Toebow – Kitchen
Similar artists: Stereolab, Ava Luna, Dirty Projectors, Delicate Steve, Talking Heads, Frank Zappa, Durutti Column
Genre: Psychedelic Rock, Math Rock, Dream Pop
How important is musical complexity? Is it a relevant factor for pop music in its various guises? Many serious musicians believe that it is. Most older listeners swear by the virtues of old progressive music. Does who went to music school won’t know what to do with themselves otherwise.
But, pop music is just a string of sounds arranged in a quasi-familiar way. It’s meant to entice the feelings of listeners. The fastest guitarist earns no medals. The most forward-thinking composer doesn’t even earn a degree based strictly on their achievements.
Many younger musicians understand this simple truth: music is good if its message is effectively distributed. Toebow throws everything bar the sink in Kitchen, but complexity is not the artist’s aim. This tightly-knit construction of sounds is designed to induce a dream state. The uncommon sound design is meant to distinguish it from the pack. It succeeds. And it leaves serious musos gazing at their navels, wondering where to go next.
BADTALKERS x Benjamin Carter – I Like It Loud
Genre: Rap Metal, Indie Rock, Alternative Rock
Similar artists: Paris Texas, Jean Dawson, Junior Varsity, ZillaKami, Kenny Mason, M.A.G.S. James Mantis
It’s official: kids grow to hate their parents’ music and end up hating their kids’ music as well. The proof is everywhere. Just visit any music festival where tickets are expensive enough that only adults can afford them. All of the bands are older. They make a classic sound.
There’s nothing bad, of course, in listening to older music. Some of the classics will never be surpassed. Refusing to expose yourself to new musical ideas, however, is bad for everyone.
First of all, it creates a divide between young and old. Do we really want 20-year-olds to wait until they are 50 to headline a festival?
Secondly, you end up with copycat bands. They may fit well on playlists related to legacy artists. But, they make little contribution to modern music.
Lastly, it’s just boring to listen to the same old sounds.
With this in mind, I trust you to give this tune a fair shot. It’s clearly music that would fit well on Instagram Stories and TikTok.The commercial potential of BADTALKERS & Benjamin Carter’s I Like It Loud comes from the fact that it’s immensely hooky and exuberant about its use of modern pop hooks. It’s alternative in the way that it usurps common pop trends. Ain’t that something worth celebrating?
