Someone asked me recently what my favourite type of music is, to which I replied “the kind made by only two people.”
“Oh, you mean like The Chainsmokers?”
Facepalm.
We have obviously done a terrible, terrible job educating society if the Nickelback of EDM is the first thing that comes to mind but rest assured, the ROCKthusiast is here to (try to) help.
Sound Off is where I put together playlists of songs I am passionate about and eager to share, as well as provide a little context. Think of it as reasoning behind the rock, OK?
Now where was I? Ah yes, two-piece bands…there is something special and frankly magical about doing more with less, being louder and noisier with a single guitar and drums than ensembles who have dozens of members on stage at a time (sorry not sorry Arcade Fire and Broken Social Scene).
Groups with only two members came into prominence in the 2000s with The White Stripes, The Black Keys and The Kills playing distorted versions of the blues, freed from restrictions of having to rely on more than one other person to keep up. The sonic results are invariably more fast-paced, let alone more exciting.
While Jack & Meg White haven’t played a full show together since 2007 and Black Keys bros Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney are in the midst of a multi-year hiatus, these cohesive collaborators’ raw, instrument-bashing energy is capably continuing in the form of Deap Vally and JEFF the Brotherhood. I am admittedly cheating a bit with the latter’s entry “Black Cherry Pie”, as it features a guest appearance by Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull. Flutes. ROCK!
Across the pond in the UK (specifically Brighton), the influence of the “aughts” didn’t go for naught either, with Blood Red Shoes and now Royal Blood pounding our poor ears into submission. Not that I mind one bit; I think what I admire most about 1+1 configurations is how for the most part they let the thunderous uproar from stacked, volume-cranked-to-11 speakers do all the talking. No real need for extraneous fireworks, unless you count ski mask-wearing emo posers Twenty One Pilots. Which I don’t.
I have to credit Jack White with the line “Two-Piece Extra Spicy”, as it’s how he described The White Stripes’ minimalist, pungent new sound when they debuted back in 1997, part of their Under Great White Northern Lights documentary. The Colonel himself would no doubt be proud.
Actually, given Mr. Sanders’ connection to Canada – living in Mississauga for the last 15 years of his life – he’d probably be impressed how the Great White North seems to be producing a disproportionately awesome number of rock duos, namely Death from Above, Japandroids, The Pack a.d. and Black Pistol Fire. I’m sure all those KFC Toonie Tuesdays must have had something to do with it.
Anyway, this is just me “sounding off” about music I like from behind the safety of a keyboard. I’d love to hear from anyone who’s ever given my rock curations a listen, even if you think my tastes are crap. Email me at [email protected] or if you think you can limit your badmouthing to 140 characters, feel free to tweet @ROCKthusiast.
