The Bad Man – Time
Genre: Punk, Post-Punk, Garage Rock
It’s hard for true-blue punk-rockers nowadays. They were the ones who famously brought anarchy to the world. They embraced an all-benevolent form of chaos. Punk-rockers were supposed to gross out and challenge people enough that they would reconsider their beliefs. In many ways, they were the scarecrows of the entertainment world.
But, the said world is more chaotic than ever. It’s hard to show and tell anything to a youngster these days that would turn their stomach. I’m pretty sure that the folks of the 1970s weren’t quite equipped to process The Sex Pistols, let alone 4Chan and various other tenebrous internet forums. The world isn’t asleep anymore but rather hooked up on so much benzedrine that its heart is about to give out at any time.
It’s hard to make music that could cause a riot nowadays, but The Bad Man’s Time is blessed with just those qualities. This isn’t post-punk that fakes anger. This isn’t a copy of The Viagra Boys. Instead, this sounds like music that is made by the kind of people that go to the weirdest clubs, in the worst part of town just to start a fight, and who don’t care if they lose it. Musically, this is punk music, with horns, to be played in order to break up a party.
CHRISTOPHERSEN – I Am the Victor
Genre: Post-Punk, Alternative Rock
For most modern musicians, it is downright impossible not to step on their tremendous egos as they prance in front of their audiences. This is true, especially when it comes to pop, rock, and their varieties. It is less true for classical music or jazz. Here, the musician is merely a vehicle for the techniques being demonstrated.
Just take a quick look at any documentary about big-name musicians that are still active. Besides the fact that all of them feature the exact same story, there’s no way for the artist to avoid saying how great they really think that they are each time that they get the opportunity. And, in a way, tedious as it is, this all makes sense. Why else would they invest so much money and hours into developing their images, for example, if this hardly mattered?
Rock music that is devoid of ego or is even up to giving it a good kicking is rare. I’m not talking about emo and cries for help either. CHRISTOPHERSEN’s I Am the Victor is music distinguishable by just how little the mysterious voice behind the heavily processed rocking electronics is willing to let you know about them. But, there is a story to it, one of struggle and experimentation. It’s just that it is up to the listener to make up what it is. Egoless rock is a real gem.