Noon Shift – Do It All Again
Genre: Post-grunge, Grunge, Alternative Rock
Grunge was labelled by 90s music critics as a return to basic, caveman rock music. Post-grunge, through the lens of the music’s evolution over previous decades, feels like one of the high points of artistic sophistication. To paraphrase Norm MacDonald, it’s not like this kind of guitar music has got better, but that showbusiness as a whole has become progressively worse.
Grunge musicians picked the shortest route to a memorable song. For some, this seemed like cheating. Where did it get them through? Heard around the world. Played by millions of decades after the fact. Imitated by thousands of other groups. Surely, this was no fluke. The technical ability and the tastefulness of grunge musicians are often, suspiciously ignored by those telling the story of the style’s evolution.
Noon Shift’s Do It All Again is a modern rock made by people who have sweat for their musical abilities. It’s undeniable. The singer provides radio-pleasing, gritty vocals. The song is well-structured and emphasizes melodies and hooks at just the right time. The instrumental is tight and hints at classic-rock heyday. Yes, lyrically, there could be more to the story that we are told. But, the point is that it takes almost the same amount of effort to play convincing post-grunge as it does to graduate from a regular university program. We may all be expecting less, but Noon Shift are among the ones looking to exceed expectations.
Mothman, The Man – Scott Pilgrim Type Beat
Genre: Punk, Grunge, Garage Rock
Similar artists: Beck, Sex Bob-Omb, Neutral Milk Hotel, The White Stripes
Rock needs a bit of a beating sometimes. Why should anyone take it that seriously? It’s not like anyone died for it. Oh, wait… Well, at the very least the people that succumbed to an untimely death while on the job, went out doing what they loved best: telling others that they were rock stars.
It’s all a pretty ridiculous occupation if you think about it. But, it just takes for the would-be star to blink and everything is lost. Keep a straight face, a clean haircut, and a trendy shirt, and your career should be alright. Since this is, truthfully, all that is needed some humour and even the ability to turn kick rock tunes around to one’s liking are always needed.
Mothman, The Man’s Scott Pilgrim Type Beat is an indie-rock inside-joke about an inside-joke. But, it’s also an attack of what rock could be. Comic book material? Hipster coffee break associate? Dirty power-chord propeller? Mothman, The Man are willing to stand to anything you throw at them. At the heart of their sound though there’s pure excitement, the kind that can only be achieved by pointing a guitar amp at your friends.
