The Problem With Kids Today – Speed Freak
Genre: Punk, Garage Rock, Alternative Rock
Techno-populists are still busy selling AI as the solution to all of humanity’s woes. And while our collective is to deal with that dumpster fire sooner or later, even the folks who paid the most to be optimistic about global tech agree on one thing – AI is not funny. It can’t come up with a joke, can’t tell a joke, and judging by a recent attempt to write a George Carlin special, can’t even plagiarize it well enough.
It’s a real bore. And in that way, it greatly resembles the vast majority of people working in the entertainment business these days. Perhaps this is the reason they feel such a great kinship to an algorithm that churns out mountains of senseless dribble at command.
You know what’s not a bore? The Problem With Kids Today’s “Speed Freak.” It’s childishly entertaining in the way that Ramones or Ween were. There’s no great musical proficiency here. But for that, you got jazz. There’s no great meaning to it. But for that, you got philosophy treaties. And both those things are maddingly dull. Rock n’ roll oughtn’t be, and The Problem With Kids Today get it! Do you?
Mike and the Molotovs – Red, White and Fuck You
Similar artists: Hank Williams III
Genre: Punk, Alt Country
I suppose that, at its core, punk-rock music strategically chooses to lack subtlety. It’s simple, angry music with lyrics focused on the kinds of things that most folks would rather forget about and that they’d certainly avoid mentioning in polite conversation. But once those things are out in the open, it is easy also to view punk rock lyrics as obvious truths.
We tread carefully around obvious truths because there ain’t much to do about them. The things that deal with the undeniable violent nature of humankind are particularly hard to make a constant diet around. For example, the stranglehold of the U.S.A. over global culture and their love affair with violence and self-glorifying play-acting are things that we’ve learned to turn off.
If you do happen to live in the home of the brave and the Land of Cheeseburger, there ain’t no way to play it down for long. Mike and the Molotovs’ “Red, White, and Fuck You” are angry, funny, and lack any sort of subtlety. They’ll tell you what the essence of their land is while they’re slapping you over the face and forcing you to drink light beer and soda. It’s not the world we all live in, but the ones we’re all gonna see when we turn on our TV. Might as well learn what it’s made of.