The Monotaurs – Синие стены
Similar artists: Би-2, АукцЫон, Мегаполис, The Editors
Genre: Psychedelic Rock, Indie Rock, Alternative Rock
People usually manage to accumulate information in chunks. They tend to remember groups of people rather an individual. They tend to remember a period in time rather than one specific date.
The same happens with musical styles and artistic movements. It’s much easier to imagine a whole group of artists heading in the same direction than to imagine a single person brazenly following a new path.
The recent success of post-punk bands out of Eastern Europe has had a tremendous effect on getting audiences used to this way of presenting music. In particular, it has made Western audiences intrigued with post-Communist landscapes.
Lithuania’s The Monotaurs create a dreamy kind of post-industrial landscape on Синие стены. Their musical ideas and the way that they organize this journey is all their own. Still, you’ll likely have a picture of a dying factory in the back of your mind implanted by previous Eas-European post-punks. There’s no better way to travel than by sinking into your headphones, as shown here.
Bent Royce – Earth Eater
Similar artists: Thrice, Brand New, Basement, Tigercub, Title Fight
Genre: Shoegaze, Indie Rock, Alternative Rock
Now that the music industry’s record of creating rock stars has become much less impressive than it once was, musicians have to really ask themselves what’s the reason they want to get involved with it.
If it’s to make money, well, simply put, there are, perhaps, better alternatives. There’s no telling if one’s music will be a tremendous hit. And, even if it becomes tremendously popular, there’s no telling if the financial rewards will be proportional.
This leaves the minority of people looking to create something of the greatest artistic value that may never be heard by many people anyway. Imagine a Da Vincis and Durers of the modern age working on tremendous art only out of a sense of duty.
Bent Royce’s Earth Eater, a brave anthem sung against the powers of depression, is the work of musicians willing to dig a tunnel through the ground with a spoon if that might guarantee their freedom. It’s music that is created in the true alternative-rock spirit. It requires everything and promises nothing in return. Only artsy art-rockers and monks can claim that.
