
Instant Smile – Crazy
Similar artists: Pylon, Oberon Rose, The Woggles
Genre: Garage Rock
There are plenty of great stories that haven’t yet fought their way out of the past, and rock n’ roll music is responsible for plenty of them. While technology has replaced many of the expensive requirements of making music, there’s still great potential for songs recorded using analogue instruments and veiled in old-fashioned mystery. Instant Smile show us just that.
While it is true that the history of pop music is cyclical, it is also fair to assume that some trends, like the Macarena or dubstep, won’t be making a return. But that means that the retro elements that end up being used are the ones that truly had something to them, to begin with.
Instant Smile’s “Crazy” is built from a memorable, Gretsch-powered surf rock riff and minimalist drum backing. The vocals recall the hazy garage-rock records of the 1960s, ones written by people who sounded like they had far more pressing issues than worrying about acquiring a hit. There’s not a lot of “studio magic” applied to this song, not modern hooks. What it does have instead is a mischievous energy that makes you want to know more about the palace that these sounds come from.
JerseySideKillers – Not the Way
Genre: Garage Rock, Alternative Rock
A lot of rock music takes a lot of time to learn to appreciate. That’s all fine and good, but it somehow seems to go against the very principles behind this type of music. Do you really need a week to decipher its meaning and decide if you like? With JerseySideKillers, you should have your verdict within the first few seconds.
While there is certainly nothing wrong with musical complexity or with looking for depth in the art that you consume, perhaps these things are simply not the job of rock n’ roll. It would be a lot like complaining that a porn movie has not delivered a compelling enough storyline or that the people who attend wrestling matches rarely talk about Billy Shakespeare.
JerseySideKillers know that your time is precious. In classic Motorhead or Ramones fashion, they deliver a short, crispy, dirty ode to the passions of the flesh on “Not the Way.” This is music meant to send a rumble to your guts. And at a humble running time of just over two minutes, it begs to be played again to relive the same thrills.