Dan Lyons & The Tenants – Sleeping On A Dream
Genre: Indie Rock, Alternative Rock
More people believe in astrology than they do in hypnosis. They must consider themselves about such tactics of mental manipulation, but beneath the potential of the stars affecting their behaviour. The world’s inhabitants like to think of themselves as free. They believe that their actions reflect this.
Yet, the pop chart is made up of songs that hypnotize people into playing the same tune for thousands of times during their lifetime. Their end goal is to chase down a feeling. Advertisements tell people what they need to believe and use the most soothing of tones. And, politicians frighten the general populous into turning up for elections. We’re all hypnotized.
Dan Lyons & The Tenants’ Sleeping On A Dream is a song about the collective hypnosis of the world. In its clever, funny, bitter, Dylanesque way, Lyons talks about pandemics, big business, and never-falling profit margins. This is not folk rock meant to accuse the singer’s audience. Dan Lyons might have been sleeping. But, the songwriter is waking up and it’s not doing him any good.
Red Recluse – Levity Jane
Similar artists: T Rex, Royal Trux, Velvet Underground, The Stooges, Royal Thunder, Syd Barrett, The Drones
Rock critics love writing about musicians so cool that they’d never stand a chance of befriending. Lester Bangs learned this when he met his hero, Lou Reed. The former Velvet Underground singer had made some of the most compelling and some of the most unlistenable records of the 60s and 70s. Bangs supported all of them.
But, Reed was too cool to admit to owing Bangs anything. Reed’s entourage often consisted, by most accounts, of people that could take an insult with a smile. Bangs must have known it too. Rock stars were supposed to be unapproachable creatures. They could afford to be jerks if they were so pleased.
Red Recluse’s Levity Jane sounds as if it’s made by people who’ll never bother to sign an autograph for anyone. Their sound is a study in American garage rock of the coolest variety. It’s the sound of leather jackets swooshing and French cigarettes being lit. It’s clever, violent, and made by folks that are unemployable. This is rock n’ roll and we’re condemned to love it.
