Tag: Patti Smith

Luminatrix Creates a Compelling and Dark Vitality on Smoldering, Punk Breakup Song “China Again”

Luminatrix, photo courtesy the artists

The edgy jangle of the introduction to “China Again” by Luminatrix promises something menacing ahead. What makes this song so fascinating and definitely sets it apart from other rock songs that are clearly tapping into earlier eras of music is that the strands of influence are rich and intertwining and result in something original but with a classic resonance. In Jenna McGrath’s vocals you can hear some of the poetic inflection of Patti Smith and Chrissie Hynde and the emotional intensity of Carrie Brownstein when the latter channels harrowing experiences and mixes them with a delicacy of feeling to create a psychologically complex mood. The crunchy guitar riff alongside a haunting, hovering surf rock warble, the enigmatic laughter early in the song, the steady cadence and the sense that the song could tip over into a dramatic emotional outburst gives this song of a relationship being at a decisive end over being weary of one’s partner’s numerous offenses and foibles a dark vitality that invites repeated listens. Fans of Death Valley Girls will definitely appreciate what Luminatrix has to offer in its own songwriting. Listen to “China Again” on Spotify. Luminatrix’s new album Antihero dropped September 25, 2023.

Night Movies Crafts a Deep Sense of Spiritual Displacement and Yearning on “Enough”

Night Movies, photo courtesy the artist

“Enough” by Night Movies is a soundtrack in search of a worthy existential dystopian science fiction film in which it can be placed. The distorted droning and slow-twisting soundscapes and sense of desperate menace mixed with desolation whorls around Anna Papadimitriou’s (of Hawxx) clear and evocative vocals calling out yearning for confirmation of being enough, being worthy of all the dignity and respect all people should have but articulating a deep felt sense of not knowing if that is the case, intoning a haunted sense of displacement at one’s core. Musically it’s reminiscent of something by Swans or Growing with the heightened mood of spiritual exploration and catharsis and ends peacefully without a clear cut mood of resolution which is a more brave creative choice than one hears in a lot of modern music. Listen to “Enough” on Bandcamp and follow Night Movies at the links provided. The single is paired with a industrial drone cover of “The End” by The Doors comparable to the dark expanses of Patti Smith circa Radio Ethiopia.

Night Movies on Instagram