Ivan Utkin – Shame
Similar artists: Beck, Radiohead, Alice In Chains
Genre: Indie Rock, Alternative Rock
The rockers of the 1960s may have been responsible for teaching their audiences to take to the streets and protest. Many remember those days fondly, and the protesters as worthy activists.
It’s debatable, however, just how much real good this did, especially in the Western countries where such proactive citizens were allowed to state their opinion frankly.
Decades later, alternative-rock musicians were less likely to take to the streets. They were, however, just as inclined to believe that something awfully wrong was going with the world. This sense of dread informed most of their music.
Ivan Utkin’s Shame is a very well-recorded, acoustic-based alt-rock song that seems to suggest forward movement in the wrong direction. It’s not a song that ever explodes with energy, but one that simmers with anguish. It’s a testimony to what most people still believe. We’re going wrong, and we’re all alone.
Mrs. Henry – The Land of Nothing Matters
Genre: Psychedelic Rock, Garage Rock
Extreme metal has never sounded as soft as it does in 2023. You might think it sounds loud and scary, but you’re probably just looking with your eyes. It’s so soft, in fact, that it has finally found a way into modern pop culture.
To sound loud and unhinged, bands have to either have a very unique vision or have no desire to access the help of record labels, promoters, and, especially, producers.
The result is heavy music that can be played on the radio. But there’s little else that you can do with it. This is not music to scare your parents, get lost in, or even the kind to make you wonder what kind of people would dare make it.
Mrs. Henry’s The Land of Nothing Matters is a pleasant exception. It sounds like professional musicians playing Louie, Louie while severely inebriated and opting to release it as a single. Takes a few mad people to make this while the rock n’ roll business work.
