
Chief Broom – DFA
Similar artists: Interpol, Modest Mouse, Built To Spill, Broken Social Scene
Genre: Post-Punk, Post-Rock, Indie Rock
Most people have always had a hard time being alone. In fact, there are some folks who’ve never attempted spending more than a few minutes by themselves, locked in their own thoughts, in fear of being gripped by some kind of madness that they’ll never escape.
Psychologists say that this is merely a personality trait. There’s nothing wrong in itself. However, this characteristic has become exacerbated by our tools for instant gratification. Our phones and computers are designed always to keep us entertained and at a safe distance from ourselves.
Can you only imagine what might come out if we all locked ourselves in a room without sources of amusement for enough time? Chief Broom’s “DFA” sounds like the result of just that. Mixing post-punk dynamics, early Modest Mouse histrionics, and the band members’ own propensity to reflect on past events, they’ve created something special, anxious and that couldn’t have been brought to the world any other way.
Deceits – Every Promise
Similar artists: Haunt Me, Casket Cassette, Harsh Symmetry, Vacíos Cuerpos
Genre: Post-Punk, Gothic / Dark Wave
Across the polite Western world, folks are desperately looking for ways to let their subconscious speak. Sure, artists have always done this. But they’ve taken a well-informed gamble. Now, it’s lawyers, teachers and doctors trying to find a way to get out the kinds of things that, apart from therapy, they wouldn’t be able to say otherwise.
Since many of them are not artists, they look to be guided through various creative pursuits meant to uncover the darkest corners of their minds. Is this healthy? According to most studies, very much so. Is it polite? Well, having a good old nervous breakdown won’t make you more popular around the office. But it may just be what your subconscious is crying out for.
Deceits’ “Every Promise” is a stroll through the worst-lit aspects of the subconscious. It’s not music meant to be morbid per se. It’s art that confronts the inevitable tragic, overwhelming aspects of being a human being. Deceits manage to find the kind of connection to their minds that most of us, whether we know it or not, would like to have. In the end, it’s a bunch of goths that really manage to get in touch with their feelings. Who knew?