In a music scene filled with dispassionate musicians who want nothing more than to get big, get rich, or go home, there are few bands that continue to be genuinely passionate about their music without letting the prospect of fame or fortune get to their heads. It seems that as time goes on, musicians are getting generally more lazy. Instead of pushing the boundaries with their art, they would rather rip off what’s most popular in the music scene in the moment and hope that it will get them somewhere. I’ve heard of more than one scenester who has completely stopped going to local shows because of this, and frankly I don’t blame them for doing so. There have been times when I’ve been greatly discouraged by a scene that seems to only care about money. There are times when I want to stop going to shows because I’m tired of listening to the same thing over again.
However, there is hope to be had in this world of uniformity and money-grubbing and one of its forms comes in that of The Skies Revolt of Grand Rapids, MI.
When I first heard them at the now-defunct Skelletones back in 2008, they quickly became one of my favorite local bands because of their catchy dance beats mixed with a whole lot of synthesizers and punk rock attitude. I liked the fact that they took cues from what seems like nearly every different kind of genre and were able to mix it together to create something unique. It’s interesting because at the time, I was heavily into a lot of old school hardcore and punk (still am) and I was surprised that I was drawn to the type of music this band plays. Not to mention that TSR uses brightly colored graphics and comic book albums usually seen by bubblegum pop bands and the like. This was all the makings of a band I would normally shy away from. However, as I listened to the music more often, and as I have had the privilege of talking to their lead singer/mastermind Dave a little more, I have come to realize that there’s far more substance to these guys than their music and aesthetic initially suggests. When reading their lyrics, it’s almost as if they’re using their catchy dance music as a vehicle to surreptitiously criticize the vapid bands some of their fans might already follow and support, and the types of bands that I refuse to listen to. It’s a cause I can definitely get behind.
Their new album, Plastic Revolution is no exception to this rule. Musically, this might be their most creative and ambitious album to date. From the electrifying beats of “False Glory and Praise” to the stirring, goosebumps-inspiring piano ballad of “The Transitive Deficiency…Again,” TSR shows once again the amount of variety they can put into an album. Lyrically, Dave is spot on with his criticisms of the scene, and his honesty about spirituality and love read like a page in a secret diary. In “False Glory and Praise,” Dave writes: “Give them all your money give it all to them, I don’t want to be in a bubblegum pop protest band.” He is telling his listeners that they’re more than welcome to support those types of bands, but he refuses to participate in what everyone else is doing. It is a refreshing sentiment, and one I fully support and echo. I’m sure the kids who were here at the height of the Grand Rapids scene would appreciate it as well.
One of my favorite songs on Plastic Revolution, is “On the Road.” It’s a brutally honest picture of what touring is really like for the thousands of bands who don’t initially get signed within the first few months of playing shows or, ahem, putting up their recordings on myspace and getting signed immediately. It reflects on how easily bands are at the mercy of those who listen to them: “They pour their hearts out to empty rooms or people that just pretend.” Dave also takes a sharp jab at the “fair-weather” fans who only care about a band if they make it big: “they’ll lift you up really high, praise you for the work you’ve done and claim to have been there all along.”
This is not to say that TSR hates any of their fans. In fact, it’s quite the opposite for these guys. They LOVE their fans, which is why they tour relentlessly and are willing to put up their albums for free. They don’t care about the money, they care that lives are being affected by the music they play. Any band of this caliber who had less passion for their art would have quit a long time ago if they had suffered through the amount of member changes, van break-downs and poorly-attended shows that TSR has.
While I continue to be somewhat cynical of the emerging scene, it’s bands like The Skies Revolt that continue to give me hope that all is not lost and that there are those who still truly do care about their art. Some may say I’m fighting a losing battle, but they aren’t giving up hope for a revolution and neither am I.
Plastic Revolution is up now at bandcamp.com for free along with their other 3 albums (just click here), but The Skies Revolt is accepting donations of any amount for their music. If you like the album and download it, I would strongly suggest donating a few dollars to these well-deserving guys. Think of it as supporting a very worthy cause: one that supports substance and quality over uninspired quantity.
artists tend to sound exactly like most of the other acoustic acts in the scene. The Daddy agreed. There are few acoustic artists I can really sit down and listen to without getting bored after 3 songs, and Doby is one of those few. Reminiscent of Iron & Wine or Rocky Votolato, Doby Watson’s voice exudes the type of honest emotion that very few artists can achieve while playing guitar. Not only that, but he’s GOOD at playing guitar, and GOOD is an understatement- his guitar is not only an instrument, but a voice that harmonizes with his own. It’s quite beautiful.
DITKalamazoo 
