No Trigger – Antifantasy
Genre: Punk, Pop Punk
Similar artists: Strike Anywhere, NOFX, Sum 41, A Wilhelm Scream
Young artists are often burdened by the weight of all the things that they need to say. After all, being able to tell your truth is intimidating. The fact that there are so many opinions, news, and art that is readily available to the public doesn’t make the struggle any easier.
This is why, perhaps, the same young artists feel the need to first showcase how smart they are, and then tell you how they feel. It’s a common misconception. Surely, guitarists that can blaze through double-handed tapped solos, or lyricists who can reference Russian novels, are the ones that get all the respect. Maybe they get respect, but certainly, there aren’t many who truly listen to what they have to say.
No Trigger’s Antifantasy is so clear in how it communicates ideas, and so convincing that I wouldn’t be surprised if they start being forced to turn consulting positions with major U.S. corporations. Although I’m sure that No Trigger would refuse to shake hands with the devil on this one.
This is a pop-punk tune in the vein of NOFX. The lyrics are funny, heartfelt, and crystal clear. The video is charming. And, yes, while many have their reservations about the particular political organization that they endorse, it’s hard not to think that their fight against fascist ideas comes from a place of honesty and true worry about the world.
The Supposed So – Anyone Telling You Different
Genre: Alternative Rock
Similar artists: Jack White
Every kind of artist with enough fans eventually becomes a classic, and their work becomes harmless. It would seem laughable to burn the same books that were thrown into the flames at Babelplatz. Impressionist paintings no longer make anybody blush. And, even the protest songs of the 1960s now seem to belong to an era if innocence.
But, at one point, all of these things were threatening enough to someone that they required special action. Now, in an era where each media outlet has a different version of the news, one that suits their political and financial interests, it’s rare to find protest songs that address issues head-on. And, when they do, the plainness of their message seems downright shocking.
The Supposed So’s Anyone Telling You Different is to take off all of the spin on how gun violence gets reported. The song itself is constructed out of modern blues shards of guitar riffs, along with poignant sloganeering. It’s a tune written with a directness that could only have come from someone that has just been forced to witness a tragedy from afar. Let’s hope that one day these sorts of songs won’t even be needed. For now, all the entertainers telling you different about the state of the world, are on the take.
