An introduction and taste of what's to come

A personal analysis and discover of music...share some new finds, and generally give a forum to just talk about music in an interesting, semi-obsessive way..

I listen to a lot of music. I mean a lot. I would say I listen to roughly 2000 different songs a month from a variety of different media and sources. I listen to many many artists and bands which not many people have heard. Some of it is transcending...some of it, not so much. Some of it is groove-tastic (yes, groove-tastic!) some of it is plodding. Some of it mind-bending weirdness, some of it doo-woppian 4/4 straight forward.

Considering my inability to recognize an Arianna Grande song (or whatever other manufactured marketing creatures are putting out these days---get off my lawn you young hooligans!), it doesn't mean my tastes are stuck in the Seventies. I honestly do like music from all genres--from my beloved Progressive rock to Motown to punk, proto-punk, psychedelic, pop, jazz, Americana, cabaret, post-rock, R&B, folk, classical, bluegrass, blues, Celtic, Broadway, fusion, ambient, world music, indie/alt, big band, even some rap and country. I love lead keyboard lines, I love unique time signatures, and time changes. I love violins and cellos integrated into the rock motif. I love songs about Hogweed invasions as much as I love sappy "love" songs like Ben Folds' The Luckiest. I love the quiet and self-reflective songs and I like metal.

So all of this is preamble to what this ongoing blog will be about. What I am trying to do is introduce other music aficionados to music and artists that move me...share some new finds, and generally give a forum to just talk about music in an interesting, semi-obsessive way.

And, as I love lists (ask Martha!) I will try to frame things into Top 5 or 10 lists and then try and tell you why the music is worth your time, and definitely why it's worth mine. But what do I know? I am not a musician, but many many many of my friends are which has provided me the language and the context to analyze what I like and why. One of my greatest regrets was giving up the guitar in middle school, because I hated practicing.

So this is what I'm thinking...every week or so I will publish a new article that will address things like my Top 5 Spoken Word performances by Croatian throat singers...or maybe just something a bit less obtuse or pretentious. I will also provide a brief list of what I am listening to this week with a mini-review. Some of the music you will find very familiar, some of it more obscure. But in any case, feel free to share your thoughts and to provide counter opinions--and share music or bands which I should be listening.

I used to think modern music has passed me by. You know, the whole "they haven't made anything good since Peter Gabriel's 'So' in 1986" mishegoss! Like your Grandad who can't stop talking about how Bennie Goodman or Buddy Rich was the last great musician. I had to ask myself if I finally turned into THAT GUY caught in a 1974 time warp. Luckily no. I looked at my playlists and library and realized it's not true. Many things I listen to were recorded after 2010. The only thing that passed me by is being the focus of a market. I am not the focus of the Billboard charts, so it is no wonder I get frustrated at trivia night when they play a snippet of music and I am supposed to know that it is BlocBoy JB featuring Drake. (No points for you, Scott).

Nonetheless, simply because music acts are not burning up the Top 40 does not mean they are less relevant or interesting. In many cases, I find most of today's Top 40 pop variety of music highly superficial and disposable. Has there always been this argument...absolutely (The Archies "Sugar Sugar" or Men Without Hats "Safety Dance" fall into that category). But the difference is that was a minority of the output of those eras whereas today it seems to be the majority. It is a cynical view, I know. I also know there are some current Top 40 artists like Bruno Mars that are fairly good song crafters. However, this era of popular music seems to be marketing first, quality music second (if at all). Again, I realize you can point at acts like The Monkees, InSync or Fifth Harmony and say it has always been so. You would not be wrong. But it is more the proliferation of these market-created creatures being foisted on the popular airwaves than organically grown talent..and mass media manufactured acts beget more of the same. Disagree? Great. Challenge my opinion. I realize not every song has to be "Hotel California" or "Fight the Power," but I don't see many people humming a Cardi B song in 20 years.

But I digress. My overly verbose point is that I still think I have something to share musically that is relevant, meaningful and (I really hope) fun and entertaining.

The goal is to open up the floodgates to music you might not find on your own, but come to appreciate as much as I do. Or rediscover some old gem you haven't heard in years. Or allow me to ramble/rant on about why 2 bands called YES is a good thing or why Redbone's "Come and Get Your Love" just won't leave my head!

So, are you willing to go along for the ride? OK, let's get the ball rolling--

What I am listening to this week:

General Mojos: Psych/Pop (Seattle) "Have a Hollow Heart" (2016): https://generalmojomusic.bandcamp.com/album/how-hollow-a-heart

They craftily hide a great complexity and sophistication into modern, infectious pop tunes that harkens back to acts like Moody Blues, Jefferson Airplane, The Hollies, The Byrds and Supertramp. Listen to The Valley and don't tell me you aren't humming it for the rest of the day! Also love , love love the keyboard solo in Don't Feed the Birds.

The Family Crest: Orchestral/Baroque Pop (San Francisco) "Beneath the Brine" (2014) https://thefamilycrest.bandcamp.com/album/beneath-the-brine-3

You simply can't go wrong having a cello, trombone and flute in a rock band! None of that recorded background stuff--they do it live! It moves from unapologetically and bombastically vibrant to plaintively moving. Listen to Sparks...that's where it all comes together. Like many bands that attempt crossover genres, they successfully fuse a great many styles in a single album.

Bent Knee: Avant-garde symphonic rock (Boston) "Land Animal" (2017): https://bentknee.bandcamp.com/music

I have described them as Kate Bush fronting Red-era King Crimson, but that seems too limiting. They are one of those acts that definitely cross genres. Are they symphonic...yes. Are they avant-quirky? Oh, yes. Are they hard hitting? Yup. Do they have that modern feel--absolutely. Listen to Land Animal or Way Too Long to see what I mean.

Vaudeville Etiquette: countrified psych-folk/root (Seattle): Aura Vista Motel (2016): https://theve.bandcamp.com/album/aura-vista-motel

A very recent discovery that left me really impressed when I saw them live this week. Like Bent Knee, their live output far outpaces what they do in studio. This is much like what if The Avett Brothers made a record with Phish with a dash of the Cowboy Junkies and Sheryl Crow. And, the steel pedal guitar in place of a standard guitar lead really sells it! I especially like Set it on Fire.

Triumvirat: Symphonic progressive (Germany) "Pompeii" (1977):

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL94gOvpr5yt0pTo6hiOAC6cM_yFR2BLXB Mistakenly maligned as an Emerson Lake and Palmer clone, I always found them to be superior to ELP when it comes to original melodic composition (they are not equal in talent to ELP, but I love the tunes)...and Barry Palmer's vocals are just wonderful.