PETER LITVIN – Don’t Break It
You need not have survived the 1960s unharmed to be living in the ‘60s as we speak. It’s a choice, I hear, but one that must, without exception, be accompanied by a natural talent for make-believe and the ability to live with constant finger-pointing and wry smiles.
But there’s no stopping those people, just like there’s no stopping a musical artist willing to write, record and release nearly 20 albums worth of music without the backing of a rich parent or a patron in one of the major record labels.
Peter Litvin is living the dream, and there’s no amount of lawyers or A&R people that can convince him to stop. The clock ain’t ticking, the stories don’t stop, and it would take the intervention of an American-French alliance to stop the internet from receiving Litvin’s compositions while beaming them out to the world.
Highly dynamic DIY rockers like R Stevie Moore, Guided By Voices, or Peter Litvin benefit from having released so much material that they eventually get to the love songs and mean it too. “Don’t Break It” is a warm, Beatlesque, gently psychedelic love song and a request for love and respect. You won’t hear the big pop stars covering it soon. But that’s just fine. It makes discovering Litvin’s music feel even more special.
Frida and The Mann – Dancing in the sun
If you’d only heard rock n’ roll from the radio or television, it would seem ridiculous to you that people would get so worked up whenever their favourite artists fail to deliver something that’s up to the standard that they require of them.
People who have not formed a relationship with modern music may be excused for thinking that silly jingles are not something worth caring too much for. However, those songs are, for many, part of their survival kit, and they come to them for relief daily.
The fact of the matter is that, for a lot of people, imagination is not just the act of daydreaming as a way to spend time. These people depend on artists like Frida and The Mann to create beautiful, challenging art, which will help them move out of their heads for a while.
Even without knowing what inspired Frida and The Mann’s “Dancing in the Sun,” the listener may be able to pick up on the fact that it’s a song describing terrible events and the strength needed to block those out. It’s a case of artists referencing their own gift. Frida and The Mann’s song helps one both confront reality and repackage it. Indeed, it’s a survival technique.
