
Siobamm – Bones
Modern pop music continues to exist and thrive because it is such an elastic format. New artists are able to take conventions and stretch and distort them into new languages. They are able to imprint their personalities upon this fabric. Best of all, the mutations keep pop music fresh.
The same can’t really be said by classic art forms, the ones that existed prior to the mid 20th Century. Jazz and classical music are incredible mediums but also highly restrictive. One gets admitted to the club provided they meet the criteria. There’s rarely a case when someone can simply pick and choose what they like and reassemble them in a manner that suits their vision.
Siobamm’s Bones is one such pop song. Its DNA has mutated from decades of exciting pop and rock music. The format allows for Siobamm, an artist preparing to release her debut album, to have all the natural excitement that she’s built up flow into the recording. Clever wordplay, controlled tension, and a moody indie-pop sound make this a convincing first step.
Mad Mad Mad – Dead End Friends
Back in the 1970s, the best bets that kids in the Western world had of achieving financial security and fame was to become an athlete or learn some guitar. The first requires a good deal of work, effort, and even a bit of talent.
If those things didn’t really suit you, there was still the option of playing guitar, most likely in an angry punk rock group. Listen, punk music is the reason that this website exists. However, we too have to recognize that the democratic appeal of the music was that anyone with very basic musical knowledge could learn to operate the equipment.
If those seeking fame and fortune were using angry music back in the 1970s, the modern social climbers are looking to make your girlfriend or sister slow dance. Indie-pop is the shortest route to chart immortality nowadays. Some artists do it better than others. Mad Mad Mad manages to join the dots between soulful singing, sultry grooves, righteous anger, and some guitar noise to keep the longhaired folk happy. Dead End Friends is a good snapshot of what clever pop music was doing circa 2021.