Thursday, August 10, 2006

Stop Repeating Yourself



Drugscene

Coronation

A skyscraper stands proudly in the middle of Los Angeles. There are angels in the architecture, dancing around the double-glazed windows. Curtains have been pulled across the sun. There's commotion, like there's always commotion. Laughter but very little. Hustle and bustle and chatter and nerves and tension. Second chances and dreams being shattered. Lights flicker into focus and out again. Reflections are there to be stared at. By the time of the chorus your surroundings have changed, but you don't realise. So distracted by your own indie-chic-ness. You're in a club with lights on off disco glitter lights flicker. Pounding pounding disco music. Lights flash cameras flash girls flash so much music so much noise just get lost in the music now now now.

Drugscene are typically stylised, typically cool, I haven't seen the press photo's but in my mind's eye it would make sense if they're wearing tattered suits and flippant red ties with long-short hair and beautiful smiles like moviestars. Imagine The Killers and Hot Hot Heat and We Are Scientists and The Bravery and the million and one other bands that those names conjure up. Imagine a catchy indie-rock beat beat beat. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes it's like watching a waterfall with the water running out. The focus is on creating a song based around a melody and sometimes the melody isn't there. They do succeed, however, on Coronation. Listen, count the influences on two hands, and dance, simultaneously. Bonus points for realising that it sounds like they hired in Conor Oberst for the vocals and gave him an extra dose of indie-dance-ability in his morning cup of coffee. [Discover]