Crystal Cities – The Strangest Dream
Genre: Indie Rock
Unlike what movies have you believe, the most awkward conversation that a new band will isn’t about drugs or about how the lead singer can get his girlfriend to play the tambourine in the background. No, that’d be easy. Just stick her behind the amps.
The most difficult conversation has to do with what the band’s lyrics will be about, who will write them and how the band members want to present themselves. Either that or the musicians will all agree to write merely instrumental music, in which case presentation isn’t much of a bother.
Beware of band members that suggest writing about “ordinary things.” Unless you’re Jonathan Richman and can write about a small thing in a terrifically universal kind of manner, you’ll just end up writing lyrics about your kitchen sink getting clogged up.
Crystal Cities’ The Strangest Dream is an everything-goes exploration of the band’s psyche. It’s meant to produce a surprising reaction from the artists who will hope for the same thing from their audience. It’s an emotional kind of indie-rock that doesn’t eliminate any possibilities and welcomes all creative options.
Gringo Star – Stand and Turn Away
Similar artists: The Nude Party, The Growlers, Black Lips, Silver Synthetic
Genre: Garage Rock
The curse of a good comedian is that they’ll never be able to tell you tragic news well. Not if they’re really good. You’ll just end up laughing when they let you know that your house just caught on fire and your pet chimp ran into traffic while holding a lit grenade.
But that’s fine. People need laughter more than they need accurate descriptions of tragic news. They have their television sets and computers for that, after all. Besides, bad news will just arrive more frequently.
When it comes to songwriting, the few really great jokers have found this out at their expense. Sure, everyone loves all of Bob Dylan’s albums. But they’d rather take the jokey ones than the ones about spiritual redemption. Same thing for John Prine or Roger Miller.
I’m sure that there’s a possibility that Gringo Star’s Stand and Turn Away truly is a truthful ballad about broken hearts. But somehow, I doubt it. It comes from the hilariously titled “Gringo Star.” It’s music that suggests the prankster folk-punk bands of recent memory. And Star describe themselves as a garage-rock unit. I listened, and I smiled. That must’ve made them laugh.
Rating: 80
