Plastic Cowboys – Storehouse
My theory is that rock n’ roll, as an industry standard, died the minute that the record execs figured out that there was no way they were going to get bands like the Pixies or the Smiths to play nice, or other bands to impersonate the Smiths and the Pixies well enough to breed a scene.
Things died, great rock bands were banned from appearing on radio and television, which, strangely enough, left them forced to play theatres, small arenas, or stadiums until the pandemic hit.
Irish group Plastic Cowboys are cut from a similar mould. These are not folks ready to challenge the big pop stars for their crowns. They are, however, clever enough to recognize some good musical ideas, hungry enough to develop them into something loud and noticeable, and melodic enough to get plenty of fans to take note with, or without the aid of radio and television.
They Owe Us – Let’s Rob A Bank
Not a lot of people rob banks anymore. At least, not in rich, Westernized countries. I have got a few theories as to why this is, and I’ve spent exactly no time investigating any of them. Perhaps, it’s a matter of the fact that the real robbers get to wear suits, work in an office, and can get away with people’s money without anyone batting an eye. Perhaps, banks just don’t carry that much hard cash on hand, given that governments have taken to printing boatloads of new money while gently balancing the economic mechanism in order to avoid terrible inflation.
Either way, it can’t be because of people’s bravery. Some of our greatest cinematic entertainment is centred around bank robberies and violent crime of different types. We usually root for the criminal.
A softer call to civil disobedience is Sweden’s own They Owe Us. Let’s Rob A Bank features a very unrealistic concept in practice. Sweden is, after all, a land of terrific and strange affluence and comfort. The romantic message behind this modern Bonny & Clyde tale, together with the dreamy psych-rock production, are certainly enough to make us pay attention. If we get caught in Sweden, we assume the worse they would make us mow somebody’s lawn anyway.
