Each Friday I pick a song–new, old, borrowed, blue–that’s been on my mind and in my ears, and write a short post about it.

This is “Add It Up” by Violent Femmes:

I’m in Wisconsin today, so I figured why not post a classic by the second-best band ever to come out of Milwaukee? Your favorite indie-rock dancefloor deejays always play “Blister in the Sun” because who doesn’t like a whole-group clap (not that clap)? But “Add It Up” has the beguiling sleaze and menace that makes it the better song, speaking from an altogether objective point of view. Here’s a live version from 1988.