rock
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.
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.
Self Titled | Avial
“Politically-aware and ideologically driven” was how Rave, a top Indian music magazines described Malayali rock band Avial in its October 2006 issue. Without really having a clue of what they are saying, I actually fell in love with their musical skills and talents. Glad to know that if I did understand the lyrics, I would like the whole package!
Liquid Tension Experiment
What happens when you toss some of the most technically articulate progressive rock musicians in the studio at the same time to both write and record an entire album essentially on the spot? This is the premise of the Liquid Tension Experiment.
Blackbird | Alter Bridge
I realize this post may put my credibility on the line, but just hear me out. Against popular opinion, I used to really like Creed. I thought their first album provided a fresh look at the grunge genre and was really good all the way through… I even liked the second album. Then it became quite apparent Scott Stapp was… well, we all know what I’d like to call him. Then I saw a single ray of hope… Alter Bridge, consisting of all original members sans Scott Stapp. What a wonderful concept.
Seer
I have a habit of trying to ascertain the essence of a band’s sound by mixing sounds well defined by two or three artists. I recently ran into a band with the most peculiar mix bands… Tool, Radiohead, Jeff Buckley, and Coldplay. Four completely different sounds merged to form a unique, yet familiar sound.
No World For Tomorrow | Coheed & Cambria
There’s something about being an obnoxious listener that you’re never short of few bands you’ve chosen to ignore for years and years just because everyone told you they were good. We’ve heard this story about me before, and you’ll here it again. The particular band of interest this time around, Coheed & Cambria, has just put out their fourth full length… and I just now gave them on honest shot… and four more sales.
