KALTFRONT – Spiegel
Genre: Punk, Post-Punk
Similar artists: Turbostaat, Die Art, Killing Joke, EA80, Joy Division, Rattengold
You might hear a lot about Germany, especially its capital Berlin, having until recently been a country divided. There’s no other symbol more powerful for this than a wall erected directly through a city, leaving two sides to control each country in radically different ways.
The fact is that beyond the powerful imagery, the country was truly caught between two worlds. The scars of this are still present today. It is, perhaps, out of a desire not to let the past be forgotten that the former GDR states, especially parts of Berlin, remain a hotbed for punk music, political demonstrations, and alternative styles of living.
The dream of a better world and the nightmares worth singing about were always present in the music of German punk group Kaltfront. The band’s dissolution in the early 1990s deprived youngsters of new music, but their old recordings have survived unscathed. Spiegel is a look back into the past and a raging howl towards the future.
Iraqis in Pajamas – Bitch
Genre: Punk, Garage Rock, Alternative Rock
Here’s a question for you. Is rock n’ roll preachy? Probably. Can it be a bad influence on the world’s youths? Sure, just as well as it can be a good influence, or have no influence at all. Rock, just like advertising, is a great and potent way to spread a message.
Just like in advertising, the easiest way not to make enemies when writing a rock song is to make sure that nobody notices it. That works for all aspects of life. However, the great characters in popular music have been the ones willing to take the risk, make some noise, and try to win you over. If they don’t manage to do it, they will certainly sleep better tonight knowing that they’ve spoken their truth.
Iraqis in Pajamas’ new punk tune, Bitch, is not a feminist anthem. That sounds much too trendy and cliche. Rather it’s a powerful, direct statement about the hurt that women routinely receiving abuse throughout the world. Sometimes, as detailed in the lyrics to this song, they even receive from other women positioning themselves as figures of domineering authority. As an inhabitant of an Eastern European country, I can confirm that this is the truth for large parts of the world. Iraqis in Pajamas are masters of provocation. Sometimes a fight is needed to spark some sense.
