Russian Baths – Bind
Similar artists: BAMBARA, Protomartyr, Nothing, Narrow Head
Genre: Post-Punk, Shoegaze, Indie Rock
No kid whose parents take him hiking in the mountains of Peru has ever felt the need to retreat to a library and not leave it for the next few decades. No kid left to play out in the fresh, calming air of the countryside will actively choose to sneak back into their bedroom to read stories about heroes, villains and the history of the world.
Imagination is a realm that belongs to bored people. It’s territory that people with exciting, charmed existences have no business stepping onto. Nah, it’s the folks with boring sidewalks and tall buildings around them who build it. Whether your hometown is New York or Sarajevo, urban boredom might push you to create an escape.
Russian Baths’ “Bind” is an escape from the same old, same old. Their music hints at titanic creatures doing monstrous things, at kings waging wars of passion, at gigantic ships being buried under the waves. None of these exist, especially in New York City. But close your eyes long enough and give the band, and you may be convinced as I was of their abilities to summon these kinds of visions.
Gottlieb – Reject Nostalgia
Similar artists: Spiritual Cramp, Militarie Gun, Fontaines D.C., shame, Ty Segall
Genre: Punk, Post-Punk, Alternative Rock
The irony of decades-old punk bands who only released one or two albums touring the world to fans obsessed with the bad old days shouldn’t be lost on anyone. Of course, you can’t begrudge people making a living. And there are certainly worse ways of earning one than playing the guitar in front of people. But dwell on that too much, and you run the risk of turning into an Oi! The band is playing football hooligans on the weekend.
I suppose the point about the original punk bands wasn’t the fact that many couldn’t play their instruments. The point is that they couldn’t be bothered with learning to play them. They wanted change! And what should be easier to change than a bunch of three-minute pop songs? What’s the point of sitting around crying about Elvis dying?
Gottlieb are a punk band in spirit, and they still want change. You can hear this on “Reject Nostalgia.” More a manifesto than a tune, Gottlieb are angry with the times and excited about what the future may hold. They’ve heard all the horror stories about what’s around the corner, and they’ve exhausted classic rock radio. If it was up to this lot, we’d all rid ourselves of all of that. Out there is a fortune to be had, and you won’t get to it playing K.K. Downing riffs your whole life.
