...dissecting the politics of the music industry and championing underrated bands one step at a time...
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| (photo creds: Pooneh Ghana) |
Twin Peaks are the generation-defining band that most of the generation hasn't heard of...yet. The cheeky chaps from Chicago (I already regret that alliterative combination) are set to do what The Strokes did for riotous indie rock in the previous decade - shatter any previous misconceptions and spearhead it into a a new, restored direction.
My gripe with modern 'indie' (besides the fact it is a truly awful world that should be used only to - ironically, of course - describe twatty teenagers) is that it fails to live up to its namesake. Indie is, in the classical sense of the word, associated with independent labels that traditionally churned out the kind of music of which this genre originates. However, could this also be translated into a more independent movement of music; one that nudges boundaries, challenge its peers to do better and gets audiences excited just because they can be. Transecendal electronica from Jamie xx and FKA Twigs and underground grime from JME and Skepta are doing this. Apart from the few exceptions, indie rock is not.
As I believe I've mentioned in previous blog entries, I feel that most of modern indie tends to mesh into one. Of course big sing-along choruses are fun, and boppy riffs act as ammunition for festival mosh pits, but what separates decent bands from those of potential heroic status? Indie seems to have lost its roots along the way and it's time that Twin Peaks brought it out of the woods.
Returning to The Strokes comparison; both bands capture rock music in its purest form - (seemingly) unfussed about delicacies, unsubtly advertising a passion for noise and pledging allegiance to their art. This Is It is a landmark in music history, so it should be noted that Twin Peaks' ascent into rock and roll fame won't be as quick as their apparent counterparts. However, who's to say that this quartet can't be as equally meteoric? It could be suggested that The Strokes achieved success so early in their career because they are associated with prominent labels and don't look like they play fight on an hourly basis. On the other hand, Twin Peaks are messy, marijuana obsessed teens, yet the latter's releases are significantly and seriously overlooked which is certainly not down to the quality of their first two projects.
Sunken - their debut mini-album - bursts with feverish colour. Erupting with serious DIY garage rock, it's over quicker than you can bat an eyelid. From the musty vocals to the explosive stifle of the percussion, there is little time for pause in a record that runs for less than twenty minutes: it's lo-fi scuzzy rock and roll in its most natural form.
The urgent immediacy in Sunken is endearing; almost every track fades into one another, giving it a more vintage touch and making it perfect for vinyl (apologies for the pretentiousness but I own it, and it's honestly amazing). There's also something strangely wistful about their lyrics (a la Natural Villain and Ocean Blue) even if they still spiced with youthful slang (particularly my favourite Stand In The Sand - an ode to their holy grail).
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| Clay of Twin Peaks (photo creds: unknown) |
The boyish essence Twin Peaks captured on Sunken lingered into 2014 when they released their sophomore effort Wild Onion. While Sunken trembled with a this-is-an-extended-jam-session vibe, they truly wore their influences on their sleeve during the recording of Wild Onion (perhaps somewhat of a modern masterpiece, but that's just my opinion). These roots of inspiration lay the foundations for a great record and are most obvious in the album's title and artwork which mimic The Beach Boys' Wild Honey. Not only is the title of Twin Peaks' second record a nod to the 1967 album (both compromising untamed vegetation of some kind), but there are also similarities to be found in the fonts and positioning of the two album titles as well as the floral aesthetics - undoubtedly a homage on Twin Peaks' behalf. However, this is not where the Wild Honey influences come to a halt. Throughout Wild Honey there is a hedonistic thrill and buoyancy, particularly in Darlin' and the album's title track, that can be found to be so tightly intertwined in Wild Onion. Though the latter may be without the prominence of keyboards and organs to add that punky edge, the lazy carelessness of each respective band's vocals are uncanny.
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| i spy the similarities? |
The Beach Boys aren't the only sixties/seventies swingers that Twin Peaks emulate. Particularly on Wild Onion, a lot of the tracks have a definite Rolling Stones air to them. From the Mick Jagger-esque yelps of Making Breakfast to the Stones style climaxes of I Found A New Way, it's blatantly obvious that Twin Peaks had Sticky Fingers on rotation whilst recording. The entire album works as a juxtaposition of the forceful garage gnarl (Flavour, No Way Out) with the delicate soft rock (Mirror Of Time and the ambrosial stoner daze of Ordinary People), something akin to The Kinks spectrum. Where Wild Onion truly succeeds is the harmonious balance of both, in tracks such as the uptempo euphoria of stand-out Telephone.
Where Twin Peaks triumph and other bands falter is the way they've coined their inspirations. Their body of work is less of a recycle of what we've heard in the past but more of a leasing of new life into the ways of the old classics. Through wicked live performances and songwriting that's beyond their years, it's clear their ethos is modernisation instead of imitation - and this is why they will reign supreme.
LISTEN TO TWIN PEAKS' RSD SINGLE BELOW
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