Cut-Rate Druggist – Cut Off Their Heads
One of the things that is endlessly fascinating about rock music is that the same note, played by different people, can sound wildly different. I’m not sure if this is also what fans of classical music feel, but I must confess, I’ve never listened to Modest Mussorgsky’s pieces to check out the various interpretations.
I just sort of assumed, as do musical teachers, that when it comes to certain styles, once you play the right notes, you get the exact same song as anyone else who manages to do the same thing equally as competently.
In rock music, on the other hand, each note is vital, and its role is determined by just how well the artist has managed to project their intention upon everyone. There’s simply no way of getting two bands to sound the same playing the same song. There’s no way that another band could sound as powerful and spooky as Cut-Rate Druggist.
It’s not just all of the musical information purposely left out of “Cut Off Their Heads” that makes this a chilling listen. It’s the way that every bass note is played as if play-acting, strangling someone. And, it’s the way in which the vocals come together to create those dark, grungey melodies. Cut-Rate Druggist have a knack for doing very little, but keeping you glued to their every move.
Starzdust – Lace Dresses
Fundamentally, the world is a dangerous place. Statistically, it would be wiser to make greater sense not to engage with it if you can afford it. Speaking purely as someone who values his safety, it’d be better to spend most days inside.
This, of course, is very bad for most businesses, especially for entertainment, where the vast majority of products hinge on making you feel that, really, you should just kick up your feet and enjoy the spectacle around you.
It’s become something of underground rock’s mission to correct the narrative of the big entertainment brands, and Starzdust stands by this mission. The sooner we accept the terrible things we have to accept about this planet, the quicker we can get to solving them.
Starzdusts’ “Lace Dresses” is a song inspired by old-school grunge and familiar, modern problems. It’s a song about how the world, time and time again, will steal your identity if you give it a chance. It’s a song about how most of the people you encounter will do you harm if you let them. And, because it addresses these issues so directly under a barrage of distorted guitars, “Lace Dresses” feels like a request to be brave and face whatever is coming next.
