The Serpents – Wide Awake
I hate bands and musical artists that try to please their audience. Who the hell told them it was their job to keep people happy? I mean, sure, give them credit for the intention. But, if that’s their sole mission they ought to join some church, or volunteer to dig wells out in the desert.
Of course, the folks that care most about the people who they believe to be serving, end up disappointing them the most. You couldn’t pay money to have Lou Reed write an album that would please his fans. The man could also not pay to get a bad review. He literally recorded an album of feedback noise that people trade like a lost gospel.
The Serpents aren’t trying to please anyone. And, that’s why Wide Awake ends up sounding fresh and rejuvenated like a marathonist taking a week’s worth of sleep. The role suits them. The band sounds vicious as if they’re doing anything they can imagine to trip to their producer. This is the kind of band whose social media you don’t need. It’s not important whether they adopt puppies, or walk old ladies across the street. They’re a good, nasty rock band.
Garden Paralysis – Mayonnaise
Genre: Punk, Post-Punk
People love comedians that play music, but the comedy-purists hate them and call them hacks. In the same manner, the musicians that fancy themselves to be serious artists tend to have a problem with groups that exploit an audience wishing to chuckle. People need to be made to think, not laugh, they claim.
While it’s true that humour often hides lack of inspiration, or simply dodgy songwriting (check out Frank Zappa’s oeuvre for a snapshot in dad jokes), there’s something intrinsically funny about rock n’ roll. People climbing on stage with tree parts hanging from their necks, doing their best to sing on key for the entertainment of others? Hilarious.
Garden Paralysis’ Mayonnaise is a comedic song made by the kind of musicians that sound like the kind of people you don’t want to be caught looking funny at. Mayonnaise is a chaotic tune, that feels like furniture being thrown on the stairs. It’s not funny “ha ha ha“. It’s funny “what the hell?”.
