The Fall – Queen City Sounds and Art

The Deadpan Desperation of Dick Dudley’s Herky Jerky and Angular Post-Punk Song “Train” is a Strikingly Accurate Portrait of Self-Oppression

“Train” is practically pointillist in the rapid fire execution of its rhythms. But in short order Dick Dudley’s song unfolds some in a paradoxically herky jerky, The Fall-esque giving the song an urgent mood. The vocals are delivered in what might be described as a desperate deadpan depicting the daily routine of a man who seems locked into a ritualistic daily routine but resisting inwardly with no direction “with his elbows up and his legs spread wide” in a gesture of confrontational repose even though “he’s just another passenger with no time for his kids and no kiss for his wife.” Sounds like the kind of person who knows this isn’t living but lacks the self-awareness to go for a life that would mean something or to adopt an attitude toward a job that is providing for him and his family that keeps the work and its stress on him in perspective and not treat it like it matters as his whole identity and maybe develop a personality that includes finding joy in his existence somewhere rather than be so buttoned up. Ultimately this jagged yet loose song is one of compassion for someone who doesn’t know how to break this cycle or lacks the will to recognized that the unclenched jaw is superior to self-reinforced diligence over nothing no matter what anyone suggests to you. Fans of Protomartyr and IDLES will find some strong resonances here. Listen to “Train” on Spotify and follow Dick Dudley on Instagram.

Worker & Parasite Parody the Compliance Culture of Corporate Domination Under Late Capitalism in the New Wave Post-punk “The Silent Majority”

Worker & Parasite, photo courtesy the artists

Worker & Parasite uses the imagery of the corporate machine from clothing to visual design in the video for “The Silent Majority.” Its spiky guitar, eccentric anti-melodies and rhythmic accents reflect an awkward, robotic, conformist aspect of how we’re expected to be in the context of late capitalist economic arrangements where your aspirations are all but dictated to you and your horizons defined by what the corporate world has decided fits into its programme. Musically fans of stuff like Devo, The Fall, The Mathematicians and Les Savy Fav will appreciate the surreal and socially critical aspect of the song and video as well as the clear songwriting and performance chops channeled into a whole creative expression of the kinds of thoughts and feelings those of us who have been subject to the strictures of corporate culture know to well, which is to say most of us. Watch the video for “The Silent Majority” on YouTube and follow Worker & Parasite at the links provided.

Worker & Parasite on TikTok

Worker & Parasite on Facebook

Worker & Parasite on Twitter

Worker & Parasite on Bandcamp

Worker & Parasite on Instagram

DISCHAAAGEEE’s Frantic, Synth-driven Song “Xuxu” Sits at the Sweet Spot Between Garage Rock, Synth Pop and Post-punk

Imagine a lo-fi blend of Devo, The Fall and Quintron and that will give you some idea what you’re in for listening to “Xuxu” by Japanese band DISCHAAAGEEE. Its propulsive pace, regimented yet borderline unhinged dynamics, playful synth melodies and enigmatic vocals sit in the sweet spot between garage rock, synth pop and post-punk. It sounds futuristic in the way it free associates musical ideas and recontextualizes them to make something that draws inspiration from what has come before without being beholden to it stylistically even if the spirit of that music can be heard echoing in the distorted gyrations and frantic pulses of “Xuxu.” Fans of Pow! and The Screamers will appreciate the songs surrealistic soundscaping and raw energy as well as its undeniably catchy tunefulness. Listen to “Xuxu” on Spotify and connect with DISCHAAAGEEE at the links below.

https://open.spotify.com/artist/3OEW90E5e6KLcFFRrDJCba
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK3Eokb8k_1NsZO4IQnLPrw
https://twitter.com/dischaaageee
https://www.facebook.com/uch.kenhttps://www.instagram.com/dischaaageee

Yaglander Has an Ambivalent Existential Crisis on “Changing Lanes”

Yaglander_ChangingLanes1_crop — Yaglander, image courtesy the artist

Listening to “Changing Lanes” by Yaglander, one thinks of The Clean and The Fall and their gift for combining lo-fi production, loose guitar jangle, slackery vocals and a knack for an unconventionally tuneful melody. The minimal guitar riff punctuated by a lively keyboard arpeggio alongside vocals that sound like they were sampled by on a mono recording from the radio gives the song an strange quality of mixing not just styles but eras of recording and songwriting. Like a collage of indie pop and garage rock this song about aspiring to commit to a course of action and mentality but being unsure where to direct that energy when too many things seem viable but also doomed to failure or disappointment. Or, frankly, that choosing would demand too much of you and where you feel you’ve been comfortable in what you assume is the core of your personality. It’s also a song about thinking you know who you are and what your identity might be and your values only to be struck by the realization that, like too many politicians in our time, you really stand for nothing and your values are contingent on what you think are polar opposites in the world around you where everything seems to be changing whether you’ve adapted or not. Listen to “Changing Lanes” on Soundcloud and follow Yaglander at the links below.

soundcloud.com/user-825645319
open.spotify.com/artist/0ZrNtIUB2Ek9DGgg7jwkTb
yaglander1.bandcamp.com/releases
facebook.com/yaglander
instagram.com