
The Violent Ones – In The Future
Similar artists: Viagra Boys, Germs, B52’s
Genre: Punk, Post-Punk, Garage Rock
Is rock music predictable nowadays because us audiences have heard it all? Or, should modern artists carry some of the blame? While the truth may lie somewhere in the middle, there’s certainly no shortage of yellow-bellied, cookie-cutter music being made.
Great art, Luis Bunuel said, always had mystery at its core. Rock music, whether sophisticated or primal, used to be made by characters, by weirdos, by people with strong opinions.
Formats are what power the modern music industry. For some, making music that fits a mold can still be profitable. What about audiences? They’ve been cheated for so long that they forget about the things of which they’re being robbed.
The Violent Ones’ In the Future sound like folks looking for trouble and using music as an excuse. It’s hard to pinpoint what their intentions are true and whether they are indeed the misanthropic nihilists that they claim to be. At the very least, they’re keeping us guessing and delivering the kind of brash noise that is hard to ignore.
Jon Pozzuto – The Way Things Used to Be
Genre: Punk
The music that’s really popular in the world remains popular only for a moment. That’s how it’s always been. And, in many ways, that’s how it’s supposed to stay. Pop music is meant to be trendy, cool, and easily adjustable.
While this means that our favorite artists are never on the Top 40 radio for too long, it’s brought us a lot. From early rock n’ roll to punk, from folk to metal, we’ve seen many valid musical movements find an audience and create global stars.
Things have changed, but few in the music industry are asking the artists how they feel. Having a pop star write their own songs, play an instrument, and steer their artistic vision while also having hits seems downright revolutionary. I hate getting nostalgic, but how can you not when thinking about this.
Jon Pozzuto’s The Way Things Used to Be is an ode to the one-two punch of classic punk rock to the excitement of witnessing kids crafting their own imaginary worlds. Musically this quotes The Ramones and their love of beautiful 50s-inspired melodies. It’s an honest effort and one made by someone genuinely excited to create music, another rare trait these days.