Review of Dazey and the Scouts' 'Maggot'

Hi everyone! I hope you all managed to stay warm and limit your time outside during the cold front this weekend. Luckily, I didn’t have to step outside at all on Friday! In the meantime, I hope this short read is entertaining. I’m going to be talking about the modern riot grrrl band Dazey and the Scout’s first and only album, Maggot. This band is actually quite popular (unlike some of the others I’ve talked about), and a lot of my friends like their songs. Some of their popularity can be attributed to their song ‘Wet’ gaining a lot of traction on TikTok; I love how people are discovering their unique sound. 

Dazey and the Scouts would be one of the more modern riot grrrl bands I cover, but not without good reason. I think that a lot of the riot grrrls (and those associated with them) can produce either very political, outspoken music with less attention to musicality, or music with a very ambiguous political stance that still slaps. Dazey and the Scouts have mastered both the musicality AND the killer feminist messages within their field. With just one seven-song album, they have made waves across the modern riot grrrl scene; their lyrics are vicious, and their instrumentals are mercurial. You’ll often hear lead singer Lea Jaffe sing about classic themes found in riot grrl such as masturbation, inequalities in the punk rock scene, feeling taken advantage of, etc—but, as they are a modern rock band, they take different approaches to getting their point across in a way that doesnt feel on-the-nose or cringy (save for the mention of Kurt Cobain). In addition to the typical, they talk about male p*rnstars, weird guys on dating apps, and gender identity. Not to mention their magnificent sound. I would compare it to an amalgamation of Destroy Boys, Heavenly, and a bit of Mitski on their slower tracks, like "Sad Boys." If that sounds like something you’d be into, I’m going to drop a link to their only album, Maggot, down below, along with a couple of my favorite tracks and a deep dive into them. 

Let’s get started!

(taken from bandcamp)

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—> Groan

The cover of this album describes the music you are about to hear as ‘an intimate experience,’ and this song proves it right. “Groan” is extremely vulnerable, chronicling the experience of being a young ‘naive and miserable’ girl and falling for guys who are less than ideal. Even though many of these songs talk about more modern experiences, I think this one is rather timeless. Everyone has stories about being young and oblivious to strange men older than you. ‘And if I lied about my age, is it fine? Would you mind?’

—> Wet

Definitely the most popular Scouts song. Effortlessly witty, relatable, and honest. The strengths of Dazey and the Scouts lie in their straightforward, referential lyricism. From their reference to the Smiths’ classic ‘I Know It’s Over’ to their tongue-in-cheek lyrics like ‘I’m my own right hand gal’ in reference to masturbation and ‘It’s so depressing how the tear ducts in my eyes / are so much wetter than the space between my thighs’. In addition to these clever lyrics, the song starts and ends with a catchy, retro solo. If you listen to any song off this album, let it be this one!

—> Sweet Cis Teen

You truly cannot discuss feminism without mentioning the brave trans and nonbinary folks who have fought alongside cis women against misogyny and sexism. I’m a cis woman, myself, but I think this is a fantastic song that helps me understand gender dysphoria and envy more with lyrics like, ‘To be trans is to be your own pallbearer / To carry the weight of a dead person around with you.’ It also demands intersectionality in feminism—feminism without transgender inclusivity can be just as harmful as misogyny. This song might be the most overtly political on the album, but I think in terms of musicality and honesty, it flows exceptionally well.

—> Nice Nice

An amusing, silly song. It reminds me of:

• Omegle

• Instagram DM’s

• Snapchat

• Discord

• Amino, etc.

Most women can relate to being sexually harassed on one of these websites, particularly as a young teen. Throughout the song, the band is screaming profanities at you that you might encounter on apps like Discord, such as ‘Nice nice, are you a virgin?” and ‘What would you do with me if I was there with you right now?’ Incredibly invasive and cringe-worthy on paper, but I definitely wanted to talk about how upfront this song is about calling out creepy guys. If you are angry at men, do give this song a listen.

(taken from bandcamp)

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I hope you all enjoyed me talking about my favorite songs on this album! This one is a personal favorite. I give this album a full listen at least once every month. I hope this persuaded you to put it into your rotation as well. :3 You’ll hear from me next week, where I’ll probably talk about something movie/book-related—I want to make sure I’m getting a diverse plate of media to talk about. Stay warm out there.

See ya next week,

Mila