The Racquets – Wolf
Life has a funny sense of humour that gives you what you want, especially when you’re pretty dumb about choosing in the first place. Just look at your favourite rock stars. Most of them wanted to be like Keith Richard and Keith Moon. And what did they get? They’re now dead. But, most of them remain quite famous posthumously, generating a healthy profit for those who have retained the rights to print out t-shirts of their faces.
Some of the best bands of the 80s and 90s who were deemed too weird, too physically repulsive, or simply too good at playing their instruments never got played on MTV, never got the documentary treatment from Netflix, and probably don’t have a bunch former bandmates that they have to bribe off. Most of them aren’t dead either, and the majority of them keep making their weird records beloved by a select few.
But the purebred rockstars who stayed alive and the weirdo artists all get older. Strapping a guitar to your back keeps being ridiculous. The Racquets have a song about it, “Wolf.” It’s a quirky little pop-rock ditty about the indignity of growing up and turning old as a musician. It’s also about the crisis and neurosis that realising the years are piling on brings. The Racquets are charming. They’re all hooks and soft handshakes, and they’d like to make you smile today.
Sputnik The Band – Lost Cause Commandos
If you really think about it, recent music history doesn’t have too many great guitar-centric pop groups. Most of the people who want to be pop stars are too busy networking, getting their hair done and choosing the right clothes. Most of the people who can play guitar just want to play solos, get their hair done and choose the right clothes.
Those who do try to walk in the path laid out by bands like Blondie and The Cars must possess something else besides irresistible melodies. Their personality too has to be irresistible and shine through the songs. These musicians have to also have to be easygoing and carefree, or, at least, to fake the good vibes really well. Regular people of this type are hard to find on a crowded street let alone in a music rehearsal space.
Sputnik The Band have it all worked out and, thankfully, also have the sunny disposition that will help them get over the difficulties of being in a pop-rock band. “Lost Cause Commandos” is charming and clever, the kind of anthem that catholic school girls sneaking for a night out might pen. This New York group sounds excited and energized by every hook their song delivers and every dark street they happen to stumble through. It’s hard to make up this kind of excitement and, certainly, it’s hard to resist it.