Plaster – Upswing
Rock stars used to be perfect. They did everything right. They arrived on time, played the hits and, with the exception of Jimmy Page, never played one wrong note during any of their famous solos.
It only makes sense, then, that they’d have to get replaced. Who could ever possibly relate to them? Who could ever look up at those smiling posters on the wall and feel like they had any real connection to those perpetually unperturbed supermen?
Punk-rock, on the other hand, has always been a tribute to imperfection. Great punk-rock, like the one still made by the band Plaster doesn’t just try to get by while dodging expectations. It makes fun of those expectations.
That’s why Plaster’s “Upswing” is a punk-rock anthem about all of the terrible things, slightly embarrassing details, and beautiful failures that got you to where you are. It’s uplifting without being sappy, and emotional without desperately trying to tug at the heartstrings. Yeah, these are people that you can relate to.
massie99 – DING DONG BITCH
Punk rockers go wherever punk rock is being made. And, since there’s no point living in the past, the old clubs where power chords and songs about revolution used to ring out might not be the only place to look for this kind of sound.
Instead, look wherever people are angry and desperate to share their thoughts with the world! Go searching on the deep web for folks who make loud songs and find a way to spread them out into the world!
This is what modern punk-rock group massie99 has done with a sound that seems explicitly created to be played over Halloween short-form videos on TikToks and Instagram.
Essentially, “DING DONG BITCH” is just a hook. But it’s a strong one, a simple, aggressive bit of punk-rock that gets your attention. massie99 is smart to make angry, resentful music that feels like something that could be playing on the phone of anyone who owns a smartphone and a social media account.
