Hmmm…
I’m stuck.
There seems to be no music out there at all, to which I want to listen. The last really good album I listened to was Biffy Clyro’s latest. Before that, it was Brand New’s latest. Saul Williams has been pleasing me of late, but he hasn’t sated my thirst for something new; pastures thus far unchewed. But nothing out there is punching me in the stomach in the way music should.
That’s not to say everything is shit. Just last night, I saw two good bands in The Bróg here in Cork. Locallers, Elk (whom I still haven’t gotten around to writing up on) and a Japanese band called Lite. Lite, actually, were truly astounding; their musicianship was amazing and many of their songs were very good. My problem with them however, was that they were instrumental – post-rock/math-rock/whatever-you’re-having-yourself-rock. Normally, I would have said this was fine, but there just seems to be so much of it out there at the moment that it’s really starting to bore me. A post-rock band has to try much harder to impress me now, given there’s a lot of them, and Lite did just that. Still didn’t make me want to fork out 15 quid for the album.
I think I need that human connection you can only get from vocals, from a song. Right now, I can’t find it.
I got Fionn Regan’s album a few weeks ago. It was good. Very good in fact. Some truly great lyrics there. Like post-rock bands, (and most any other type of music now, come to think of it) the single guitar, singer/songwriter type guy has to really cut it to impress me. Fionn did that. And yet, I’m still looking for something. I’m still thirsty.
I borrowed Mates Of State from a friend, thinking I might find what I’m looking for there. No guitars. Just poppy singing, drums and synth. Very now, very fun. Again, they’re good, but my gut remains musically un-punched.
This is a time of huge change for music. Never before have we had so much at our fingertips. People are throwing it at us. Every band and DJ and kid with a Korg and broadband is clawing to get our attention. There’s something out there for me, I know that for sure. But it’s like I’m standing on this beach, looking for one grain of sand. I have no idea where to start looking. How do you other people do it? How do y’all constantly find something new? How are you constantly excited? What did I miss?
Biffy Clyro – Machines
Brand New – Archers Bows Have Broken
Saul Williams – Twice The First Time
Mates Of State – Fraud In The 80’s
Fionn Regan – Put A Penny In The Slot
