King Crash – Haunt Me for Life
Similar artists: The Headhunters, King Crimson, Beck, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix
Genre: Jazz Fusion, Math Rock
Being a virtuoso guitarist is a bit like having earned a degree in philosophy and showing it to people. It should really impress folks, but it doesn’t. Sure, it’s more effort than the majority of them are ever willing to put in. Yeah, you must’ve worked your fingers to the bone to get it.
In other words, the acquired technique showed just a willingness to learn, not necessarily the fact that you have anything to teach others. Having the ability to release a plethora of notes at command is impressive only as long as the effect can take listeners to another world. It’s only important if it can be used as a tool.
King Crash’s “Haunt Me for Life” is a fusion-rock song at heart, but it’s one created to confuse rather than simply draw admiration from like-minded peers. While it is built on a strong, convincing foundation of “proper musical technique,” there’s plenty of imagination driving this retro, psychedelic head trip.
Sunshine Lust – Up To You
Similar artists: The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Oasis
Genre: Classic Rock, Garage Rock
When most bands decide they’re going to sound like The Beatles or The Rolling Stones, two of the most successful groups in the history of music, what they mean to say is that they’ll try to write the kind of pop hooks that might get them famous. That’s all well and good. There are plenty of listeners hoping to get their jollies that way.
These bands, however, forget that in the 1960s, these groups were also tirelessly looking for ways forward. They incorporated Oriental sounds and modern psychedelia as a way to trick their minds into finding new patterns and new avenues for expression. And, yes, they laid some mighty nice pop grooves over those as well.
Sunshine Lust’s “Up To You” dares to dream of the good old days with tremendous optimism and ambition. They sound like an arena-sized version of The Beatles following the Maharishi. The Norwegians’ crusade is not just to bring 1960s sounds to present times. Sunshine Lust is hoping that they can bring their contribution to making the world just a bit more hopeful, the way that The Beatles would’ve wanted.