Gnoosic - a music discovery service I like

June 1, 2016

This is what I've been using in the post-Rdio era. It seems pretty good.

It's not like it only has like the top 10 charting artists. There's some pretty deep, obscure music to be found. I challenge you to find a fairly well known band that isn't represented.

Like every other service, the social powered music discovery features just aren't there. If you could get recommendations based on what your friends listen to, ah well that would be amazing.

God, I miss Rdio…

Rob Crow - You’re Doomed. Be Nice.

June 1, 2016

Summer in Abaddon ranks way up there among my all-time favorite albums.

Gloomy though.. I don't consider Rob Crow's music to be sad. Cathartic maybe. Mostly just mellow.

No – it makes me so darn happy to hear this.

[bandcamp width=350 height=470 album=4277865658 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false]

Source: You’re Doomed. Be Nice. | Rob Crow

Side-quest: I've had Prints on vinyl since it found it's way into my hands at my old music job, but just this week I discovered one reason why I keep coming back to it.

That reason is sometime Rob Crow collaborator Kenseth Thibideau, so I've been digging into his stuff.

Repetition is an good sounding rhythm trip, to me feels like a primeval Pinback.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-adtc551K9E&list=PLbSMnvtSuDARobJFcGw5zkqqTW0zz9keu

Also enjoying discovering Tarentel, which gives me the pleasant sensation of visiting a mist-shrouded ice-planet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKla5BPg\_1I

Hank Roberts - I CAN'T PUT MY FINGER ON IT

May 27, 2016

Just discovering the music of Hank Roberts, and it's a pleasure to be introduced.

There's a lot of fertile crossover here between folk traditions, appalachia, avant jazz, downtown, and idiosyncratic tastes.

Source: Listen - I CAN'T PUT MY FINGER ON IT

ShadowFax Orangutan Gang

May 18, 2016

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8xUxuuokOU

…the thrill of being able to do anything musically and attempt things and accomplish it. And then you have to prove at one point or another that you're technically proficient. And then you go through an ego game type thing where you want to be the fastest gun in the west. And then you realize that it doesn't mean anything anyway, and all you really want to do is find an audience that likes your music that you think you're communicating to, and that you think enjoys what you do. And I think that's my purpose right now I like getting out and playing for people when they seem to be really enjoying it. That's the only thing that makes it worthwhile, especially going on the road… Chuck Greenberg of Shadowfax

I saw Shadowfax perform in the early 1990s at the Historic Everett Theater. It was one of my first concerts, and I remember the drummer tossing his sticks out to some kids in the aisles.

New age/jazz/world/whatever can be a pretentious genre, but Shadowfax and especially saxophonist / lyricon player Chuck Greenberg also seemed to genuinely enjoy being on stage, hanging with their audience. I think that pure joy comes through in their music and sets it apart from a lot of other similar music that can come off as sterile and distant.

Video: That icy FM sound

May 4, 2016

I remember hearing the first Alt-J album and thinking there were all kinds of freaky sounds happening. But it's more simple: it's just the 80s all over again, right?

From the KEXP live performance of Bloodflood (?) I really like the icepick quality of the sound they're getting out of that consumer-looking keyboard. (Built in speakers!) I think a good reference would be like Madonna Lucky Star.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcVRrlmpcWk&feature=youtu.be&t=29m38s\[/embed]

Makes one of these look kinda fun.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z\_GWFgeGIiY

As played by Mac Demarco.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94bE204HZ-8#t=39s