Music

time to choose...


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This page is dedicated to the music I love. Its here that I'll try to feature the bands I've discovered either on my own, or through mutual listening. In both cases, these bands mean more to me than the casual listen, they have touched me in some unique (and sometimes unclassifiable way).

My newfound love, I stumbled across Kevin Drew and Charles Spearin one evening while browsing through iTune's much loved music share feature. Their soft, quasi-melancholy, groove and humm sound took me to another world. Its what I call paralysis music, because you can't listen to it while doing anything else; once is comes on, it demands my full attention and I sit there in a musically inspired catatonic state. The most amazing thing about the music is their ability to balance the depressive and joyful sounds, so that you don't know whether to feel happy or sad, and end up coming away with a sort of melodramatic hopefulness’. Its definitely reflection music (especially Feel Good Lost), and demands the listener to participate, not be entertained. Its a foundation that allows your thoughts to ascend further than normal, and as it seems in my case, to a place that I truly enjoy being. Definitely a musical drug of high order.

Another wonderful highly evolved band, The Postal Service captured me for a completely different reason. Their synth-pop electronic sound seemed to evoke movement, and in a mature sense, made me want to get up and attempt to live life. Ironically, their only album Give Up seems to speak of opposite themes lyrically, the musical sound is bumpy and sharp, it forces you to move as fast as them in order to keep up with the progression. This is not the sort of semi-techno music I enjoy, however, they seemed to strike a chord with me, and I was hooked after a few listens. I have to be in a different mood that with Broken Social Scene in order to even understand where the band is coming from, but when I'm there, it is a beautiful and energizing experience.

Mojave 3 first caught my eye when I got a chance to listen to Excuses for Travelers at a friend's house. The aspect that struck me was the sheer number of instrumentation used. It seemed they had no limit to the style and number of instruments used in each track. It joins to create a dizzying array combinations. A song will begin with a slow, pulsating lush feel, and then halfway into it, a drum and bass rhythm with hit you in the face, surrounded by such strange partners as harmonicas, banjos, and organs. Its sounds mismatched, but it creates a beautiful juxtaposition that seems to fit me just right. The music is just busy enough to keep your attention, but smooth and clear enough so as to not agitate and overwhelm you. Beautiful and well developed music.

I'm not usually a fan of electronica, however, when combined with some of the most stunning female vocals I've ever heard, and tastefully done, I find myself coming back for more. The repetitive nature of the techno genre usually doesn't allow me to listen continuously without becoming annoyed, however, in Chicane's case, the key word is tasteful. The music changes tempo and feel enough within each track that monotony never even enters your mind. In fact, the music offers a depth and originality that allows the listener to discover new things each time they hear it. The key in Chicane's case is the ability to combine two very different things, a hard, cutting drum and bass mixture with the soft lull of female vocals.

Low was really the first band to bring me into the world of indie. Its like the first time you hear something unlike any music you've ever experienced. And I liked it, as the world of pop had long since blown itself out creatively in my mind, I was ripe for a new discovery. Low's obvious stylistic trait is their amazingly slow bpm's. So slow, in fact, that sometimes its hard for the listener to maintain the rhythm themselves. Despite the slow pace, Low's harmonizing skills are spectacular, and create a sweet lull that makes you realize their name choice was perfect. Each song offers a distinctly different experience, and all create a sense of soft, fuzzy depression. It’s good rainy day music.

Sea and Cake caught me with their jazzy light acoustic tunes, refreshingly light-hearted lyrics, and a soft, gentle persona. You have to be in the right state of mind to listen, but when you are, they offer a sweet, quiet escape. The sound is akin to garage band riffs on a Saturday afternoon, but their casual attitude and relatively disjointed melodies create a surprisingly calm and enjoyable experience.

In my opinion, Switchfoot is not only the best Christian band in existence today, but is also the only one that has managed to stay true to their message in the midst of going mainstream. I have the advantage of an inside track with the band, as the father of two of the members is the pastor of my local church; so for me, loyalty to a band who is loyal to God is enough to elicit blind support. And it doesn't hurt that their music is original and entertaining, being constantly being strengthened by some of the most amazing and moving lyrics I've ever heard a young band produce.

I discovered and dismissed the Cure a few years ago for various reasons. But recently, their theme and sound agree much more with what kind of music I am looking for. Similar to the sounds of Slowdive, their low, lush, melancholy rock saturates the air with constant drones and sound riffs that create a dreamy, almost seductive mood. Their use of ambient noise is what creates the best part of the music, and is the most dynamic aspect; bringing the listener back over and over to discover new things.

I have nothing but praise for Coldplay. They seem to have managed a great feat: to stay unique but go pop. I love everything about their sound, the vocals, the mix of acoustic and electric, the almost R&B inspired bass undertones, and their general all encompassing blanket sound that raps you up in itself when they break out in a track. I consider the feel of the music darker, but a derivative of Radiohead. If Radiohead is what you listen to when you want to commit suicide, then Coldplay is what you listen to on a rainy day.

I have a very complicated relationship with Jason Mraz. First and foremost, I can say without question he is an artist with amazing talent. I found myself there at Java Joe's Cafe in early 2001 where he put on small concerts long before people bought his CD's and he went mainstream. I fell in love with his live, acoustic style; lighthearted, but deep and sometimes sad. He seemed an endless supply of amazingly addictive songs, with lyrics so rich there was almost no need for verse repetition because he had so much to say in each song, somewhat like Bob Dylan. Then, when Jason went mainstream and released Waiting For My Rocket to Come, full of pop remixes of his acoustic songs to satisfy the label, I swore off his music, claiming so loudly that he had (no pun intended) Sold Out. Now, however, as I listen to his mainstream CD alongside all the recordings I have of his live concerts, I realize that there is still great skill present on the CD, and with enough time, I've gotten myself to like the sound he created. Now it's a waiting game, because his next few releases will define his sound in the long run, and whether or not I can continue to enjoy his music...

Slowdive was really the first Indie band I fell in love with. It was at a time when I needed to hear the type of music they play. If Coldplay is a blanket that raps you in itself, then Slowdive is seven sleeping bags and forteen comforters. You can almost taste and touch their music, like it floats as this big cotton cloud in front of you, swirling around. The offical style of music is shoehaze, but I consider it unclassifiable. Sort of a mix of Low and The Cure, their slow, bubbling sound swells up as each song progresses, until finally you are completely overwhelmed by the complexity and completeness of the sound they are producing, like they have found something different to fill every single frequency.

U2 stands as one of my most favorite bands, and was the first music I really got into where it was more about following the artist than jumping from pop song to pop song. I'll admit I like their early music better (1980's) only because I feel they were closer to their roots then, however, after they reinvented themselves in the early 1990's, they still managed to produce good music, if not of a different nature. One thing can't be denied, however, and that is U2 is one of the longest running and most popular bands of all time, and for good reason.

Damien Rice seems to be more provacative that you would expect from an independent solo artist making his debut in the US with his first CD. But after listening to his incredibly mature, purposefully slow and soulful acoustic tracks, I was absolutely floored, and fell instantly in love. Another amazing aspect of his music are the combinations of acoustic steel string guitar with strings like the cello and violin. This creates a meloncholy but uniquely spiritual sound that just seems to work. Damien Rice is an example of an artist following his own path, and that alone deserves much credit. But when that path creates music as beautiful as this, you know he'll be around for quite some time.

Death Cab For Cutie is another relative new comer on the indie rock scene, but have been able to establish their own unique sound, with the help of The Postal Service's lead singer. One strength of this band's music is their wide variety of sound, from the grunge or punk tracks, to deeply moving stringed and acoustic songs that seem to pepper the albums at just the right frequency. While I think they are risking a mainstream sound with their later albums, they still stay true enough to their indie roots to make me happy to enjoy their music.