They were founded in 1990 by songwriters Tim Gane (guitar, keyboards), formerly of the band McCarthy, and Laetitia Sadier (sometimes credited as Seaya Sadier; vocals, keyboards, trombone, guitar), who is from France and sings in both English and French.
Over the years, Gane and Sadier have enlisted a large number of other musicians to accompany them on stage and on record. The initial line-up featured Martin Kean, formerly of The Chills, on bass, and Joe Dilworth (from their Too Pure label-mates Th’ Faith Healers) on drums, with Russell Yates (of Moose) and Mick Conroy (ex-Modern English) also appearing at early live shows. In 1993 they recruited Andy Ramsay (drums), who has remained in the group line-up ever since, and Mary Hansen (vocals, guitar, keyboards, percussion). Hansen’s distinctive backing vocals became an important aspect of the Stereolab sound, and she remained a regular feature of the line-up until her death in a cycling accident on December 9, 2002. Multi-instrumentalist Sean O’Hagan of The High Llamas has also been a frequent contributor, particularly with string, brass and keyboard arrangements to the band’s studio albums. John McEntire (Tortoise) has also contributed keyboard, electronic effects and studio help over the years. Other members have come and (in some cases) gone over the years, including Duncan Brown, Dave Pajo (from Tortoise), Richard Harrison and Simon Johns (all bass); Gina Morris (vocals); and Katharine Gifford and Morgane Lhote (both on keyboards).
Early Stereolab material displayed a heavy influence of krautrock sounds, particularly Neu! and Faust, characteristically relying on droning, repetitive guitar or keyboard riffs, with or without vocals. Early heavy use of distorted Farfisa combo-organ sounds were also reminiscent of early recordings by The Modern Lovers. As the band developed, they incorporated new instrumentation, and an increasingly complex sense of rhythm and structure, frequently making use of irregular time signatures as well as unorthodox chord progressions and melodic intervals. The band has often made copious use of female backing vocal lines.
Lyrically, Stereolab’s music is quirky (song titles evoke memories of 1950s science fiction stories, and are often borrowed directly from old films and records of the period, but have nothing to do with the song’s content), but highly politically and philosophically charged, sometimes with a decidedly Surrealist or Situationist bent. (Sadier notes the libertarian Marxist theoretician Cornelius Castoriadis as a particular inspiration.) Sadier’s lyrics, in both French and English, often read like highly condensed sociological texts, standing in deliberate and distinct counterpoint to the lush hedonic pop sound of the band. A prime example would be “Ping Pong” from Mars Audiac Quintet, which is an explicit restating of Marxist theory concerning the relationship between economic cycles and war cycles.
Stereolab earned a minor place in the Britpop movement, with their sound proving influential to bands like Blur: occasional keyboard-driven b-sides and singer Damon Albarn’s love of retro keyboards showed the influence, and in recognition Laetitia Sadier was invited to provide vocals on “To The End” from Parklife.
Despite the band’s fan base and critical acclaim, Stereolab has not achieved high levels of financial or popular success. On June 7, 2004, suits at the Warner Music label (to whom the band was signed in the U.S.) announced they were dropping Stereolab in response to the poor sales (40,000 to that date) of Margerine Eclipse. This was part of an ongoing effort by Warner to cut costs; The Breeders and Third Eye Blind were also dropped from the label for this reason. Laetitia Sadier is now also a member of Monade, which is essentially expressive of her own singular musical goals.
Pop Quiz
Stereolab Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Definition of truth
Sexual regulations
Language allowed/forbidden
With enthusiasm dying
For your country
The imaginary, is bounding reality
There's no need to pretend
Individuality, apart from society,
Is a big fallacy
The lyrics of Stereolab's "Pop Quiz" seem to be criticizing the societal constructs that limit individuality and creativity. The lines "Ways of doing and work / Definition of truth / Sexual regulations / Language allowed/forbidden" appear to question the restrictions placed upon individuals in every aspect of their lives. The following line, "With enthusiasm dying / For your country," suggests that these societal constructs are detrimental to the enthusiasm and passion individuals have for their country.
The lyrics also suggest that individuals are limited by what they imagine is reality, which is "bounding" them from exploring new ideas and ways of thinking. The final line, "Individuality, apart from society, / Is a big fallacy," seems to imply that true individuality cannot exist in a society that heavily regulates and controls its citizens.
Overall, "Pop Quiz" is a critique of societal constructs that hinder individuals' creativity and limit their ability to think outside of what is considered normal.
Line by Line Meaning
Ways of doing and work
Different methods and approaches to completing tasks
Definition of truth
The concept of what is objectively true or false
Sexual regulations
Societal rules and expectations regarding sexuality and behavior
Language allowed/forbidden
Certain words and phrases that are either acceptable or taboo in a given culture
With enthusiasm dying
Losing passion or excitement for something
For your country
Actions or beliefs done in service to one's nation or a patriotic ideal
The imaginary, is bounding reality
The imagination and creativity of the mind can have a profound effect on how we perceive and understand the world around us
There's no need to pretend
Being honest and authentic is more important than putting on a facade
We don't know when we do
Sometimes our actions and decisions are driven by subconscious motivations that we may not be aware of
Individuality, apart from society,
The idea that a person's uniqueness and identity can exist independently of societal norms and expectations
Is a big fallacy
This belief is not true or realistic and is based on false assumptions about human behavior and the nature of society
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: LAETITIA SADIER, TIMOTHY JOHN GANE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind