Iuliano – On The Radio
Genre: Indie Rock
Iuliano toys with tension and expectation on the single On The Radio.
In many ways, the 1960s bands screwed all future groups. What they did was present an unrealistic objective. When these groups played, the world would listen. They played softer, the world strained its hearing.
The top brands of the era were allowed room to grow. One year they were playing show tunes, the other they embraced psychedelia. Both eras would sell records. News writers would ask about their sources of inspiration. The opinions were dissected by an anxious world. It’s a tall order for modern artists, but one that they naturally need and expect.
Iuliano’s On The Radio is a cleverly put-together song about the world’s desire to consider commercial success the same as artistic fulfilment. Iuliano shines in making small sounds feel grandiose, and in creating tension out of even the sparsest musical elements.
Nile Marr – How We Drift
Genre: Indie Rock, Garage Rock, Alternative Rock
Similar artists: John Martyn, Fugazi, The Smiths, Elliott Smith
Nile Marr writes music as if soundtracking an old-fashioned action movie on the single How We Drift.
Rock music was always meant to be about action. After all, as the myth goes, “rock and roll” was a euphemism for sex at the time that the genre was birthed.
The dance that accompanied 50s rock music was often deemed too violent, or decadent. If you read back some of the memoirs from the era, many concerts degenerated into full-blown fights.
Eventually, rock matured. Just like most people slipping into middle-aged it took up others’ interests. genres like folk and soul came into the picture. Artists began addressing their innermost feelings.
Nile Marr likes to keep things pure. How We Drift sounds like a 60s rock band blowing off the roof of a small club. It’s a tune where the fuzzed-out guitars and powerful drumming come together to create a feeling not unlike frantically running down a flight of stairs.
