfilled in a job that doesn't require much effort or thought
Charismatic bore and I don't want to work no more
Being tired of putting on a persona at work and not enjoying it
I'm gonna kill the next customer who walks in the door
Feeling frustrated and angry at the customers or clients one deals with
It's really something to be twenty-nothing
Reflecting on the uncertainty and confusion of early adulthood
I feel my place is so secure
Feeling a sense of stability and belonging in one's place in life
A culture spot that I have got
Feeling connected to a certain subculture or scene
So glad to be unsure
Feeling simultaneously unsure and excited about the future
We've passed our prime in record time
Feeling like time has flown by and life has peaked quickly
I never thought we'd fall so low
Feeling disillusioned and disappointed in how life has turned out
We've come this far to sell your cars
Feeling like one has sold out for success or money
I want all my unease to go
Desperately wishing to feel stable and content
I've come to resent what I represent
Disliking the role one plays or image one presents to others
I'd like to smack that smile off your face
Feeling angry and resentful towards someone who appears to be fake or insincere
But for my angst I must say thanks
Acknowledging that one's angst and unhappiness has inspired their creativity or art
So good to be put in my place
Feeling a sense of relief and comfort in finally understanding one's limitations or shortcomings
Mayonnaise and Malaise to go
Continuing to feel apathetic and unfulfilled in life
Punk Rock Car
Not part of the lyrics, this appears to be an unrelated phrase
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG Rights Management
Written by: DAVID SCOTT LUCAS, JOSEPH DANILES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind