Music: Two-Man Band Melancholy

They say there's nothing new under the sun, and, when it comes to songs about the daily grind of industrialized life, they're probably right. Whether it's teen angst, métro-boulot-dodo ennui, or just plain sadness, today's songs - one a Gen X classic, the other a current single - are the perfect mantras. Curiously enough, both of today's featured bands only have two members.

"Bound for the Floor"

Pretty much anyone growing up in the '90s is familiar with this track by Local H; the song's opening riff is a sharp, staccato series of stings that instantly lodge in your mind. Like a lot of '90s post-grunge, there's a shout-along chorus that goes over well when work, school, or The Man gets you down:



"New Low"

Middle Class Rut is a rock band out of California that's been around for awhile. "New Low" is their breakout single, and it's very different than anything the band has ever done - sort of a midtempo meditation on cubicle life. I think the video is pretty interesting...they even throw in a nice little bit of narration at the end: