Jeremy & the Harlequins – The Tears of Tammuz
Now, believe it or not, there used to be a time when nearly everyone in the world was glad to see, hear and talk about certain figures born in the U.S. And, indeed, the vast majority of the population could tell you exactly what Walt Disney, Marlon Brando or Elvis Presley did in their professional careers.
Of these, Elvis is perhaps the most misunderstood. Blame it on his string of terrible, nearly identical movies. Or, perhaps consider the numerous Elvis tribute acts and the man’s, usually, annoying, painful, and uncool fans for ruining his reputation. But I think that it’s time for the man’s legacy to be reevaluated and used for something better.
Jeremy & the Harlequins are stealing Elvis back for all of us and making old Aaron croon tunes to Mesopotamian gogs on “The Tears of Tammuz.” Embracing the classic Elvis-like baritone as well as touches of Mexican pop and the willingness to take a quirky idea and go wild with it, Jeremy & the Harlequins are taking retro rock n’ roll and making it strange for all the right reasons.
The Fiery Lights – The River
There’s no way around it. Pop music’s lyrics are often influenced by current events. Unless you’ve trained in the School of Joe Strummer’s songwriting, you’re not going to write about the War in Iran or the Epstein case.
But you’re not going to be able to avoid thinking about these things either. It’s going to seep into everything you do. It’s going to resound in everything you hear. And, before you know it, it’ll end up defining the era.
Like The Beatles defined 1960s affluence and Sex Pistols soundtracked the desire for nihilistic change in the late 1970s, The Fiery Lights are among the bands giving a voice to our constant fretting and worrying.
What are we so damn afraid of? Everything! And, that’s the point. “The River” is a brilliantly executed, excellently performed alt-rock song about an anxiety that you can’t quite define, and certainly aren’t able to ignore. Don’t worry! It’s the latest rage. It’s what everyone is feeling nowadays!
