Rare Air - In a marketing scheme gone right, the incredibly funky and reverbtastic band Mildlife caught my eye when their video "Live from South Channel Island" came across my feed. Reminiscent of Pink Floyd's "Live at Pompeii," this Australian psychedelic fusion ensemble plays their music atop an artificial island build in the 1880's. Whoever's idea this was really hit the right notes when crafting the perfect concept for a live album and accompanying video.
I immediately had to know who this group of seemingly cool looking guys were and why they were playing music on a tiny little island. The aesthetics were, appropriately, and redundantly, cool. Who doesn't love some good funky and spacey music played outside with such great views? You crazy if you dare say nay.
This track posed as yet another form of communication between my brother and I. I sent over the Spotify link, and in classic Patrick fashion, told him to turn it all the way up to eleven. Right, because our needs go all the way to eleven. That's one more than the rest of yous.
"Rare Air" hits me like the cosmically constructed cloud of - the most cliche troupe - rare air...
It's got all the goodies rolled up in one. Thumping bass, slapping drums, some funky (like the cheese) keys, and tangily sharp guitar licks that have my body convulsing on its own accord. I have no control over myself when there is good music on. Try to catch me when the music is great - there might not be a second time if you spook easily.
Believe - During a rousing Friday night of tequila and card games one of my best friends slapped me right in the face... Okay well, it didn't actually happen that way. The counterpart to my musicianship, my great friend through on some tunes and came out with a bloody brain bruiser in The Bravery's Believe.
I have no recollection of where I first heard this track or why it was burrowed in the depths of my mind, but the second I heard the first chords a rush of memory came back to the top of the inner filing cabinet. I can't recall the last time I heard "Believe" either, but that's okay because it's back in my life now.
I used to love these early 2000's rock groups that seemed to churn out similar tunes so that you could listen to all of them thrown on shuffle and groove to each and every one. Reminding me instantly of the Strokes and Rooney, The Bravery has a classic (geez I'm getting old) sound that could or could not have been in every video game I played when I was 12 years old.
I love hanging out with my friends, listening to music, and shooting the shit. They always seem to have something hidden up their shirt sleeves that will surprise me. We have a lot of the same interests, we've grown up with each other over the last 25 years, and we love each other very much, but yet we still have such similar and varying music tastes at the same time. Experiencing other view points and seeing that other side of the proverbial hill is an essential part of life and growing as a human. My friends constantly remind me of that and hold me accountable for the wacky ways I chose to live by.
Slow Jam 1 came on directly amidst finishing last week's post and directly after the playlist ended. Another instance of Spotify working its magic and creating new connections with music not on my radar. In this case, although contrary to my last statement, King Gizzard has been the most influential band to me ever since I discovered them years ago. They are in fact "on my radar," but their discography, coupled with my odd penchant for skipping chunks of artist's work, is so vast that I have yet to peruse all of their tracks.
I love this band because of their versatility and pure talent, but at one point I wasn't too into what they were producing in the studio. I first fell in love with the Gizzard when I saw a live recording of them from a 2017 tour. These guys were the essence of what I wanted to be as a member of a live band. The were and still are a powerful force storming through sets like warlocks wielding magical equipment. They transformed their low-fi songs into true rock and roll tracks played loud and fast out of the studio and manipulation setting.
Hearing and falling in love with their live tracks I've come to appreciate their studio recordings whilst enjoying them significantly more than I did originally. "Slow Jam 1" is an instance of a KGLW track I missed and an instance of one I enjoyed straight out the gate.
Please, do as I did and enjoy this quick little track as it soothes your mind and relaxes those muscles. Have a lovely week peoples.
Somethin' Stupid - Instagram proves to be a useful tool some of the time as it shows me the things I want to see i.e my friend's and family's posts, but on the other hand the things I don't want to see - aka. constant garbage and click bait posts you can probably infer about without me saying. Recently though, I came across a lovely cover of "Somethin' Stupid" by a female artist looking to promote her work.
I wish I saved the video, but alas I did not. All I can remember is the fact that she produced a proper cover for all of Spotify to hear while accompanying that with Instagram videos of her playing acoustic guitar and gracing the world with her lovely voice.
Her cover reminded me of how much I enjoy this track and how perfect it fits into the way I've been feeling. It often times seems like nothing can go right even if you have the support of a thousand loyal friends and family behind you. I've ruined a lot of good things with my own stupidity and I've been left to contemplate those mistakes over and over again as I long for a second chance to do it all over again.
Whether this song hits you hard on the inside or just as a nice and pretty music arrangement I think it's a lovely way to spend an afternoon. Some songs serve a purpose and some can serve multiple. Here we have a track that can welcome you in whatever mood you're in. Take it as it comes and ride out that wave. I'm trying to remind myself of that every day. Peace and love y'all.
Stormy - This summer's softball season has been accompanied by a fun little game of stump the listener while the rest of the team enjoys or simply ignores the music choices. Those who have access to the speaker hook up hold a unique and eclectic music taste poised for someone 50 years of age or older. Turns out the three of us are still in our twenties.
In last week's edition of "who sings this" I was stumped from what I was hearing. There is a lot of music I have never heard before or have heard here and there but don't know anything about. I'm an old soul at heart and I love my classic rock, r&b, and jazz but since I wasn't alive when this music was being released I feel as if I can be given a little bit of slack when I don't recognize a one hit wonder from 1968.
"Stormy" served as the most recent example of a track I might have heard If i listened to the radio in the late 60's, but here's the kicker - my parents wouldn't even remember even if they quite possibly had the chance to turn the dial to the right station one day.
Although I couldn't provide the answer and save my ass and title of "music guy" I was able to do a wee bit of stumping when I rebutted with the 1966 track "Psychotic Reaction." The other end of the musical prowess trio tried to play off the fact that they hadn't heard the Count Five one hit wonder or at least couldn't remember it. I took it as a wash and continued on with my night unphased. You can't win them all.
Brochure - My brother sent over this track early in the week while I was at work. Popping it on on my phone proved to peak my interest, but it was lacking something to be desired played from such a handcuffed form of emittance.
The real wonder proved to come after I was able to bump this track on my car stereo and really feel the low down bassy essence of this synthwave track. It had that missing element I was searching for. I knew I had to give it another try seeing as my brother doesn't waste his recommendations on flat songs that would make me reconsider his funkiness status.
From an early age I was influence by the music my brother listened to. So much so that I made mix CD after mix CD of techno and dance music to listen to on the bus at my summer camp. Those memories stick to me like a heavy glue still to this day as my generation regales stories of having phones that only called and texted and having to carry around Walkman players. Oh what a time to be alive. Walkman and techno haha.
What If I Love You - Upon feeling some sort of way when I woke up this morning I looked up the words "What If" on Spotify, tried a couple of the top tracks, and landed on Gatlin's lovely tune that expanded on my original sentiment.
I went out searching for a love song filled with longing, sorrow, and regret and I found one. My quick mission to find a concluding track to this week's playlist brought me to dire tactics. Much like today's world with every but of information available at ones fingertips there is a song out there that will fit whatever specific mood you are in and one that seems to answer all your questions or scratch all your itches.
While "What If I Love You" fills most of the criteria I was looking for it does fall a little short of being the perfect track for my situation. This has played as no harm to my day's agenda in the four hours I've known of its existence.
It has brought me comfort in my time of dread and regret and has given me a new perspective amongst a new song and artist to listen to over and over again. I know I will forget what my troubles were at the beginning of the day and I know they will waver into the ether as time goes by, but for now I'm stuck in a low place saying to myself "what if." There is seemingly nothing I can do to improve the situation I've created for myself, so I'm working to move on from it. Here's to love lost yet barely had.
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