
Lost Objects – Remember Saying Always
Similar artists: PJ Harvey, Sleater-Kinney, Fontaines D.C., Protomartyr, my bloody valentine
Genre: Post-Punk, Indie Rock, Alternative Rock
The lion tamers are never supposed to take their eyes off the lion. Of course, in a career that can last decades, you’ll blame them for forgetting about that once in a while. But, once is all it takes, and the daring lion tamer’s achievements become merely a list meant to be read out by the priest at their funeral.
Musicians have to work in much the same way. They shouldn’t forget that they’re not alone. At least, not if they’re doing a good job. Sure, they can write lyrics inside their rooms while sitting alone, thinking about the subject. Yes, they can shut off the light in the studio when they’re recording the music. If they’ve done alright, however, an audience will soon be listening.
The audience that will be listening to Lost Objects’ debut “Remember Saying Always,” will surely pick up on the band’s commitment, on the subtle way in which the singer handles each line and on the undercurrent of sadness that the band wants to sell here. It sounds like a song that you play while staring into the whites of the eyes of the audiences that you believe must hear your stories.
Bantams – Loaded / Fist
Genre: Pop Rock, Indie Rock, Alternative Rock
People who are really angry don’t usually get to do nice, pretty things for anyone else until they’ve been punished for their anger. It might make for a good book. But, as John Lydon famously reminded us, “anger is an energy,” and that energy is often wasted. Maybe, just maybe, the hippies of the world could use a bit of anger when trying to make the planet a better in which to live.
The majority of folks who want to use their anger in an artistic way end up in the heavy metal or punk rock bands. Some of them are cursed with being successful. This means, naturally, that they have to churn out the same kind of pissed-off songs for the remainder of their careers. The ones that have been successful aren’t usually angry anymore and must dig deep to remember what it must’ve felt like.
Bantams’s “Loaded / Fist,” is an angry song, but the songwriter is also committed to making it sound as angelic as seraphims having a morning cocktail on a cloud somewhere. It’s clear that Bantams has spent a good deal of time listening to masters of melody like Brian Wilson. It’s also clear that this hasn’t been enough to cure temper tantrums that, fortunately for us listeners, are integrated in the music.