People, THIS is why I love the fucking internets. I spent the day at the workstead listening to Lohio. I located the Jude, picked him up, stopped off for cereal (also fondly known as dinner; Trix), and headed home. I blogged about Lohio. I discovered The Ampeater Review, stumbled upon a picture there in the top row, and thought, “Dude, Color of Clouds. Sweet. Wonder what they sound like? Can you really put just ONE color to a cloud? Let’s just click this and listen real quick — ah, shit yes.”. Then I made Jude cry because I told him I was gonna teach him to use a broom. That’s my night, give or take.
I digress. Color of Clouds. Goodness. Sounds that may have never fallen on our ears if not for the sheer fucking awesomeness of the internet and it’s ability to rock your fucking face off if you’re willing to follow multiple tangents.
I work hard to listen to good music and because of geography, if I’m going to listen to good music I’m gonna have to work hard. If I eat what I’m fed here in the rural Midwest (truly, The Buckle of the Bible Belt) then I’m to be considered a Toby Keith/Katy Perry/Rihanna-getarian. Now, not that there’s anything wrong with those few (except for Toby Keith, he’s a fucking coozebag) but I can’t take that shit. If I was on an island with only a Fergie disc, I’d listen to myself starve to death before I’d play it once, maybe twice. What?! She’s a nice girl, yes America, but dammit, really? HER albums deserve the audience that my favorites have and her massive audience should wise up and listen to fucking Megafaun. We’d all be better people.
Take for example, the aforementioned Color of Clouds. Jude and I have been listening to “Brother” for literally, one hour. I anticipate that I will listen to it from the hours of 6am-9am tomorrow. I will then listen to it in the car. THEN I will buy the music here. What I really want though, is the vinyl.
ALSO, AMERICA: Why don’t you listen to more vinyl? It’s because you’re not listening to enough music with emotion or any real feeling at all and thus, you don’t NEED to hear it on vinyl. Pressing vinyl (especially pink, swirly vinyl with woodcut inserts in the sleeve made by the artist you’re listening to) is expensive, I imagine, but vinyl is heavy and so must be the music on it. I realize vinyl doesn’t necessarily fit in with our urge as a country to make everything smaller and easier, but really?! I’ll say this, I sometimes feel guilty about reducing the songs that I love and that move me to kilobytes and download times.
Shit. I digress, again. Color of Clouds. They are lovely. There is a combination of sound and lyrics (“Took a plane, flew over your state”) and vocal stylings here that I am not apt to find in one song/band. Typically, I get one of the three, perhaps two, and honestly, that’s good enough. I don’t know what the lyrics to “Moon Deluxe” are but that music rips me up. I don’t so much notice the music behind “Salt in the Wound” but those lyrics have the potential to leave me with scars. The lyrics to “When the Night Comes” are quite plain, the music isn’t too involved, but Auerbach’s voice makes me feel like I’m falling in love. And not just any love — a life-altering, beautiful love.
You know what, this really isn’t about Color of Clouds anymore, is it? But I’ll admit, I feel better having gotten all that out.
Fucking A. Listen to some wonderful internet tangents below…
**
Color of Clouds :: Brother [MP3]
{From The Look EP}
Andrew Cedermark :: Moon Deluxe [MP3]
{From Moon Deluxe}
Delta Spirit :: Salt in the Wound [MP3]
{From History From Below}
Dan Auerbach :: When the Night Comes [MP3]
{From Keep It Hid}
folkhive.wordpress.com 