I’m dark and broody about 95% of the time, and to that end, the tunes that I curate for you all on the Left Bank tend to skew heavy towards the post-punk and shoegaze genres. Which is good if that’s what you are into, obviously. Not so much if you’re looking for pop. Which some people like I’m told.
I’ve put together a very non-exhaustive list of post-punk bands that have come on my radar recently and are worth following/paying attention to.
Ryvers – “Kantia“
With a sick post-punk bass line and a gorgeous, and ethereal shoegazy guitar, Austria’s Ryvers is one of those bands that you need to know. And keep an eye on. And potentially fly over to their country for a show.
The vocals remind me of Joy Division in that fuzzed out and slightly morbid way (which is my favorite type of vocal), but you aren’t brought into wallowing because the track retains just enough shoegaze vibes that you stay above water.
He sings:
pack your things we are heading off to a place the priests had built for you
a place that’s holy blessed and free
a place how it supposed to be
a place that’s never meant to be
Wherever this place is, I want to be there, dressed in all black and rocking out to Ryvers on stage. How can we make this happen?
Mofer – “Your Ghost”
Germany’s Mofer has put out a catchy as hell track, that features a very post-punk bass line, and vocals that are reminiscent of Sisters of Mercy. The guitar brings the track back up to what would have been considered a new wave almost pop track, which I’m not entirely mad at. It lifts the track up a bit so that it’s not fully heavy and weighted.
What happens then, is a mixture of a track that borders the mainstream (especially in the 80’s) but one that still carries the depth and weight of a proper post-punk tune.
It’s legendary, and different from a lot of stuff that you hear in present day.
The do not’s – “I dreamed this dream of being with you“
The emo song title and uber-goth music video put The Do Not’s on this list. The music video is like The Addam’s family filmed on the Oregon Coast, which has to be my millennial goth version of heaven. Noisy yet gentle, The Do Not’s walk the fine line between blurry and massive post-punk—bringing shoegaze sounds and a black & white touch of darkwave and electro—while constantly composing and creating new tracks fulfilling an inner need.
Yep. Sounds about right.
Secret Shame – “Calm”
Lena, the singer of Asheville-based band Secret Shame, explains the band’s 2016 beginnings: “If I couldn’t sing or play music, I would tear my skin off.” Doesn’t get more punk than that. Secret Shame resurrects a moody deathrock style that swept through the 80s, as Lena’s vocals cut through dark atmospheres created by the band’s gigantic, reverb-soaked sound, building to cathartic lyrical moments. Listen to Calm below.