Small Black started with a name and worked backwards: a housemate of singer/multi-instrumentalist Josh Kolenik came up with the moniker on a cold Portland, Oregon night. The name stuck when he returned to Long Island, New York and began collaborating with Ryan Heyner, an area musician and former member of the hardcore band Silent Majority who shared friends with Kolenik. The pair holed up in the attic of the beach house and surfboard shop Kolenik's uncle owned to record songs with vintage keyboards and samplers, spending late 2008 and early 2009 recording as Uncle Matt made surfboards underneath them.
Though Kolenik had played in several bands before Small Black, the mix of shoegaze and synth pop he and Heyner hit upon felt special, and the group's lineup was complete once bassist/guitarist Juan Pieczanski and Jeff Curtin from Kolenik's previous band, Slowlands, joined to bolster production and fill out their live act. Small Black released their self-titled five-song EP on their own CassClub label in October 2009, and released the U.K. single "Despicable Dogs" as well as a video for that song featuring Uncle Matt soon after. Following their performances at that year’s CMJ Music Marathon, Small Black signed to Jagjaguwar Records, which reissued the band’s debut EP with two bonus tracks in 2010. That year, they also released a split single with the like-minded Washed Out, with whom they also toured. New Chain, the band's first full-length, boasted a slightly more polished sound that reflected their consistent touring as well as their interest in hip-hop and arrived in October 2010. In late 2011, the band offered the Moon Killer mixtape as a free download from their website. The collection of new material was built on samples ranging from Pere Ubu to Nicki Minaj and featured multiple drop-ins from Das Racist MC Heems as well as remixes from Star Slinger and Phonetag.
After spending much of 2012 on the road, Small Black returned with May 2013's Limits of Desire, a more sophisticated-sounding set influenced by Talk Talk and the Blue Nile. They covered the latter band's classic "Downtown Lights" on the following year's Real People EP, which had a more dancefloor-oriented style and featured vocals from Frankie Rose. Small Black's passion for sophisti-pop grew on October 2015's Best Blues. Recorded by the band in their Brooklyn home studio and mixed by Nicholas Vernhes at the Rare Book Room Studio, the album included contributions from trumpeter Darby Cicci of the Antlers and vocalist Kaede Ford. Soon after Best Blues' release, Kolenik's Uncle Matt passed away, and the memory of him inspired many of the songs on Small Black's fourth album. Arriving on 100% Electronica in April 2021, the reflective Cheap Dreams found the band returning from their hiatus with an extra dose of goth to their synth pop reveries. In 2023, Small Black looked back with a pair of archival releases. They commemorated the tenth anniversary of Limits of Desire with a deluxe edition of the album, and also issued a deluxe version of their debut EP that included previously unreleased songs from their early beach house sessions.
Biography by Heather Phares for ALLMUSIC
XX Century
Small Black Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
At the the steps
Tell no one
This is prolly our only
Chance
Never mind what they said
Can be done
Just make sure they
Through the waterfall
Hop the fence
Can't take
The obvious way
20th century
20th century
Doesn't mean that
We're lost
Just means
We're a little off
Yes, we blew it back then
This time we've
Practiced everything
Perfectly
Pick out a coat
Head for the north
Justget there
Want it to/wanted to go another way
But its always the same
But it always the same
When I get there
Even when I get there
Even when I get there
On time
20th century
20th century
Someone to come
And light the way
Someone to come
And light the way
20th century
20th century
The lyrics of Small Black's song "XX Century" contain a sense of secrecy and rebellion. The intro verse sets the scene as a clandestine meeting is arranged at the steps, emphasizing the need for discretion and secrecy. The line "Tell no one, this is probably our only chance" suggests that the singers are taking a risk, possibly breaking societal or cultural norms. They disregard what others say can or cannot be done and focus on ensuring they are not seen leaving. The subsequent line "Through the waterfall, hop the fence" further adds to the imagery of unconventional paths and actions.
The chorus, "20th century, 20th century, doesn't mean that we're lost, just means we're a little off", reflects on the time period being referenced and suggests that the singers do not conform to the norms of that era. It implies that their actions and mindset may deviate from the mainstream, but it does not imply that they are lost or aimless. The line "Yes, we blew it back then, this time we've practiced everything perfectly" hints at the idea of learning from past mistakes and striving for improvement.
The following verse expresses a desire to go another way, but also acknowledges the consistent sameness of life. The repetition of the line "Even when I get there, on time" suggests that regardless of the effort made to change or deviate, things often remain the same. The final repetition of the chorus adds to the overall message that the 20th century, or any era, should not define or restrict individuals, and that someone is needed to light the way towards a different, more genuine path.
Line by Line Meaning
Meet me down
Let's meet each other at a specific location
At the steps
Referring to a place with stairs or a staircase
Tell no one
Keep this meeting a secret and don't inform anyone else
This is prolly our only
It is likely that this is our one and only opportunity
Chance
Opportunity to do or achieve something
Never mind what they said
Ignore the remarks or opinions of others
Can be done
Can be accomplished or achieved
Just make sure they
Ensure that other people
Don't see you leave
Don't witness you departing or going away
Through the waterfall
By going through a waterfall-like structure or location
Hop the fence
Jump over a barrier or obstacle
Can't take
Cannot follow or choose
The obvious way
The most apparent or expected path
20th century
Refers to the previous century (1900s)
Doesn't mean that
Doesn't imply or indicate that
We're lost
We are confused or directionless
Just means
Simply signifies or implies
We're a little off
We are slightly deviating from the norm or conventional path
Yes, we blew it back then
Indeed, we made a mistake or failed in the past
This time we've
In this instance, we have
Practiced everything
Rehearsed or prepared thoroughly for everything
Perfectly
With great precision or flawlessly
Pick out a coat
Choose a jacket or outerwear
Head for the north
Go in the direction of the north
Just get there
Simply reach the destination
Want it to/wanted to go another way
Desire or desired for it to proceed differently from the current way
But it's always the same
Yet, it consistently turns out to be identical or unchanged
When I get there
Upon my arrival at the destination
Even when I get there
Even upon reaching the intended point
On time
Punctually or as scheduled
Someone to come
An individual who would arrive
And light the way
And illuminate the path or guide
20th century
Refers to the previous century (1900s)
Someone to come
An individual who would arrive
And light the way
And illuminate the path or guide
20th century
Refers to the previous century (1900s)
Lyrics © SC PUBLISHING DBA SECRETLY CANADIAN PUB.
Written by: Jeffrey Urso Curtin, Joshua Hayden Kolenik, Juan Pieczanski, Ryan Frank Heyner
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind