Carousels are lovely for a person like me. I don't like unpredictable wild rides with blind turns at high speeds. For those with anxiety the gentle circular motion and slow gallop of the horses is a thing of comfort and beauty. While in the modern day many wouldn't consider it amusement park worthy, these sparkling, majestic rides offer a gentle, dreamy passage beneath a sturdy flying beast.
Taking White Poppy's 2015 release entitled National Phenomena for a spin is the musical version of a merry-go-round. You softly get carried round and round in a current of shimmering delay with an occasional whisper of sweet nothings.
Below are some video's by this two piece from Vancouver, Canada.
There is something so impressive about a powerful two piece band, especially when it doesn't follow the traditional rules of what we think a band equals. In this case we have a remarkable guitar player named David Lester and vocalist Jean Smith. Together they make Mecca Normal, a band who have managed to prove that no other instrument is needed. The communication between fretted instrument and voice is more than enough. This Vancouver duo has been producing music from 1984 that evokes thought and expels energy. In this stripped down form the power of each instrument, guitar and voice, are poignant. Lyrics are highlighted by the nature of this beast and are delivered through dramatic flashes. Captured in raw form, this kind of intensity isn't for everyone but being pushed to just outside my comfort zone on occasion gives music the kind of exciting dangerous element that rock and roll was invented for. Life is a balance of ugly chaos and moments of beauty, Mecca Normal manages to deliver both and if Patti Smith had a secret sister, I think Jean Smith might be her.
