The Professor Is In: New Week? New Music!

by @rickbosch

There are numerous bands out there which are famous, and shouldn’t be. Mediocrity is lapped up by the general public, so how about I let you in on a couple of bands which you may not be aware of, but you will be all the richer for listening to? Sounds like a win-win situation, no?

The Professor

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The first band on list here list would be The Replacements. If you follow me on Twitter, or listened to me on the BroShow a few weeks ago you would’ve heard/read, me talk about a guy called Paul Westerberg. Westerberg formed The Replacements in 1979 and they’re one of the most influential alternative rock and roll bands of that era. We in South Africa never heard them, naturally, but fear not, because now you have and their stuff is as good now, as it was then.

They paved the way for self-loathing bands to go out and write sad songs if they felt sad, they made it okay to fuck shit up on stage if you felt like it, they played drunk, they played fast, they were the real deal.

They weren’t the most complicated band in the world, or the most technically gifted, but they had heart. Their songs are real, their sentiments course through my veins and if you like rock and roll, well, they’re as essential as the Ramones are to punk. These guys paved the way for alternative rock bands and I believe it one of the biggest crimes perpetrated against humanity that they’re not as famous as say that band, you know, from Seattle, the one with the dead lead singer.

Have a listen…

THE REPLACEMENTS – Alex Chilton by jesus_lizard

The Black Keys are all the rage at the moment, well, their dissolved pop album is, and I prefer the bluesy stuff, and if you do as well, even if you don’t, check out Radio Moscow. I found them whilst delving into modern blues bands, and although they won’t change the world, they do play the blues with a lot of gusto. Slightly more psychedelic than the Keys, these guys are the real deal as well, but I don’t see them doing a pop album any time soon. Listen to this, it’s a great track.

To wrap up this short little post I have one more for you, now you may know there guys, you may not, but I think Okkervil River are worth a mention. If you like your music folky, you really can’t avoid them. Along with The Decemberists, Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes, etc etc, Okkervil River are at the front of the current folk-indie type genre, in my mind at least. Fuck, I hate all these stupid categorisations, but they’re necessary I guess. Okkervil River combines upbeat stompers with down-tempo melancholic magic and I really do like them a lot, perhaps you will as well, try them on for size…

So there you go, some new music, for a new week, let me know what you think. I hope it’s a good
one minions.

The Professor.