Astrolemo – Shifting Darkness
Pink Floyd hated being called space-rock. Yet, deep inside, they must have known that, at least, part of their good fortune down the years, was down to kids buying their records and spacing out for hours while gazing intently at a beam of light falling through a prism.
I don’t mean to reduce Astrolemo’s music to mere escapism. However, this isn’t music meant best suited as a soundtrack for doing house chores. Shifting Darkness is music made for dreamers. It’s the kind of tune that could easily and successfully soundtrack a nature show.
Shifting Darkness deconstructs hip-hop beats and turns the punch of them into interesting atmospherics. It takes the catchy melodies of indie-pop hits and blends them into the background. And, it charts its progress through buildup and surprising stops.
Astrolemo is one of the more interesting and modern interpretations of trip-hop.
The Holographic Rodeo – 21st Century Hymn
Alternative rock has truly become a global affair. This is perfectly exemplified by the sound of The Holographic Rodeo’s 21st Century Hymn. It’s a really nice song, for sure. But, we’re most taken aback by the myriad of different influences.
Here’s an alternative rock band that’s clearly taking a cue from grunge. Yet, they’re playing acoustically here. Their 21st Century Hymn is no doubt a rock song but features Latin percussion.
And, unlike what you may be expecting from the description I just provided, The Holographic Rodeo’s is a pretty sophisticated group. The carefully crafted melodies weave in and out of the song, while the clever bass lines shadow it. The lyrics are also attentively designed and further make the case for The Holographic Rodeo to be the thinking man’s grunge.
