These Dead Machines – Phantoms
The people who grew up on music made before the dawn of rock n roll simply couldn’t believe it. Here were all these millions, many of them kids, willing to give up their money for recordings or concert tickets. It seemed that their priority was to listen to their musical heroes talk about freedom, love, and, oftentimes, their struggles in this world. Why won’t a nice Frank Sinatra song do?
The people struggling to get tickets for any of these bands were not just looking for a song. They were looking for something approaching a religious experience. Let’s not fool ourselves. The dynamite punch of the loud drums and echoing guitars had something to do with it all. But it was also the way in which these kinds of ceremonies had accompanied them, the listeners, through the most important moments in their lives. Whenever they felt lost, this is to which they returned.
These Dead Machines make modern indie-rock about ancient, powerful troubles. “Phantoms” is a song of loss, woe, and strategies for dealing with them. But this is also ceremonial music. It’s loud, it’s emotional, and it promises that it will, at least, look very carefully at your problems. The verses are sung like someone who has witnessed ghostly apparitions, and the drums pulsate like demons appearing and then fading away in time to the music. There are certainly modern Frank Sinatras out there, but, for the most part, the best that they can do is sing you Christmas carrolls.
Nico de Luz – Midnight Drive
Music is a great company for life’s most important moments. It’s also healthier than having a drink or smoking a cigarette, unhealthier but highly popular alternatives for enhancing one’s experiences. In fact, if you pick just one song to play during an important event in your life, it’s proven that you’ll better remember details regarding that said event.
While nearly everyone has a favourite band or musical artist that they listen to more often than anything else, it’s hard to incorporate them in every aspect of life. Like it or not, music isn’t just meant to be played to enhance moods. All modern music is created to fit certain emotions. You can only open the tin can on the songs once you feel it in a way that goes together with the songs.
Most people feel a mix of calm and melancholy when out driving long distances, at night. After all, you’re stepping into the unknown, you are focused on maintaining safety while everyone else is asleep. Only a particular type of songs work on accompanying such trips. Nico de Luz’s “Midnight Drive” is an indie-rock song that has been written specifically to describe the empty, ghostly feelings related to love, loss, and regret that are built into these journeys. A strong sense of melancholy drives this forward, and it’s also what should get you safely to your destination.
