Starbender – A Knock at Your Cardboard Door
Similar artists: Incubus, The Smashing Pumpkins, Radiohead, Kings of Leon, Muse
Genre: Indie Rock, Alternative Rock
There’s far less grit in our modern world. It’s been replaced by horror. Your news outlets and even those responsible for your entertainment can’t help but ring the alarms every few days. Yes, some of the dangers might be real. But what of it? The ones that are real, the ones that are exaggerated and the ones that are fake all do the same things. They make the public terrified and make the media companies and their patrons richer.
Well, at least the music, movies and books will reflect that, correct? No, not exactly. As it turns out, in times of trouble, the general public turns toward softer alternatives to things that their minds don’t have to worry too much about solving. Pop music nowadays is usually devoid of any important ideas, and when performers have a political mission, they usually trumpet somebody else’s message.
Starbender are stuck in the past. As it turns out, this might be a good thing. “A Knock at Your Cardboard Door” echoes the inventiveness of late 1990s rock bands. It’s music of a time when distorted guitars could still be heard on hit songs. Starbender are also taking the route less travelled when it comes to the lyrics. The song talks about a world that’s been taken over by our modern channels of information and bent to their will. It’s terrifying, but it is also likely the truth. And if you’re still a rock believer, you may already be looking at ways to get your info from alternative sources as well as your music.
My Best Unbeaten Brother – Extraordinary Times
Similar artists: The Hold Steady, Superman Revenge Squad, Nosferatu D2, The Wedding Present
Genre: Indie Rock
It’s hard to want to be famous these days. It seems that if you manage to achieve fame, you’d be joining a club that even Satan might consider a bit unpleasant. It’s not like the stars, the millionaires, and the politicians of old were wonderful people. Far from it. A quick read on any of those characters will reveal terrible stories of practically all that you can think of.
But they had the decency to lie about it and kept it all hidden. It left us all to believe or ignore the tiny rumours floating about, things that often resembled bizarre conspiracy theories.
The newly famous people are shameless about what they do and who they’ll do it to. Politicians, especially, prey upon the public’s worst aspects and parade hatred, bitterness and jealousy as if these were virtues we should all aspire to.
My Best Unbeaten Brother’s “Extraordinary Times” is a profoundly sad song. At first glance, sure, it is about how terrible England has become. As if the weather and Manchester City winning the league every year wasn’t bad enough… But dig deeper; it’s a song about all of our possible futures. It’s a song about a world in which the bullies are winning, the outstanding citizens are going crazy, and the rain never stops.
