Dan
Grace | Jeff Buckley
I know I’ve mentioned Jeff Buckley before in my Strongest Voices in Rock post, but his voice was just too phenomenal to actually think his music deserved just a passing mention. Sometimes he played alternative, straight-up rock, blues, or even folk. But what remained constant throughout was his amazing voice.
Crime of the Century | Supertramp
There’s definitely a few surprises lurking in my music collection. Take a look at my Favorite’s page. You’ll get a pretty good idea of a particular style of music that really hits it home for me. But it’s impossible for any quick list to account for all the outliers… and they often don’t account for any at all. I’ve let a few of these outliers out here and there, and now seems as good as time as any for another.
Led Zeppelin back in the studio
Led Zeppelin back in the studio
Selling Insincerity | Abigail’s Ghost
Have you ever heard a short clip of a song from a new band a knew immediately you were going to buy the album and love every second of it? Isn’t that a great feeling? See for me, that’s as good as it gets. It’s my crack and iTunes is my dealer. Honestly, shit this good can’t be legal. If you like Porcupine Tree, Riverside, Dream Theater… buy this album and see how quickly Abigail’s Ghost floats to the top of your progressive rock recommendation list. These guys are already on my Favorite’s Page.
Flies the Fields | Shipping News
Occasionally I come across a band with a sound I can’t quite put my fingers on. Shipping News has some elements of indie-rock and some sort of mellow grunge. But neither genre does them justice. This band is all about tension and a simple sound to get across a theme.
Danger Invites Rescue
It’s no secret, I’ve clearly got a fetish for progressive/post-rock/metal or whatever us kids are calling it these days. Isis, Pelican, Del Rey, and Russian Circles are among my favorites… but these guys are all pretty well known at this point (some more than others obviously). I’ve recently found another band among this genre that brings a fresh look.
Salival | Tool
Yes. We all know who Tool is. Yes. We know Dan loves Tool. Yes. We know Dan is in fact a tool himself. No. Dan didn’t know that Salival (2000) was a limited edition. If you want to find a brand new copy of this box set, you’ll have to fork out at least a couple hundred bucks or settle for a used copy for about $60. Is it worth it? You’re damn right it is. Let me tell you why.
Toadies
It took them seven years to release a studio album following their debut and roughly another seven years for their third. I swore they were finished after their second release, but their first release was so good that their diligence makes me a little hopeful for their third release due next week.
Buck Fever | Estradasphere
WARNING: Estradasphere is not for the faint of heart and is for Obnoxious Listeners only. This band crosses and mixes more genres than any other I know. One song could start out with some of the most non-sensical, heaviest metal you’ve heard and smoothly transition to a classical jazz piece followed by Icelandic salsa. Ok, I made that last genre up. But it’s no exaggeration when I say Estradasphere is the most unique band I’ve yet posted on. To the common listener, this music may be immediately brushed off as silly or a joke, but to a musician or Obnoxious Listener who understands the purpose behind it… they just might see pure brilliance.
Nefertiti | Miles Davis
Aside from my newly found interest in the Avishai Cohen Trio, Miles Davis is the first name that pops in my head when someone sparks a conversation about jazz. I’m sure this is the case for a lot of people, but have you really taken the time to listen to his albums in entirety, or are you like me and are just vaguely familiar enough to carry on a conversation with other jazz enthusiasts? He had several masterpieces, but would you be able to pick out your favorite? Maybe it’s just my nature to pick less obvious, but my choice is Nerfetti.
