The Sand – The Silence
Similar artists: L.A., Foo Fighters, Bush, The Smashing Pumpkins
Genre: Grunge, 90s Rock, Alternative Rock
If we really love our heroes as much as we claim, we should always strive to outdo their greatest triumphs. While modern rock rarely troubles the charts these days, the bands that make their living by promoting guitar-powered songs continue to be the biggest draws in contexts. Spanish group The Sand are creating a modern alt-rock sound designed to have them play in the same league as their heroes.
The concert success of modern rock music could be attributed to a number of explanations. The most plausible one is that real guitars and drums, together with emotional vocals, suggest heroism, drama, and action. All of these things lend themselves to the greatest theater stage that there is – the rock show.
The Sand’s “The Silence” takes on board the idea of modern rock and 90s alternative and infuses it with emotional, gritty honesty. It is also a song that takes on board modern trends, such as the successful “Joker” movie, and attempts to open up a line of dialogue with audiences who continue to expect rock stars to address them and their troubles directly and earnestly.
Midwave Breaks – Stonewall
Similar artists: Kings of Leon, Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age, AC/DC, Chris Cornell
Genre: Indie Rock, Alternative Rock
Modern rock bands approach the task of creating music like an apostolic venture inspired by the Almighty himself. While it is debatable how much saving rock n’ roll actually needs, this notion of having your back against the wall and fighting for dear life can, indeed, inspire some passionate guitar-rock.
Midwave Breaks sounds like a band that has absorbed grunge records first, then classic rock records as a consequence. There’s a clear intent on their part to create a muscular rock that can be played in front of a large audience. For that reason, they load up their sound with the kinds of elements that will get a crowd rowdy, pumping their fists and taking note of this group.
Midwave Breaks’ “Stonewall” is intended as a classic hard-rock crossover. It’s a tune played with intensity and one that is aimed to make Midwave Breaks appear as renegades still fighting the good fight. These are all politics, however. Here’s a group with the ability to produce this sound convincingly, a rare trait in a music industry that no longer favours technically proficient musicians or analogue instruments. Perhaps guitar-rock does not need a bit of protecting after all. And, while Midwave Breaks may need to sharpen some of their songwriting ideas on future releases, they are up for a challenge.
