SONIC BOMB – The BunBun Killer
They call it your “inside voice” for a reason, and they make you realise that it’s very important to know what that is. You’ll be using it a lot, it is presumed. And if that doesn’t strike as much fun then there’s always the options of digging, ditching out in the rain or becoming the billionaire head of a company. Both will afford you the luxury of yelling to your heart’s content. Neither seems a realistic option for too many people.
As you travel the world, you’ll realise that the exact dB value of “inside voice” is different from one place to another. In Eastern Europe, where I grew up, it’s loud enough to attract the attention of someone over the rumbling of car engines. In Turkey, it’s loud enough to cover the sound of a jet engine. And in Latin America, you’re being unfriendly when you murmur to someone and not put your diaphragm in!
The U.S. used to be a polite country. And since remnants of that remain in places, it needs music to remind people of the joys of screaming or of plugging distorted guitars into large Marshall amps. It’s a joy to hear Sonic Bomb’s “The BunBun Killer,” a group that treats playing old-school punk-rock like jumping through fiery hooks at a fair. It’s all over the top, and it’s all most people need for entertainment to push them out of a funk.
Mapache – The New Deal
They stone the first people to give out really bad news, you know. But that just means that Mapache or myself should be fine when we tell folks that the land of opportunity has sprung a leak.
Sure, there’s the immense cost of staying alive in the U.S., the fact their food is made out of plastic, or the missing sidewalks that mean you’ll never get anywhere on foot, but, for most folks there, pride will make them want to stick their fingers in their ears, yell and cover up the criticism.
But it’s not just about the U.S. It’s about dreams not coming true and the need to wake up from them before it’s too late. These stories aren’t about imminent collapse, really. They’re about how much collective back pain is needed to keep things going.
British punk-rock group Mapache is clever and hooky as it delivers a biting criticism and a farewell to the New World on the single “The New Deal.” It’s about things being unsustainable in the Land of Plenty and, hopefully, will help shatter some illusions. But, like all rebellious punk songs, it’s also a mighty sad thing. It’s a rock n’ roll tragedy written and designed by Mapache.
