This week in music vol. 1

So I decided that I am going to start blogging every Friday about the music I have been enjoying that week. So here goes nothing:

In lieu of my excitement to receive my Clarity LP, I have been listening to a lot of Jimmy Eat World. If I keep up on this aspect of my blog, you are going to be seeing this band’s name pop up quite a bit. Jimmy Eat World is my favorite band of all time and there really isn’t any time when I am not in the mood to listen to them. As for what exactly I have been listening to in preparation to receive my LP, I have been really enjoying Static Prevails. It is the first full length they released after signing to Capitol Records in the mid-nineties. It definitely has a different feel from their work after this, but I still love it. It is extremely gritty, raw and emotional. Tom Linton sings on approximately half of the songs, with Jim Adkins singing the others. I would encourage you to check out this CD. I will warn you, you need to listen with an open mind, if you are expecting the same sound that is on Bleed American or Futures, you will be disappointed.

Secondly, I have really been enjoying Piers Faccini. He is a singer songwriter from England. His music is extremely delicate and well thought. I have been listening to the album Tearing Sky, which is his latest album. I think my favorite aspect of this disc is how he leaves so much room in the production. The drums, guitars and everything are very sparse and simple. This does not make the recording boring, however, it really gives it room to breathe, and let his stellar song writing really shine through.

Finally, I think I am officially obsessed with Black Flag. I know it’s an odd obsession to have, but there is something about 80’s hardcore that really draws me. I am sure some people would consider this music to be completely horrible. To me, it’s not about the recording quality or the song writing. It is about conveying a big middle finger whatever frustrations you may have. The energy that this band is able to convey is simply stunning. Greg Ginn’s guitar tone is insane. It sounds like he has everything at ten and is playing as hard as he possibly can without breaking strings. Anyway, if you ever want to know your roots in hardcore, do yourself a favor and listen to Damaged