87 and the toys – Shopping Mall
Genre: Garage Rock
Similar artists: The B-52s, Pylon, Enon, Talking Heads
For the most part, rock bands as a unit are the very same way that they’ve been since the very beginning. It’s easier this way. It makes managers know with whom they should negotiate contracts. It helps audiences know where they should be looking when watching that band play live.
In fact, you could argue that the format is so ingrained in the way that we enjoy bands that the artists themselves are pushed into this. A cliche is just something that is easier to sell. And record labels love that.
Even singers who could just as well perform using their own name choose the route of a band member. They’ll do this often even when it’s clear that the other participants in the group bring no contribution.
It’s interesting to hear 87 and the toys on Shopping Mall and to witness the band dynamics. On the one hand, they sound like a group of friends who’ve just stepped into their garage for a jam. On the other hand, the fact that they sing about shopping malls, that the guitarist and drummer take turns singing, and that they bring a Japanese-American flair to this makes them almost visionary.
Groundstate – Floating Away
Similar artists: Quicksand, Trust Company, Seether, Chevelle, Deftones, Handsome, Helmet
Genre: Alternative Rock
There are almost no jobs that require those applying to be in tune with their emotions and to express them often. Not any of the respectable jobs, anyway. People who spend their time working in offices are required to keep a stiff upper lip at all times.
This makes the idea of being in a band or, if you’re lucky, actually working in the arts incredibly appealing. How could it not? It allows people to explore their creativity, to embrace alternative life philosophies, and, most importantly, to express emotions often and honestly.
And while this is something that the people making the music are seeking, it’s also something that audiences need. There’s no better way to get in touch with feelings that are possible, or repressed than by checking with an artist who has felt those as well.
Groundstate’s Floating Away is a song written in the alternative-rock mold that looks to uncover the artists’ deepest sensibility about life. Yes, it’s music to accompany a good cry. But that’s good, isn’t it? People need this sometimes, and few things help them feel protected enough to open themselves up. Groundstate prove that they have that power.
