
Matt Hibbard – Get Down
Genre: Alt-Country, Garage Rock
There’s a scene in the 1990s MTV show Beavis and Butthead where the titular characters are watching music videos and stumble upon one by an aging Johnny Cash.
It’s a country song, and while the two do not seem to have any particular appreciation for this style of music, the violence that lies underneath the surface of the tune makes them proclaim Cash to be “cool.” It’s the highest honor that teenagers bestow on anyone.
The truth is that the very roots of rock n’ roll lie in very muddy waters. It’s a terrain purposely avoided by most historians aiming to understand the importance of modern music. There’s mystery, violence, and a number of other things that record labels, new and old, would struggle to sell to a typical audience of music fans.
Matt Hibbard’s Get Down is a tune that leaves most of its strength lying underneath the surface, a song that seems propelled by essential strengths of rock music itself. It contains conflict, a twisted plot, and a sexy groove. It’s the kind of tune that will make the chase scene in a big movie one day.
Bleary Eyed – Wreck
Similar artists: My Bloody Valentine, Modest Mouse, Horse Jumper of Love
Genre: Shoegaze
Where does your favorite music come from? A shiny studio in England, Sweden, or the U.S., most likely. It’s easy to imagine the people making the music, their intentions, and even what they must get up to when they’re not busy making music for the masses.
While there is nothing inherently wrong with this, it makes it hard to really get surprised by any of this music. Just like buying bread at your favorite bakery, you generally know what you’re getting.
But what about music that doesn’t seem to belong to any location or culture? These records are harder to find, certainly. They have a very rare ability. Listeners intent on really finding out their secrets are sucked into a world where their preconceived notions are of no help.
Bleary Eyed’s Wreck sounds like music by astronauts floating in space asked to pick a hobby as a way to prevent going crazy. This shoegaze gem uses guitars and vocals as tools meant to color between the lines and sketch out what infinity might be like. It’s music that has no return address.