So in working on the Favorite Songs and Artists of the 21st Century list, which has ballooned to over 500 now (may not ultimately be that many though), I find many names of the past and even reviews and comments from music I was into for awhile.
And I have talked about Cale Parks and the EP To Swift Mars that Brian Jacobs worked on/produced and played on that came out in 2009.
Cale Parks who is best known for his work with the band Aloha, who are a band I knew from Radio K and some sites in the mid-late 2000's. A band I never was able to get into, but maybe I never heard the right songs?
Anyway, I LOVE this EP. There's this beauty and romantic element that I have a huge soft spot with electronic (Indietronica) when composed well. It's sad, melancholic, cinematic and captures that atmosphere and longing both to go back in time (nostalgia), into the future, or into another dimension.
Much like Blood Moon and a lot of other music that I feel so almost inspired-by to imagine being somewhere else, like being younger and back in time, or in a parallel dimension.
Sometimes I can't put my finger on it, the elements or magic that certain moments these songs have in them. And this EP from Cale Parks nearly every track includes at least 1 or more of them.
Maybe it's the dreamy synths that Brian actually plays on, and I suspect he chose the patches.
It's odd how Electronic Rock/Indietronica often does that, but then at times it doesn't so much, even when the elements of the style are present. I think the synth patches used and the arrangement makes a big difference. Also the DRUMS.
I was listening to a band named Mind Cinema earlier today and those electronic drums... just don't work. They kind of ruin it.
But I now kind of yearn to hear more from Cale Parks, who I think does most the vocals on To Swift Mars, but I'm unsure if he does on his other releases. Unfortunately, I don't think Brian Jacobs worked on any of his other music, but that may not mean I wouldn't like it.
And Aloha, the jury is still out, but from reading comments on rateyourmusic, I am wondering if some of their tunes will work for me. Some comments talk about prog and also about Menomena.
Also maybe 2 goals
1) make a list or lists of as many songs that capture that mood/inspiration
2) try and elaborate on a creative level when or soon after hearing them
then again, it goes back to that whole looking for that brilliance/magic. Looking for that obscure band/album that has it, whether it be new, or from the past (80's Scifi music last year), and not finding it. It's almost like great in the-idea-of finding it. Finding gold/that rush when finding it, but I've come to assume it was happening more in the 2000's than in the last decade.
And almost like it's better not to hunt for it, or expect it to show up, and instead I'll just believe I'll stumble upon it at some point.
In the mean time, I am going to have to pick up a hard copy of To Swift Mars soon,
To Swift Mars EP stream on YouTube
