
Ultra Violet Fever – Black Clouds
Similar artists: Alice In Chains, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Nirvana
Genre: Alternative Rock
The Seattle grunge bands are known for returning rock music back to its roots and being so convincing in their approach that they turned their garage-made creation into a global phenomenon. Yes, the grunge bands were able to distil the sounds of rock music back to its essence. Many forget, however, just how frightening and mysterious those sounds were.
Grunge had quite a dark pull on those musicians. After all, many of them had started playing with quite different objectives. Alice in Chains’ Layne Staley wanted to be a glam-metal singer, and Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready played guitar in bands of a similar ilk. Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain liked The Beatles and Creedence Clearwater Revival. Mother Love Bone had ambitions of pop-rock glory.
Ultra Violet Fever’s “Black Clouds” finds the group treading on dark, enigmatic territory once explored by Seattle’s finest. The song’s focal point is the vocal interplay between the singers. It immediately brings to mind Staley and Jerry Cantrell’s exploration of folk harmonies laid on top of dissonant acoustic guitar lines. Ultra Violet Fever make the pieces fit excellently, and aim to get at least a few shivers running down your spine.
Lunison – Name 3 Songs
Similar artists: Geese, David Bowie, Spoon, The Walkmen
Genre: 90s Rock, Surf Rock, Indie Rock
Most chit-chat begins by asking asking your interlocutor what their profession is. Most of the people who ask that don’t really care what your job is. Polite conversation dictates that they ask, and after all, you probably work as an accountant or bank clerk anyway, and these aren’t known to stir up excitement.
However, if you’re an artist, particularly a musician, you are bound to get people asking additional questions. You’ll have some who will be fascinated by your life choice, your potential talent and the plethora of bizarre experiences you must have had. Then there are those who will ask you questions with earnest concern. How could you make such irresponsible choices? You know what it all pays, don’t you?
Backed by slippery, Oriental-sounding guitar riffs, Lunison’s “Name 3 Songs” tells the story of the expectation of being the friend of a prospective rock star. The tune is written from a loving, humorous perspective. But its greatest strength lies in how the group manages those alt-rock ideas seamlessly, creating a sound that is both powerful and really easy on the ears.