Listen to “Carousel” on MySpace.
On “Carousel”, Jason Sturges gives us a sweet example of what the Stick can do. And by “the Stick” I mean the Chapman Stick, created by Emmett Chapman of Stick Enterprises. It’s a tapping instrument of various strings, each one custom made. Sturges’s approach on “Carousel” works well for the instrument, as both are fairly experimental. You’ll find a hint of jazz and elements of funk and a brief bouquet of oak and cinnamon, as well. The aftertaste is truly delightful. Enjoy with cheese, or with a good pasta dinner.
Listen to “Tangle” on jasonsturges.com.
The Stern Fishermen was an early side-project of Jason Sturges and Jason Slater. Rather than write a song explicitly, The Stern Fishermen preferred to write music to be performed alongside a choreographed dance, then take the music from the live performance, subtract the feedback, violin, and screaming, and record it as quietly as possible in a tiny studio hidden away on the Iowa State University campus. You can hear the studio in this recording, if not just because you can’t hear it.
Listen to “Wolf in the Fold” on MySpace.
From Denver’s best prematurely defunct band, comes “Wolf in the Fold”. The song loses something without the lead singer splitting his pants in front of you, or pouring a pitcher of ice water over his head, but even when it’s not live, The Risk’s “Wolf in the Fold” is a fabulous extra solid piece of rock music. It’s worth including in the primer that you’re putting together to teach future generations how to rock.
Listen to “Sea Ghost” on MySpace.
The Unicorns are full of catch guitar lines, and on “Sea Ghost” (from Who Will Cut Our Hair When We’re Gone?) they punch them out like a coffee addict at an indie coffee house with a coffee card in hand. That coffee-affected person would be perfectly suited to jerking along to the punchy opening (after a brief recorder and drum intro)–sweet! In fact, I’m drinking coffee right now just so I can jerk more effectively to this freaking awesome catchy guitar. Don’t make me dance to it! I just want to bop!
Listen to “Carlotta” on MySpace.
Listen to the intro of “Carlotta”, especially: that horn sounds like feedback. Beautiful beautiful feedback. And when the lyrics come in they act a lot like feedback, too, except that now it’s like advice–feedback as advice. And when feedback feeds back into feedback, the feedback strengthens. In short time, the song is deafening (if not audibly, spiritually). Also, I was very swayed by the way the photo above was framed. Gretel can give me feedback anytime.
Listen to “Passengers” on MySpace.
The Mustard Beards are loosely perfect on “Passengers” (and I mean that in a loosely perfect way). Major points for these things:
1. The static discharge in the sound early on in the song–it’s easier for you to listen for it than for me to explain what I mean by “loosely perfect”.
2. The way those “Oooh’s” come in. Knocks my socks off every time.
3. Simplicity! (I’ve been saying that a lot lately.)
4. The fog that isn’t heard, but distinctly felt in the song–a sad, wet fog on your cheek.
Listen to “Cigarette Tree” on MySpace.
Brine Webb’s “Cigarette Tree” gets a review for several reasons:
1. That chimey sound that comes in early on in the song.
2. The name “Cigarette Tree”–beautiful!
3. The simple guitar line that is reminiscent of another song I dearly love, yet not an imitation of it–it’s a new incarnation of the guitar line.
4. Simplicity. Gotta’ love simplicity.
Listen to “Black Hand Blues” on MySpace.
Jolie Holland’s “Black Hand Blues” (from Catalpa) is the closest thing you can get to the sound of a classic era without trying to sound like you’re trying to recreate that classic sound. Just listen: it sounds classic. But it doesn’t sound contrived. It’s not copycatting anything. It is what it is, which is the spirit of the old blues songs reincarnated. Simple. Pure. Blues. Ah.
Listen to “Anecdote” on MySpace.
“Anecdote” (from Ambulance LTD) has movement, which is tough to do with a simple formula. Ambulance LTD gives you movement in the form of piano, vocal, guitar, etcetera. You will be healthier if you lift one hand above your head and tap it in the air to the guitar hook that comes in just after the first few strums on the rhythm guitar. Try it. Seriously, it will improve your health. The light-headed heartache loveburst joy you will feel is an ordinary side effect (do not be alarmed).
Listen to “Selenite” on MySpace.
Can a captivating song come out of simple, barely orchestrated chimes? Of course. Chilla Productions proves it on “Selenite”. Some would call this ambient music, but that’s a serious underestimation of song structure. This is considered “experimental” to the more advanced listeners, but…that is only temporary. In the future, our cyber-brains will be able to digest such splendor as this on a regular basis without the vast majority of us thinking it novel. For now, music like this will just have to be satisfied with being called revolutionary.