St. Jimi Sebastian Cricket Club – Sailor Girl
Genre: Power Pop, Indie Rock, Indie Pop
Similar artists: Dexy’s Midnight Runners, The Clash, Shame, Oasis, Orange Juice
A lot is made about the fact that some of Britain’s most cherished bands failed to make an impact in the U.S. In fact, ever since the Brits dominated the American charts back in the early 1960s, their former colony has been lukewarm about most things produced in the stormy isle just outside of Europe.
A quick listen to some of the more representative sounding groups will reveal why this is. The Brits are masters of the three-minute single, sure. But, many of these bands drew inspiration from elements that are entirely foreign to audiences outside of the nearby geographical parameters. There’s a unique brand of soul, folk, power-pop, and sea chants that squeeze their way into the music that has always been popular in Ol’ Limey.
But, it has inspired some. The Scandinavians are neighbours that share in the horrors of perpetual bad weather. The Northerners have always had a love affair with the sounds, style, and attitude of England.
Let St. Jimi Sebastian Cricket Club’s Sailor Girl walk you through a fascinating, detailed map of British indie-rock of the ’80s. This is a soulful, folk number that will make no sense for anyone that hasn’t once nurtured a mod obsession, owned a Paul Weller record, or seen Quadrophenia. But, for those who have, it is a rewarding listen.
FonFon Ru – Boy, What A Blessing
Genre: Indie Rock, Alternative Rock
A lot of the world’s music is not pop music. A lot of the oldest and most beloved kind of music played throughout much of the world is built on repetition. It’s not that the originators of these sounds couldn’t be bothered with writing a chorus either. The monotone drone of repetitive music is most easily adopted in the danceable, or spiritual gatherings for which music is used.
It’s only in Western music, that listeners, myself included, have become entirely used to hearing riffs, and hooks integrated into chunk-sized bites of music. The three-minute single has done a lot of great things for us listeners. But, it’s also robbed us of some of our powers of attention.
The anxiety that FonFon Ru are putting back in the world on Boy, What A Blessing couldn’t be made without the repetitive sounds that they embrace here. These guitars buzz like swarms of mechanical bees before going haywire, and singing that seems to be praying for some relief from the Digital Age. FonFon Ru can sense the future coming, and returning to its prehistoric values.
