One Direction is the latest is a long history of boy bands. Young attractive males have made shallow, easily digestible music for longer than most of us can remember. This mold was broken last year when a new group exploded on to the scene last year. Ireland natives The Strypes only album Snapshot sounds like an energetic mix between The Fratellis and The Hives. And, no one in the group is are older than 18.
This band’s members make four strong arguments for never cutting music funding in schools. Outside of their infections melodies and high powered riffs these kids have a lot of talent. No offense to the Jonas Brothers, but no band this young has rocked this hard in a long time. And unlike other teen music acts The Strypes appeal to a wider demographic.
In the modern music market most music performed by teenagers is made for teenagers. These Irish kids have shrugged that stereotype. However they are not alone. If the hard-rock brit-pop stye isn’t for you there are plenty of other under-20 rockers. The Orwells are a chicago-based Garage band, who recently received their high-school diplomas and rapper Earl Sweatshirt is only a bit older.
The excitement in following young musicians from their inception is that we as an audience can see them artistically mature. Teenage bands that aren’t formed by major record labels give off an aura of desperate honesty. We feel their desire for success and the effort they’re putting in to achieve their goals. Without having won a reality show or a band casting lottery performers like The Strypes provide more substance than their bubblegum mass-produced counterparts. It’s not easy for any artist to gain a following, so the talent of these young independent bands is nothing to sneeze at.
Listen to The Strypes perform the Arctic Monkeys inspired “What a Shame” on The Late Show with David Letterman.
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