Strawberry Switchblade - Strawberry Switchblade

 

   Strawberry Switchblade is a band I hold very close to me. Since discovering them a few years ago, I have been utterly fascinated with the duo and their cult following, which is seemingly nonexistent outside of the UK and, strangely, Japan. I own a copy of the only vinyl pressing of their only studio album, printed on cardboard stock and still in the protective plastic sleeve it came shipped from Germany in. The band occupies a strange but enticing niche, somewhere between traditional goth and cutesy rococo fashion, making melodies so saccharine they can rot your teeth through the headphones.

Everyone Asked About You - Everyone Asked About You

 

    Everyone Asked About You is by absolutely no means a well known band. They have no website, no Wikipedia page, just a few scattered blog posts written by those who’ve been shown the way. The way of a niche emo band from the center of Arkansas, with only a handful of songs under their belt and no budget to be seen. This is another addition to that collection.

Echo and the Bunnymen - Ocean Rain

Echo and the Bunnymen sit at the crossroads of music at a very crucial moment in time. They were equal parts punk, goth, and jangle all at the same time. In a lot of ways their music, and Ocean Rain especially, were enigmatic. It was both a result of their cultural environments and a root of the one to follow. 

Lift to Experience - The Texas-Jerusalem Crossroads

Religion has always been a subject that I return to in my head every so often. I debate myself on the merits of its existence as a concept and the often outweighed drawbacks it has on us. Belief is a powerful thing, one that often inspires hope in the minds of billions around the world. On the other hand, faith has been used to drive hate and discrimination against whatever the out-group of the time is, actively holding society back from progress. I have personally had mixed experiences with religion. Christianity, or more specifically catholicism, is probably the most common denomination where I’m from. For a long time, when I was younger and less open minded, I pictured every devout Christian as judgmental and bigoted, free from reason. As time went on and my perspective grown, I know acknowledge most religious people are accepting of others and quite lovely people. The lovely Texan band Lift to Experience only reassures me of this.

The Internet, Consumerism, and Music

Originally written January 5, 2022

    Very few artists are credited with the creation of something entirely unique. Some may point to the Velvet Underground or Captain Beefheart as monoliths in underground music, creating masterpieces unlike anything before or since. As time progressed new and interesting ideas seemed fewer and far between. With the rapid evolution of technology and communication, ideas are spread more rapidly and farther than every before. Trends come and go within the blink of an eye, most unaware of its existence at all. In this modern digital age, it is becoming harder and harder to conceive a totally original concept like it once was. Everything feels like it’s been done already. It’s all become the same. The rising and falling tides of fads wash over us, repeating on loop every 30 years or so. This sterilization of creativity and musical exploration makes Chuck Person’s Eccojams Vol. 1 all the more fascinating and awe inspiring. 

Cap’n Jazz - Burritos, Inspiration Point, Fork Balloon Sports, Cards in the Spokes, Automatic Biographies, Kites, Kung Fu, Trophies, Banana Peels We've Slipped On and Egg Shells We've Tippy Toed Over

        Out of the quiet suburban lawns of Chicago, childhood friends played together in a band. They were made up of brothers Tim and Mike Kinsella on vocals and drums respectively, Sam Zurick on bass, and Victor Villarreal and Davey von Bohlen both on guitar as well. Forming in 1989 and breaking up in 1995, the band only ever released one album and a handful of EPs and singles. Despite their seemingly short lived and miniscule output, the band is highly regarded as a pillar in the emo genre. A figure so colossal it overhauled an entire genre, breaking it down to its components only to reassemble it into something completely new. A style nearly unheard of, and one that would sweep the world of music throughout the ‘90s and 2000s, leaving influence in every corner.