~ doug martsch has a mystical way of manipulating irony like origami. his songs thrust themselves beyond this world, and i'm often left feeling lucky that his orbit crossed my path.
~ true garcia fans know that his musical talent extended far beyond the general perception of his hippie denotation. some of the most beautifully pleasant music i've ever heard is from his time with david grisman playing folk and bluegrass with his guitar and banjo. he has an extremely unique way of telling tales- "off to sea once more" makes you believe he is an oldworld shipman. the title track "shady grove" is truly a delight. i'm often left wondering what direction jerry would have followed were he still alive today. surely wherever he went he would make great music, but i like to think he would have kept playing music like this.
~ i bought a pixies cassette along with 7 others for the introductory offer from bmg music club for i cent when i was in middle school. no-one else i knew listened to them, but i really didn't care. even at 12 years old i could tell that i was on to something. i still like "basanova" the best. very strange that they were really one of the most influential bands in progressive music today, and yet still don't get the recognition they deserve. people know they are good, but they just don't know HOW good.
~ jamb bands have developed a style and genre of their own, and have contributed kindly to what has floated into my ears. my best experiences ever were at jam band shows, and i really think they are one of the few styles today that are carrying the energy of bands like the greatful dead into modern age. to me, sound tribe sector 9 shines above most others (with the exception of string cheese incident). the have taken it one step further with their exceptional blending of electric sounds and spiritual overtones into the trip. when i hear their music i picture myself meditating in the lotus position in a yurt on the edge of the universe. light is shining through a crack in the door which opens up to reveal an alien figure sharing my thoughts.
~ pink floyd. what more can i say? in january 1977, i was curled up in the fetal position, and i wasn't even drunk. i was peacefully existing within my mother's belly, and i must have heard songs from pink floyd's "animals" while i was in there because when i hear it now it touches me in a mystical way. i grew up entirely enchanted with all things floyd, so sort of overdosed on it. but now whenever i decide to pop in a floyd disc the hair on my ass rises and points towards the heavens.
~ jessica introduced me to the sea and cake a few years ago, and really to indie music in general. thank you, sweetie. the sea and cake are lovely. i've got a few songs downloaded from this album, but i haven't heard all of it yet. some other artists within the sea and cake circle to me are lacking something.... something important that keeps me interested. the sea and cake pulls off minimalist indie music impressively. just sounds so new, but yet expressing what we've all felt all along.