Family Man – I AM THE ONE
Similar artists: IDLES, shame, Crack Cloud, Viagra Boys
Genre: Punk, Post-Punk
Frankly, between your loved ones and all of the terrible people being depicted doing terrible things on your television set, the ones that are most likely to hurt you, unless you literally live in a war zone, is the former. That’s a remarkably dark thing to consider and, honestly, not one that you have many ways of protecting yourself against.
Realizing this is bound to stir up some emotions in you. Unless you’ve found a place toward which to direct them, they’re bound to tear you apart. Thankfully for Family Man, songwriting has proven a vehicle worthy of carrying this anger. Well, by the sounds of this, it was either this or joining a Fight Club in somebody’s moldy cellar.
Family Man’s “I AM THE ONE” is a post-punk manifesto of anger and confusion. This sort of sound is quite popular these days, you’re right. But if you listen very closely, you’ll notice that nearly every singer shouting over these repetitive grooves has a good reason to be shouting about. Just so you don’t get confused, Family Man make sure to amp up the rage, dial down the hooks, and leave the listeners feeling as bloodied and damaged as the singer seems to feel.
Healthy God – White Walls
Similar artists: Suicide, The Fall, Silver Apples, Wire, Young Marble Giants
Genre: Post-Punk, Lo-fi Rock, Indie Rock
The classical composers were obsessed with the natural balance of nature, spirituality, and heroism. They invented a world for themselves and filled it up with music. Most modern composers, even the ones that operate within the confines of rock music, do the same. But what does this music say about the real world in which we all live?
Healthy God believes that music ought to express exactly the things that a regular person might interact with on a regular stroll through any regular city. There’s something that brings to mind the promise of punk when it comes to this kind of attitude. It’s the belief that tunes oughtn’t be written for some kind of elite but should easily represent everyone.
Healthy God’s “White Walls” sounds like a mix between Suicide and The Strokes. It’s a song that begins accompanied by a repetitive synth note that sounds like car alarms going off into the night. The song leads all the way to a strong, bouncy chorus. It all helps capture the whiff of the city streets, the urban strain of too many people being huddled together. It’s a real sound about the actual world we know.
