The Thing – Neptunne
Similar artists: The Beatles, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Geese, The Black Keys
Genre: Psychedelic Rock, Indie Rock, Garage Rock
Throughout history, ignoring the world has been virtually impossible. The best that you could hope for is that you’d be born into a royal family or acquire incredible skills as a meditation yogi. And neither of those things could guarantee that the world wouldn’t come crashing down on you with wars, famine, or disease.
But the 1960s promised us something different. The decade had psychedelic music as its totem. Millions worshipped around it. For once, with the help of songs and various other devices, many of a chemical nature, it was possible to dream of worlds that may or may not have existed. It was easy to block out the world.
It’s no wonder that so many artists would rather start their modern careers as if this were the 1960s. The Thing’s “Neptunne” pays tribute to the sound and vision of that time, delivering a sturdy retro rock construction that is both confident and dream-including. It’s a way to get reacquainted with the past and give it another chance for the benefit of the future.
CLOCKTOPUS – My Riders
Similar artists: dEUS, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, The Black Keys, Jack White, The Rolling Stones
Genre: Psychedelic Rock, Indie Rock, Alternative Rock
Delivering a song to an audience is much the same as selling any other product. Sure, you can just straightforwardly ask the people to get into a neat queue and make a purchase. But this is an invitation that they must’ve received a dozen times today. What you need is to lure them in with a story, with the right atmosphere, with a reason to make them open their wallet.
Rock n’ roll has always come up with great stories. Why, it promised us a lot of adventures. But that was a long time ago. Back then, adding a keyboard to a rock sound was tantamount to experimentation of the highest order. It looked like this adventurousness would go on forever. Listen to the radio today, and musically, song composition is easier to figure out than a Math quiz in an American school. They’re letting everyone pass!
CLOCKTOPUS’ “My Riders” shows that the Dutch band has a different view of where the world and modern music ought to go. They know it shouldn’t stay the same. But they haven’t quite found what it should be yet. Thankfully, they’ve armed themselves with enough optimism to help them bend and stretch sound in a mix of tropical-country Dutch weirdness. And, there ain’t no turning back from here.
