Hawestyle – We Own the Water
Genre: Post-grunge, Hard Rock, Alternative Rock
Similar artists: NIN, Depeche Mode, Queens of the Stone Age
Nobody will blame you for being a little on edge these days. After all, you likely never got training for these sorts of days. If you had the chance of being born, or to have lived in a developed country, having the McDonald’s ice-cream machine stop working must have felt like a pressing concern. All those prophets of doom and gloom on the internet were merely meme material and a case study against reading the conspiracy boards.
But, in 2022, with a little help from the media, you’re likely to have turned into an observer of conflicts, pandemics, and corruption. It’s Ok! You’re not alone. Most people are watching the news, and a few are actually living with them. They say that the next crisis will be one over water. Scared yet? Well, you’re getting trained to take in bad news.
Darin Hawes’ Hawestyle shares a similar vision and a cynical outlook for the world on We Own the Water. Call him a conspiracy nut? Well, that’s what the songwriter thought you’d say. After all, if sinister plans like this are to be carried out, they happen with the world’s passive agreement.
Philosophy aside, Hawes modernizes grunge tones, brings his own smokie vocals to the mix, and creates a poignant protest song.
As for me, you’ll find me looking to purchase a stream in the Romanian mountains. I’ll save you a cup.
Gooseberry – Sleep
Similar artists: The Strokes, Franz Ferdinand, Interpol, Arctic Monkeys
Genre: Indie Rock, Alternative Rock
The entertainment industry’s success hinges on our envy of the people in it. There’s no way around it. Sure, it’s also true that we’re moved and inspired by the entertainers’ skill and their confidence. Sure, we also dance to the tunes when they hit a particular nerve.
But, at the end of the day, we want to know that a guitar, or having the right profile cannot just change the world, but change ours as well. Becoming a rock star is the ultimate lottery win. And, as long as kids would put themselves through all the effort required to try and become one, the industry can prosper.
The entertainment industry needs sounds like this. Gooseberry’s Sleep operates on the simple, quiet confidence that it takes just one great guitar riff and the right circumstances to make all your dreams come through. It worked for the Strokes or the Arctic Monkeys. Let Gooseberry be your modern rock heroes.
