Time Travel Ban – Play
Against all odds and the recommendation of A&R men everywhere, grunge became the flavor of the 1990s. It was the most successful style to emerge around the beginning of that decade. Soon, MTV and everyone looking to slice a pie of the fashionable pop culture trends was looking to endorse it.
This led to some memorable moments of accidental comedy where pop stars and movie actors began wearing flannel, growing their hair, and talking about the disappointment of the modern age. No other Seattle bands, except for Queensryche and Jimi Hendrix, had achieved fame. But, for the majority of grunge bands, notoriety came and went.
What would have happened had these bands been able to age gracefully while in the public eye? Time Travel Ban might offer an answer to that. Play certainly features many of the alternative-rock elements that characterized the early 1990s but includes considerably less angst. Perhaps, instead, the grunge bands would have traded their rage for mild disappointment, and why would that not be worth singing about as well.
Modern Age Relics – Surrender
The dreamers and would-be guru rockers of the world can write their concept albums and noise experiments all they like. Those will get them in good with the critics, sure. But, it’s the folks that can really pummel through a good, danceable rock tune that are going to get the real attention.
It seems only fair, though. You can’t really argue about an actor only playing good parts or an athlete consistently managing great stats throughout their career. It may get a bit boring, yes. But, for the most part, success is what the audiences have come to witness.
Modern Age Relics’ Surrender is a potential success story. It certainly has all the ingredients to be one. The band is feisty, can whip up a great indie-rock sound, and are capable of writing radio-ready hooks like it’s nobody’s business. Success doesn’t make for a lot of drama, but it deserves to be acknowledged.
