The Lungs – He Said His Name Was Snakes
Similar artists: Drive Like Jehu, At the Drive-In, Nation of Ulysses, Hot Snakes, Frodus
Genre: Punk, Post-Hardcore
“A sad fact so widely known/The most impassionate song to a lonely soul/Is so easily outgrown” rings out of one of The Smiths’ greatest songs. And it’s true that the most important songs of a person’s youth are rarely the most important songs as an adult. Such a shame!
Studies out to be conducted among fans of black metal, punk, or hardcore techno where they follow this music obsessiveness across decades of their lives. Upon being asked twenty years into the future how much they’ve listened to the metal, punk, or techno sounds that once defined their lives, they’ll hang their head in shame.
It is important, then, that we celebrate and document extreme sounds born out of an overflowing level of energy and passion. The Lungs’ He Said His Name Was Snakes is modern hardcore punk made to sun like it’s meant to fill out a full three-minute show. It captures the band delivering everything they have. It follows the band as they within themselves with complete disregard for their safety and sanity. This is a powerful moment in time, and I’m glad someone captured it on tape.
The Terrible Texan – Token Eastern Song
Similar artists: Nirvana
Genre: Grunge
At the heart of it, playing covers is a way for the performer to shed light on performers that their audience would not know about. In doing this, the performer is also providing important information about them. It’s a look into the creative process that has always included gently swiping good ideas from various sources.
In recent years, however, doing covers has become merely a way to make getting a hit easier. It’s not uncommon, for example, to hear a slowed-down Nirvana cover as part of a movie’s soundtrack. That’s cute but hardly an attempt at a tribute.
The Terrible Texan let listeners in on a secret, a lesser-known Nirvana track, “Token Eastern Song.” They reinterpret it with a view of keeping close to the intention of the original. In doing so, they also unpack what was great about grunge music in the first place. It’s grimy, distorted and powerful. And many people will get the rarest of treats: to hear a new Nirvana song.
