I like Blue Moon...

With that said I was drinking a Blue Moon Belgian-Style Wheat Ale this evening when I read the label which states..."for a uniquely complex taste & an uncommonly smooth finish." That made me think of a style of music that I have become particularly fond of lately, that of instrumental quasi-electronic music, and more specifically the aforementioned with drums of the jazz persuasion. Sounds like a tough class to get a hold of, but I've managed to find a lot of bands lately that I feel fit this category. They are all "uniquely complex" while at the same time having quite an "uncommonly smooth finish." The first foray into this was from an NPR broadcast when I heard of the band Moon Orchestra (I would provide some sort of link to his work but this guy is a recluse who doesn't work through the world wide web). This is the brain child of Jon Platou Selvig, who is also a member of the band Salvatore. Both these Norwegian bands are smooth music makers that can be listened to as a background to work, conversation, and all your creative activities. Most importantly they are amazing at their craft, and create really interesting music that withstands the tests of multiple listens.

Two others worth mentioning come from another circle of artists in multiple bands. First is the band Ratatat. This band is a bit more uptempo, more of a dance-ilk. None-the-less they are classically entertaining song writers who really capture your attention. From this band we also get Evan Mast's side project E*vax. His work for E*vax is much more electronic, and I am normally not much for the primarily electronic pieces, but once again this is music that provides a perfect backdrop for any activity (except things that require raising your heart rate). He releases his E*vax stuff through a label he and Ratatat bandmate Mike Stroud run called Audio Dregs. Other notable artists I've found from this label include Supersprite, and F.S. Blumm. There is a great sampling of music on their site to help you pick up what you might like.

I'll give you a few samples if you're lazy...and I hope you like, "But you don't have to take my word for it..."

Ratatat-Wildcat-listen to the bridge...


E*vax-Contra Costa


Salvatore-Rainbo


Moon Orchestra-Moving On Out-listen to the drums...

The battle of the big bands...

I was recently giving my apartment a cleaning while listening to my iPod. While on a random shuffle I was allowed to listen to tracks by Broken Social Scene and Arcade Fire back to back, which led to the thinking...which of these two bands is more deserving of the hype? It is an interesting comparison, what with all of their similarities. Let's give them a quick run through...
1) Both hail from Canada
2) Both have released two official full length LPs (Let's not count EPs and collections here)
3) Both could be considered collectives, or groups of friends who collaborate on an album
4) Both have principle song writers who form the backbone that is then expanded on
5) Both draw from a circle of talented musicians who play a multitude of instruments
6) Both sounds, though different, have the same layered atmospheric feel
7) Both have received astronomical amounts of hype
So who is more deserving. I am just one humble opinion, but let it be heard. My vote is for BSS. I believe the self titled sophomore effort by BSS to be a highly underrated effort that seems to have flown low of the peaks reached by You Forgot In People. The Arcade Fire in much the same case had a spectacular debut that garnered all sorts of critical acclaim and anticipation of a second effort. That second effort is, in my opinion, a dud. The only highlight I've found that I could listen to in the long run is No Cars Go, which is a rerecording of a song they had previously released. Go back and listen to You Forgot in People, then listen to Broken Social Scene and tell me I'm wrong. I dare you. Simply for the mere fact that KC Accidental might be one of the most beautiful songs that I've ever heard, one of only two songs that I can tell you exactly where I was when I first heard it, BSS gets my vote. Don't mistake me, I look forward for a third album from both, I just think that Arcade Fire fell a little flat for all the hype this time around. And if you haven't heard the Arcade Fire offshoot Bell Orchestra then you have been missing out.