Jaga Jazzist

This is my favorite band right now. I don't even remember where I heard of them. Instrumental music- think Explosions In The Sky or Isis or Sigur Ros, but at the same time- don't. Because if you like those bands, you will probably like this one, but they sound NOTHING like anything I've ever heard. The music is clearly jazz influenced, but is much more experimental and melodic than any jazz band I've ever heard. Each song on What We Must (the only album I have) has several movements, each inspiring a different emotion; each incredibly intense. This is the kind of band that simultaneously baffles me and inspires me to do better- the true mark of a talented artist. The band is extremely large, using drums, horns, guitars, keyboards, synths, drum machines, and even singing (although there are no lyrics). A MUST listen. I'm thinking of traveling to Norway just to see them.

Aesop Rock

Aesop Rock is a semi-underground hip hop artist that approaches his music in a very creative and sincere way. There have always been things that I've loved about hip hop- it was actually the first kind of music I seriously listened to- but obviously things have become so hideous when it comes to popular genres that there's hardly anything worth listening to anymore. I've never been immersed in the true hip hop music scene, so when I find an artist like this, I basically always stumble on it. I found Aesop Rock on some late night MTV show.

His lyrics are SO clever, so unbelievable, and you can tell that they stem from raw talent. He writes as if it's semi-stream of consciousness; some of the words don't really rhyme, and his vocal rhythms will occasionally leave the beat, as if he's free-styling. If that was all, I wouldn't care to much, but the music is BADASS. All of his beats have a vintage, lo-fi sound, immediately setting his sound apart from all of the no-talent shit on the radio. On top of that, he layers the craziest samples I've ever heard, from a man giving some scientific dissertation to a toddler trying to speak. All are broken up, scratched, chopped, screwed, slowed, fucked, etc. Just listen to it.

Lack of Updates

So, I haven't been posting much on here, probably for a lot of reasons. The main reason is that I forget, or more importantly, that I can't find the energy to write several paragraphs about most of the albums I listen to. The only albums I feel urgent about reviewing are albums I love, and this blog would become pretty boring if every album I wrote about got a phenomenal review. To be honest, heavy music is becoming a mess, like a garden full of weeds. It's difficult to listen to trash over and over again, hoping to hear something worth listening to. Most people feel that reviewing is simply a matter of stating ones opinion, and maybe it is. But then, I've always felt that there IS an absolute good and bad, even in art. I believe that the heavier genres of music often lack true artistry because they are generally comprised of young musicians, often having just found a crowd where they belong, and it ultimately amounts to a lot of trendy bullshit mixed with teen angst. Also, album reviewing is difficult when I scarcely listen to an entire CD.

So, what I'm going to do now, tonight, is recommend bands and give my reasons. If you agree with the reviews you've read, then check these bands out.

Ian