Zrada – Wedding
Similar artists: Gogol Bordello, Queens of the Stone Age, Fucked Up, IDLES, PUP
Genre: Post-Punk, Folk rock
Time is money in the really rich countries or those that used to be rich for a long time. That’s why things like birthday parties, funerals, and weddings are designed in such a way as not to interfere too much with the schedules of those in attendance. All they need to do is make a short appearance, drink a glass of wine, either out of joy or because of sadness, and get on with their lives.
It’s no wonder people in the West are so depressed and desperately seeking meaning in their lives. Eastern European weddings are social gatherings that those invited look forward to for months. They are unhinged public displays of emotion. They’re a spectacle that brings forward the best and the worst of what these cultures have to offer. There is nothing similar in Western countries – not music festivals, not orgies, and certainly not weddings.
Most Eastern European musicians know how to play a bit of the party music you might expect to hear at a wedding around these parts. They best make good use of these skills. This is what Zrada do with “Wedding”, an over-the-top, rambunctious, celebratory song. Is this some kind of folk and punk hybrid? No, not really. It sounds exactly like what electric Eastern European music would sound like. Canadian lovebirds might want to check on Zrada’s schedule for the Summer and inquire about the possibility of having them at their wedding.
Mary Middlefield – Young and Dumb
Genre: Pop Rock, Indie Rock, Alternative Rock
The deal was never going to be an easy one to make. That pay-off was enticing – gratitude from strangers, a photo-op with the big websites, and maybe even some money. What was required from the songwriters desiring this was, well.. everything. They’d be acknowledged for their ability to turn their joys and, especially, their greatest pain into art that could be admired by others.
It seemed easy on paper, but many of those who attempted to become involved in this kind of skin trade felt the pressures right away. Their managers and producers were quick to reply. They hurried and hired secret writing teams. They falsified their stories and made believe they were living through agony. It was all done for the fans. Sure, if they knew, they’d appreciate it. That’s what most modern pop music is like. Not Mary Middlefield.
Mary Middlefield’s “Young and Dumb” is a tremendously brave piece of confessional pop music. With such depth of detail and considering the vocal cry that accompanies most of them, there’s no reason to assume that this is a fabrication. The story is woven over a pop sound that has traces of folk and jazz. Have you been through the same story? It matters little. What is important is that when someone opens up in his own way and manages to turn it into an impressive piece of art, audiences are granted access to those feelings and become able to work out on their own.
