Tom Waits' writing always transports me, and what I hope will never change is my absolute willingness to follow him.
My music listening has been quite sporadic the past few weeks. I went on vacation to Regina/Moose Jaw, SK and while I loved the trip, my discovery of talk radio sidelined my hopes at listening to a bunch of new music. What a first world problem, huh? I also have been under the weather for weeks, and am slowly seeing the light. Let's hope I am back to my "old self" again soon.
Some new music that I have been listening to, has really derailed me. I cannot decide if I love it or if it's completely annoying. The 2 albums I am specifically thinking of are Colin Stetson's New History Warfare Vol. 3: To See More Light and Darcy James Argue's Brooklyn Babylon.
Colin Stetson is a Canadian saxophonist, and has this terrifically unique way of playing that I find quite intriguing. Circular breathing and other techniques have given him this reputation and has made him a highly in demand collaborator. This solo effort is okay, but for me I think it's repetitive. That being said though, I would love the chance to see him live. Something tells me it would be fascinating. I may need to make a trip to Calgary to see him perform at Sled Island. I was already thinking of going because of some of the other great artists involved (hello, Jesus & Mary Chain).
Darcy James Argue is also Canadian, but his niche is Eastern European brass band carnival chaos. Now Brooklyn based Darcy James straddles the line between tradition and innovation pushing boundaries for himself and the listener. It's not often you find sheet music for sale on an artists website, but this just goes to show that his music is a passion that is sadly rather uncommon these days.
I am not officially recommending these as - "Holy Crap, wonderful", rather "Holy Crap, what the hell did I just hear"
A few other interesting projects recently would be:
Nomad by Bambino. World-rock with an excellent guitar driven sound. Sound somewhat trademarked by Dan Auerbach's production.
Walkin On a Pretty Daze by Kurt Vile. Cynical arrangements, not as experimental as I'd like, but I am certainly looking forward to seeing him this summer at the Interstellar Rodeo (amazing festival in it's 2nd year and awesome line up).
The Terror by The Flaming Lips. Completely distracting in a good way. They never disappoint me and I was intrigued by the occasional ominous sidestep.
Ghost on Ghost by Iron + Wine. Vulnerable and joyous with intricate layering. I loved it.
Grownass Man by The Shouting Matches. Lightly noted collaboration between Justin Vernon and his childhood friends easily comfortable and as comfortable as any old friend hang time should be.
Finally can I just say how much I enjoyed the Juno's this year. I made a point of driving down to Regina and took in the festivities with my sister and her family. The Juno Cup was an absolute blast:
The exhibit at the MacKenzie Art Gallery was incredible. They have Greatest Hits: The JUNO Tour of Canadian Art from April 12 - November 24, 2013. I highly recommend taking it in, if you find yourself in Regina. The exhibition features works by Canadian artists from the Permanent Collection that have been selected by past JUNO Award winner and nominees - as well as current nominees. This is the piece Sarah Slean chose. And finally the Juno's themselves. It was incredible to be there and an experience I won't soon forget. Partially because it celebrates great Canadian talent but mostly because I got to share the experience with my sister.
