I'm In Love, Once Again

I've noticed, in the last few years, that I've started to like more new music. More new bands. More new albums.

I think I know why - artistic control. Human nature, and therefore artistic nature, doesn't change - we're always driven to create something that satisfies us. So what changes?

Outside influence on destiny, that's what. Here's what I mean: In the 70's, the good record executives and A&R guys learned to get out of the way of the creative process, and the result, for much of the decade, was an all-time high of creative output. The record companies got what they wanted, too - money. The product of the free creative process was a win-win.

The examples are endless: the Stones, ELO, Dylan, McCartney solo, Rod Stewart, Paul Simon, Zeppelin... all of whom took control of making music. Many of them built their own studios, used their own musicians, and handed over a final product to the record company.

Well, today I find a huge amount of history repeating itself. Bands are making their own decisions; they're recording and writing on their own terms, and hoping for the best, with or without major release.

Bon Iver or Band of Horses are great examples. They record everything on their own without guidance from anyone outside their nucleus. The music is awesome, free of restraint, and intensely creative. I'm in love once again. It's a damn good feeling.

5 New Albums That Blow Me Away

We music lovers went through a long-ass drought from the late-nineties through a couple years ago. Uggh, it was awful. Not as bad as late-eighties, but pretty nasty.

I get so energized and inspired when I continually am exposed to new music, easily found now, that is original, catchy, creative as hell, and doesn't sound like something that I won't listen to in a couple years. This stuff sounds classic to me. So stoked.

There are other albums than these five, but I'll save em for future posts. These are fueling me right now. [In no order]:

INFINITE ARMS by Band of Horses  -  I haven't been into a new album like this in a while. Every track is classic, passionately executed, and just freaking awesome.

FURR by Blitzen Trapper  -  Nary do I like a concept album, or even count lyrics as being just as worthwhile as the music, but in this case, I've made an exception. I realize it's not their latest (Destroyer of the Void), but I'm still processing that.

THE SUBURBS by Arcade Fire  -  Oh, the songwriting, the originality, and the production - so sweet. It's like Bowie and Talking Heads and raw eggs all mixed together.

FREE AT LAST by Josh Fix  -  Power Pop Goodness, kids. One-man-band mentality that appeals to me, with all the bells and whistles, but the songwriting is there, and that's what makes it.

VS4 by Jack Conte  -  He of Pomplamoose (purveyor of the VideoSong), but this is his one-man-band solo record, and it's all over the place stylistically, but SUPER-catchy and so well done. Loving it right now.

In fact, let's do a Conte standout-track vid here.  Sw'!

The new aesthetic

Video... I was raised in a family video store, I'm a movie freak, and it's still taken me this long to realize (or for my friend Canyon to pound the idea into me) that in this new media world I need to promote my music using this medium. It's hard, man!

So glad Canyon pushed me on this one. I hit the drawing board and came up with a retro-y video of the title track to BUILD A FIRE and came out so stoked. I'll launch it in anticipation of the release of my new album, for which I need a new video too... Any ideas out there?

I'll post the launch of the BUILD A FIRE video very soon. Yessah!!

Have I freaked about Band of Horses yet? Current huge obsession.