Benton Crane – The Song of the Lonely Siren
Who actually wrote the great myths about the Greek and the Roman gods that millions of people believed in for so long and that helped to create some of the most successful civilisations? And what about the great stories about bravery and betrayal, love and hatred captured in Norse, Saharan, or Celtic tales?
The answer’s been lost to time, and that’s mighty convenient. While all of these stories retain their power through the fact that they map so well onto modern human emotions and reactions, someone must’ve long ago shaped them into what we know them to be.
What about an ancient tale told by modern storytellers? Benton Crane’s “The Song of the Lonely Siren” is here to reinvent some ancient myths and reassure us that the very nature of the world has changed very little over centuries upon centuries.
The song blends psychedelia and modern indie-rock with a story constructed by visual artist Bianca Radulescu-Banu. In it the siren calls sailors toward her not so much out of a macabre desire to witness their destruction, but because of a curse of loneliness that only real contact can heal. The song and story are wholly original, but their meaning is as old as time itself.
Idioteque – If These Walls Could Talk
There’s an idea nowadays, more than ever, that in order to reach great heights of success, what you need to do is study in great detail the lives of people who’ve already achieved it. And while this sounds like a good idea, you’re bound to get disappointed once you start leafing through your first biographies.
Sure, the people you read about all may have done those things that you know them for. They did invent things, met other famous people and gave some nice quotes. But, without exception, they also dealt with horrible circumstances. Some of them were self-inflicted, others not. And none of them should read well on paper.
But they do. And what will happen is that you’ll love the people you read about even more and forget you ever wanted to be a great person in the first place.
That’s how I feel about Idioteque’s startling confessions on “If These Walls Could Talk.” This is more than a slowcore, shoegaze-influenced rock song. This is the kind of honesty that you would only expect to be provided by a family member in need. It’s brave, poetic, and once it’s told, it’s all, hopefully, a little easier to face.
