Hanged God – Hand
Similar artists: Ty Segall, Thee Oh Sees, Dick Dale
Genre: Shoegaze, Psychedelic Rock
D’you know how I spent last night? Reading articles about China’s possible invasion of Taiwan. D’you wanna guess what was the first thing I checked on once I awoke? Yeah, the same damn thing. And while the novelty of modern warfare is starting to wear off, you’ll forgive me for still feeling a certain sense of dread about it all.
It’s time to go back to the imaginary, and we ought to do it fast. Music has always been the shortest way to shortcircuit your emotions, apart from experimental medicine. I say we take what we can stomach. I say we go back to music about gods and demons fighting their wars in a world of make-believe, about interstellar travel and conflicts that always get resolved somehow.
Psychedelic garage rock has always promised an escape from the ordinary. Hanged God’s mean-spirited travelogue of “Hand,” is here to scratch just that itch. It sounds like it was made by people who, for months, must’ve been convinced they were flying through outer space, witnessing celestial civilizations battling it out for supremacy. Is it imagination, chemicals, or religion leading them to a song like this? Doesn’t much matter. Sure beats what’s on the news.
Casual Drag – Can You Hear Me Now?
Similar artists: Viagra Boys, IDLES, Thee Oh Sees, Ty Segall, The Amazing Snakeheads
Genre: Post-Punk, Garage Rock
Modern post-punk bands like to be liked. And, as you would assume, it’s a strategy that’s been working. Some of these bands are earning Grammy awards, are featured in big-name magazines, and even have an occasional nod on the charts. But just how post-punk are they?
Well, like The Fall or Joy Division they still shout, they’re still angry, and they’re not concerned with playing solos except to mock the idea of playing solos. But they also like to make crowds dance. There’s always a beat behind these songs that suggest 70s Disco being played at the wrong speed, by the wrong players.
Post-punk likes to be liked to the point where it can be played for thousands of sweaty people who are lined up in a field. After all, everyone’s a bit angry and a bit itching to dance. Modern post-punk isn’t much different from Britpop or Disco.
Casual Drag’s “Can You Hear Me Now?” shows that the band has plenty to shout about, but even more, things make them wanna shuffle across the room. It’s angry dance-rock. It’s music for people with heavy beards who decide to take up running and need something for their playlists that reminds them how much they dislike the city, their boss, and the politicians. And, well, who hasn’t felt this way?
