Kathy Valentine of the Go-Go’s Would Like to Talk to You About Memes

My Ten The musician’s list of cultural must-haves includes her collection of kitsch, reruns of “The Office” and early punk and hip-hop photographs. On New Year’s Eve 1980, Kathy Valentine, not yet 22, played her first show with a fledgling Los Angeles group called the Go-Go’s. Less than 18 months later, their debut album, “Beauty and the Beat,” hit No. 1 on the Billboard chart.

They were the first all-female rock band to earn that distinction. Against all odds, the Go-Go’s have endured as a beloved purveyor of timeless power pop, known for classic hits including “Vacation” and “Head Over Heels,” both of which Valentine helped write. Naturally, the band plays a large part in her new memoir, “All I Ever Wanted: A Rock ‘n’ Roll Memoir” — for which the bassist and guitarist also wrote a companion soundtrack of 15 new songs. It’s a colorful part, too, because behind their wholesome image, the Go-Go’s were a hard-partying band.

“If ‘pop sweethearts’ did acid at Graceland, threw up on the floor at fancy restaurants, cheated on their boyfriends, took nasty Polaroids, made out with girls, watched fringe porn, and stayed up all night writing songs and playing guitar,” she writes, “well, maybe their stupid label might fit. ” Valentine, 61, talked about some of her favorite cultural offerings from her home in Austin, Texas. These are edited excerpts from a Skype conversation. 1.

The Meme In a lot of ways memes dumb down stuff, but conceptually I love what they have brought to our lives. Sometimes I walk out of my bedroom and my hair or my clothes are crazy. And my daughter goes: “You’re a meme. ” I can just say “My cat’s a meme” and people get it.

It’s this warped perspective that seems to touch everyone. 2. Kitsch It has to be vintage. I brought an example [holds it up].

It’s a Sexometer that tells you if you’re “worthless,” “a square,” “romantic,” ”sex starved. ” I’m an “amateur. ” When I was a little girl, we’d be driving on the freeway in Texas and there’d be these roadside attractions and I wanted to stop so badly. And if we did stop, it would be horrible, like animals in formaldehyde jars.