Field Hospitals – Sister Jane
No great artist was, to begin with, an original. They all copied others. The trick in their eventual greatness is whether or not they decide to take on as masters and copy someone good. You can try and replicate Five Finger Death Punch all you want, but just don’t expect to have a date with destiny any time in the future. The paying gigs, on the other hand, I’m sure must be fun.
To whomever didn’t know, early Dylan was Woody Guthrie, The Beatles were Buddy Holly, and The Rolling Stones were Chuck Berry. But that was just the way that the great painters did it. They would copy the details of others until they had acquired the technique. Have you seen early Pablo Picasso or Salvador Dali’s work? They look nothing like the ones for which they are known.
Field Hospitals have taken up a difficult mission, but they are handling it excellently. They sound like the jingle-jangle 80s independent rock of The Smiths, especially, as well as R.E.M. or The Feelies. But they’ve found some actual magic in that sound and the band’s songwriting is memorable enough that it makes “Sister Jane” sound like some lost gem. Just think of it from that perspective and you may add the song to your playlists that already include the classics forever. It’s such a strong outing. And who knows if they’ll sound like anybody else the next time that we meet them.
Batterfly – By Now
The history of rock music is filled with big bets and cold sweat. Nobody ever won otherwise unless they happened to be the nephew or lover of some record exec. Everybody else had to take a gamble and act like nothing hurts when things don’t work out. But it’s that spirit that makes the great modern singles, and that helped to make the classic albums of old.
That’s exactly why, while some people scrounge the money to buy state-of-the-art recording gear, others are happy making demos on an iPhone. That’s the reason why when some wait years for inspiration to strike them, others write every day. And that’s the reason why we are lucky to have exciting, sometimes revolutionary be delivered to us through the internet.
There’s plenty happening on Batterfly’s “By Now,” and it’s the excitement that the duo brings to the recording that truly sells it. The song begins as a guitar-driven, soulful pop number. But it grows in intensity, blending elements of alternative rock and metalcore to that all work together to create a strong musical crescendo. Where does this all come from? Most likely, out of a small recording studio out of L.A. Some folks fantasise, and others work to live out their dreams. Alt77 is on the side of the latter.
