HAWKER – Attack the Hive
At its most basic, loud rock music should include all of the things that you’re not allowed to while in the office or, generally, in polite company. It’s a compendium of all the things that all of us, at one time or another, have felt deeply and haven’t been allowed to express.
Sure, those who are not fans of loud music will argue that this is just a fancy way of screaming, of being aggressive, of utilising man’s most basic instincts. And while this is often true, I fail to see what’s so bad about this sort of behaviour. Aussie punks HAWKER feel the same way.
That’s because even the most conservative psychologists recommend finding ways to express our feelings, not to develop clever strategies of storing them away. The shrinks, just like the police, would prefer you do this in a safe environment.
You won’t get hurt while listening to HAWKER’s “Attack the Hive.” But everything else is unsafe. The band, like the great punk groups of old, bring every bit of energy, and milk all of the anger they’ve accumulated for this one. It’s hard to argue with a voice that is as pleasantly distorted as this one. And it’s difficult not to feel better about whatever problems you have once you hear the song.
Monitors – Danse Macabre
Who is the modern man, and how do we find out? Well, if you ask the majority of them and really put them on the spot, they might reach into their pockets, pull out a rectangular device and open it up for you.
They will then tell you to glance at various online profiles that they’ve created. You’ll find their vacation photos, a list of their favourite songs, and messages that they’ve passed around to loved ones. Is that enough to figure people out? That’s what Monitors are wondering as well.
Few people belong to one place any more. Fewer people represent one distinct set of values, a unified culture. Everyone goes through life while manically piecing together whatever it is that they can remember and that they believe might be of worth.
“Dance Macabre” by Monitors is an art-punk song about that dares to piece together whatever we can collectively recall of the darkest times. Some of these events happened in the Middle Centuries, some just a few years ago. All the memories are fuzzy. Monitors blend clever lyrics, Anglo-American post-punk and Balkan melodies into a modern-day superstition, a ritual meant to see off the bad times.
