Sleepy Jean – Six Feet Deep (with Love)
Similar artists: Ennio Morricone, The Sadies, Other Lives
Genre: Americana, Alt-Country, Surf Rock
Sleepy Jean plays with our collective love of retro pop culture like a stuntman taunting a shark with a fresh fish. It all works because very few of us don’t now have comprehensive knowledge of old movies, television shows, or music. Thanks to mainstream media, these are as much a part of our lives as our baby photos.
In fact, it’s not easy to find people who find it hard to tell you their favourite movies or who claim to almost never watch films. The fact that most people have terrible taste in films is beyond question. What is important, however, is that retro films are as familiar to the masses as the logo of Coca-Cola. Their soundtrack, consequently, is a language that most of us understand well.
Sleepy Jean uses our collective familiarity with Westerns and Ennio Morricone’s soundtrack to deliver the inventive “Six Feet Deep (with Love)”, a song about unhealthy obsessions.
The premise would not at all work if Sleepy Jean didn’t also deliver a great, silky vocal performance backed by reverb-drenched guitars, horns and cleverly arranged drum parts. With all of this at its disposal, it’s easy to make up your mind about “Six Feet Deep (with Love)” upon first listening.
Sandy Bell – Monster Trying To Be A Lover
Similar artists: PJ Harvey, Patti Smith, Tori Amos, Weyes Blood, Cat Power
Genre: Indie Rock, Alternative Rock
Sandy Bell makes art for art’s sake. And with no fixed employer needing to be pleased, Bell can whisper horrible truths and scream out love songs without fear of reprisals.
Few people retire nowadays. Nobody from the entertainment industry stops until they’re forced to do it. Not even the ones who’ve accumulated enough money to buy Belgium and sink it if they so pleased.
It’s not that they don’t dream of giving it all up and going fishing. Their fans and associates won’t let them. Whenever a highly popular artist threatens retirement or hints that they’re interested in taking a different creative route, they are met with jeers, hoots, and occasional death threats.
Sandy Bell’s “Monster Trying To Be A Lover” sounds like the music made by someone desperate to please some kind of mysterious but demanding muse. It sounds like music was not created for mass consumption and was not even written with the purpose of it being heard by anyone else’s ears.
In spite of this, clearly, Sandy Bell has great musical ability and a soul overflowing with both beautiful light and frightening darkness. Just be glad she’s leaving the door open with “Monster Trying To Be A Lover.”
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