Snakedoctors - Jeff Johnson Spoke
Rock, Grunge, New Wave
Gdansk, Poland
Overall Impression: If you've been longing for authentic rock with a touch of punk, metal and dark new wave à la Joy Division and Sisters of Mercy, then "Jeff Johnson Spoke" will fill your void. Snakedoctors give us British punk/new wave rock within a lo-fi sound, with a powerful drum and a sinister guitar. The eerie lead vocal is styled to punk perfection, delivering the feeling and mood of anger, dissatisfaction and contempt with a lover. Few today are able to capture the spirit and authenticity found in punk and garage rock, but Snakedoctors have done so, and with artistry.
Strongest Point(s): Very cool song! I love the throwback to late 70s and 80s Hard Rock and Dark New Wave in this track. All of the performances here is what makes this song gold. I loved the drum, guitar and bass. The lyrics are very original, and an innovative way of creating words on a familiar subject. Very clever with the electrolysis. The lead singer has a distinct style and perfect voice for the genre. I was surprised to find out that this is a relatively new band, but I'm sure the musicians are veterans.
Target Audience Appeal: "Jeff Johnson Spoke" is perfect for playlists in the genres of goth-punk, gothic rock, punk, post-punk, dark new wave, grunge, indie rock and the garage rock revival scene. Few are able to really capture the spirit of the glory days and bands of the past like Joy Division or Sister of Mercy, but Snakedoctors have done so and with artistry. The audience for this music is as wide as the many genres it touches, but it will certainly strike a special chord for Gen X who grew up listening to Sonic Youth and The Cure. An interesting fact I recently learned is that, over 60% of Gen X listens to the music at-work on streaming services (radio is less frequent because it usually doesn't reflect their taste). In other words, I would seek out those mix tape playlists in not only this service, but places like Spotify as well that have those special radio mixes like, "Dark New Wave Today" or anything like that with key search words being all of the genres I previously listed.
Artist target suggestions: Sisters of Mercy, Joy Division, The Waterboys, Bauhaus, Alice in Chains, Paramour, My Chemical Romance, The Ramones, The Stranglers, The Strokes, Psychedelic Furs, The Cure, New Order, The White Stripes, Metallica, Legião Urbana, The Smiths, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Verve, Human League, Sonic Youth, X, The Breeders, Meat Puppets, Ozzy Osbourne
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About the Reviewer:
Amarantha da Cruz is an instrumentalist, writer, and has over a decade of professional experience in arts management, including her time working for Sony’s Latin/Jazz PR division. She has contributed as a music journalist and editor for publications.