Catnyp – Big Sky
Genre: Indie Rock, Garage Rock, Alternative Rock
David Bowie lived his life like an A&R man would, constantly keeping his ear to the ground, always aware of what was around the corner in terms of modern music. He was among the first to recognize the greatness of Pixies. And, while many others would soon embrace the quartet, Bowie also realized what it was that made them great in the first place.
He called them the psychotic Beatles and made reference to their innovative use of loud-soft dynamics. Perhaps, no other critic was as direct and memorable in describing the group. Now, Pixies have influenced many a top-selling band, but there’s something about their genuine and unsettling weirdness that even their most ardent followers steer away from.
Catnyp’s Blue Sky, on the other hand, jumps right into the nuttiness that often accompanies Frank Black’s vocals. Here, Catnyp sounds like a raised by the television set who suddenly gets a job as a preacher. Blue Sky feels like Pixies covering Bob Dylan for a tribute record that may never see the light of day. It’s the eccentricity of the track that makes it a winner.
T Truman – Vanity Jones
Genre: Indie Pop
When’s the moment you first realized that the people wearing the best clothes had, in fact, really terrible taste in music? Did it break your heart? It broke mine when I realized that the folks wearing leather jackets, daily crowding into our local watering hole knew little about tunes besides Metallica and Dire Straits, who they assured me made for a great soundtrack when they ride their bikes.
The fashion style of the bands making music is, no doubt, extremely important for any kid looking to develop a crush on a band. After all, when very young, particularly, the entertainment that you choose to embrace defines you in the eyes of your peers. However, once you dig deeper, once you, perhaps, decide to make your own music you realize that folks like the Bee Gees, wearing shiny white suits, or people in overly-colorful blazers, like ABBA, had some great songwriting ideas, in spite of their presentation shortcomings.
The point is that great music is made by people wearing terrible clothes, and covering their tunes in an extra-bright pastel glimmer, can make really good music. T Truman, who moonlights as The Vaccines’ touring keyboardist, in many ways, digs into this on his song Vanity Jones. This is a disco-era pop tune filtered through the lens of modern indie. It all feels like a home movie given a stellar production.
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