“Teenage Riot” by Sonic Youth came out three years before “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” It was groundbreaking stuff. .
The song is other-worldly and mysterious. The tuning is weird, the way Sonic Youth likes it. Notes leap over and saunter under and around the pentatonic scale, as though it were merely a suggestion.
The production is swirling and heavy, with notes spilling into the soundscape like water off the Trevi fountain. Some are bound to land on the side of beauty.
The repetition and length of the song’s intro, before the rubber-band snaps and it becomes a banger, makes it contemplative as the wanderings of an Indonesian *gamelan.
It’s a song that makes you feel some sort of way, and God knows what it is.
There’s a tinny quality to the guitar and an echoing feel to the vocals that feels lonely and slightly depersonalized. It’s like a virtuoso rock band showed up to an open-mic night in a ghost town. It’s not a bad feeling. You can even kiss to it.
*Explanation courtesy of AI. Indonesian gamelan is a traditional musical ensemble comprised primarily of bronze percussion instruments like gongs, metallophones, and drums, often augmented by bowed strings and bamboo flutes. It’s a significant part of Indonesian culture, particularly in Java and Bali, and is deeply intertwined with religious rituals, ceremonies, dance, and theater.
–Sarah Torribio
Listen to more Songs of the Day HERE
Leave a Reply