Steven van Betten – Friendship
Similar artists: The Magnetic Fields, Andy Shauf, Neutral Milk Hotel, Jeff Mangum
Genre: Indie Folk, Indie Rock, Indie Pop
Sure, we all assumed that our previous rockstars of old were people who benefitted from extraordinary freedom in every aspect of their lives, including the music they made. But before their songs could reach, they had to be vetted by producers, record execs, managers and their spouses. What we heard was not just what the musicians thought about things but what everyone around thought about the same topics.
It’s a painful thing to consider and, I’m sure, not one that aligns with our image of our favourite artists. This is why, while pop music faces some of its darkest days, we ought to rejoice at all the great, lo-fi, independent music that we have hanging around. It’s likely that pop songs have never been less influenced by outside forces, and it’s highly unlikely anyone will allow artists to be as free again.
Steven van Betten’s “Friendship” makes it sound like the songwriter just got out of bed with a headful of dreams weighing him down and made his way to the recording equipment. Because of this, none of the sounds here nor the heart-warming lyrics sound laboured over. They sound truthful, a kind of journalism of one’s psyche. And while I bet, somebody had to push a few buttons while van Betten recorded his songs, all of the decisions, including the one involving the great artwork, must’ve been by the artist himself.
Steven van Betten’s “Friendship” makes it sound like the songwriter just got out of bed with a headful of dreams weighing him down and made his way to the recording equipment.
Jeremy Serwer – Contact High
Genre: Indie-folk, Alternative-rock
The market for big thrills and scare-inducing situations is bigger than it has ever been. Horror entertainment may have seemed like nothing more than campy fun bound to disappear quickly once it first entered the mainstream consciousness. However, now, it is safe to say that it has managed to carve out quite a niche for itself and periodically attract just about every type of audience.
But can you get scared by something you expect? The fact is that few horror productions are enjoyed on repeat. Once you know where the monster is hiding, how he’s going to get at you, and what destroys the monster, it’s not as easy to get scared and certainly not as simple to feel the thrills that this piece of entertainment once provided.
Music works in much the same way. This is why Jeremy Serwer’s “Contact High” is an intriguing prospect. It’s a song that creates tension and builds up a mystery through inventive chord patterns, leftfield instrumentation and an approach through performing where the hand is never shown until the audience is damn ready to see it. This is why Jeremy Serwer makes the compelling, scary season, late Fall music.
