Subway Rat – Summertime
Similar artists: The Strokes, Arctic Monkeys, Kings of Leon, The White Stripes, LCD Soundsystem
Genre: Pop Punk, Pop Rock, Indie Rock
Who would’ve seen this happen? Modern would-be music stars don’t want guitars on their tracks, base their songs on royalty-free loops, and generally try to avoid rock because it’s not good for business. Getting mad at this is like arguing with God about the weather. You either adapt, or you waste your time.
But what about the ones that are crazy enough to court success with guitars in tow? Surely, they are either mad or, like Subway Rat, they know something others don’t. That understanding may not be one that refers to the state of the industry itself. Even more importantly, it may be one that takes into account their own strengths.
Subway Rat’s allegiance is with cool NYC-based indie-rock. Like the best bands in that genre, “Summertime” mixes melancholy with swagger and manages to deliver it all from the vantage point of a strong drum groove and choppy guitars. And while it may take a lot to sell guitar-based music as youthful indie-rock, Subway Rat’s belief, as well as a few others like him, is enough to make you believe in the future of guitar-based music. Ain’t that an encouraging thought?
Sailor Honeymoon – Bad Apple
Similar artists: HotWax, The Last Dinner Party, HYUKOH, SE SO NEON, Balming Tiger
Genre: Indie Rock, Garage Rock, Alternative Rock
Kids make the greatest kind of art. A lot of this might be owed to the fact that they know so little about what it takes to make it and merely reckon that wanting to do it ought to be enough. They’re right, of course!
The problem is that growing up and learning new information also means, for the most part, losing some of that innocence and the nerve to create things for the simple joy of doing it.
Sailor Honeymoon sound like a group of children that’s been hired to make songs about themes. “Bad Apple” is a breakup song that is direct, sweet, and completely lacking any romantic intentions.
The trio, of course, has no notion of monetary value just yet, and they might not be interested in relationships either. What they do have is a playful way of approaching making music, creating a video for it, and interacting with the world. That’s pretty special, and hopefully, it won’t get spoiled anytime soon.
