The fact of the matter is, that while the radio may have a few stations devoted to modern rock, maybe 1 percent is worth listening to at this point.
Popular music really seems to be stuck between not-so-rocking and a hard place. Take, for instance, the apparent (and maybe not-so-unwanted) death throes of the “n rock” movement, or the plastic posturing of numerous former Mouseketeer-turned-pseudo-musician teens flooding the airwaves. Oh, popular entertainment, you cruel mistress.
This isn’t to say that all pop sensibility should be thrown to the curb for the sake of ear-crushing pretentiousness. On the contrary, that accessibility is what often separates listenable rock from arty garbage. Not to mention, we in The Spectator office are avid listeners of the ever-present Spice Girls album.
So we’re left with two options. On one hand, we could just delve into our old standbys. Our Zeppelins, our Sabbaths, our Fugazis, our what have you. There’s certainly nothing wrong with that.
On the other hand, we can dig a little deeper and look for that gold nugget of rock ‘n’ roll Americana in a sea of tactless, derivative garbage.
And so we shall, my friends.
Enter Renee Heartfelt, a rock band from Virginia comprised of ex-members of prominent East Coast bands. Don’t let the name, which sounds like the stage moniker of a flowery singersongwriter confuse you. Renee Heartfelt’s music is lacking neither in volume nor presence.
Renee Heartfelt is a clear case of a band with tight, familiar drum and guitar work that isn’t afraid to look toward a more experimental side to keep things fresh.
Musically, think driving rock in the vein of The Foo Fighters but with more attention paid to variation than straight up sugary choruses.
There is an obvious comparison of Renee Hearfelt to Quicksand or Failure, but with much more focus on melody both in the guitars and the vocals. The Quicksand influence is more present on the group’s debut EP “Magdalene” where vocalist Peter Appleby’s singing focuses more on the aggressive side of the band’s spectrum.
Whereas “Magdalene” is a celebration of early 90s post hardcore aggression, the songs on Renee Heartfelt’s latest record, “Death of the Ghost” focuses more on the undeniable catchiness reminiscent of contemporaries like Jimmy Eat World or even the textured pop rock of U2.
Save your assumptions about formulaic music for the Grammys, however, because Appleby and company have a little bit of a progressive chip on their shoulders. The guitar exploration on “Death of the Ghost” features a very wide palette of textures and tones to keep our ears pressed to the headphones.
The first track on the record, “Gratitude,” hisses through the speakers with a noisy introduction of what is to be a common thread for the piece as a whole: spacey guitar lines painted over the sturdy backdrop of a rhythm section you could set your watch to.
I’ll admit, at this point I’m just rambling like that guy that sits at the end of the bar until close every night recounting the glory days of Chuck Norris action cinema. However, in a sense this is what Renee Heartfelt wants: to keep us guessing and tapping our feet at the same time.
So, if your last music purchase let you down like that time you went on a blind date with the girl who only talked about cats, you need to get your hands on Renee Heartfelt’s EP and full length.
Both the “Magdalene” EP and “Death of the Ghost” are out now and available from their label Textbook Music at www.textbookmusic.com. Do yourself a favor and fill your ears with a rock band that isn’t afraid to take chances.