
Sredni Vashtar – Punch Drunk
Similar artists: Hüsker Dü, The Random People, Ride
Genre: Indie Rock, Garage Rock, Alt Pop
Old-timey wisdom says that nobody would like to live through interesting times. That, unfortunately, is a misquote repeated very often lately. However, wisdom acquired similarly through the ages goes on to say that a life spent without emotions, such as hurt, heartbreak and sadness, is a life wasted. Your record collection agrees with the second sentiment.
Sredni Vashtar makes music inspired by those hard times, or at least doesn’t shy away from the discomfort. In that, the trio shares in the tradition that made your favourite albums possible. Long before, rock bands were busy writing the same song over and over again for fear of alienating their audience and straying from their niche; artists took what life gave them and tried to make sense of it, even when it was painful.
Sredni Vashtar’s “Punch Drunk” is a manic, loopy sort of song about the undeniable horrors of love. Musically, this might just carry you back to the sound of American indie-rock groups of the 1980s. There’s a punk edge to this, but the writing and performance are purely emotional. Sredni Vashtar have found a way to utilize the worst of what life throws at you and turned it into memorable rock music.
M@ – Could Be Worse
Genre: Grunge, Indie Rock, Alternative Rock
Grunge isn’t exactly party music. And regardless of the appreciation that your friends might have for Cobain and the Holy Saints of Seattle, it’s hard to imagine you could convince them to play anything other than, perhaps, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” when having a good time. Yes, for the most part, as great as grunge is musically, it’s a bummer.
But it doesn’t need to be and shouldn’t if it’s to be kept alive. The fact is that no matter how talented the singers were or how good the riffs, people aren’t going to make songs about depression for their entire lives. Or, at the very least, they are going to attempt to lead a happier existence than one that might motivate them to write that kind of music.
This leads us to this single. M@’s “Could Be Worse” is the rare find – a grunge song that is hopeful, positive, and, still, mean as hell. Yes, yes, no worry. There’s nothing of the macho posturing of post-grunge here, and there is no defeatism, either. “Could Be Worse” is a very well-produced tune that brings to mind the best qualities of 90s rock provided by Matt Baumbach, formerly of Vision of Disorder.