Music Sans Lyrics

For those of you who know me you know that my musically tastes are pretty varied. Rock, pop, Rap, Jazz, Blues, Classical - you name it I probably listen to it in some fashion or another.

Perhaps it comes with having a pretty varied sense of musical interests, I find that I often go through phases or cycles, where certain genre's styles cease to interest me and others take over all of my musical listening time.

That would be the case right now. Not that I haven't been into these genres of music before but Ambient and Post-Rock have seemed to take over my itunes playlist. I'm not sure what it is exactly, I guess the only thing I can say is where I am personally causes me to be much more interested in an emotional tone, mood, and the textures and feel of things than I am in the next catchy hook or witty lyric.

So with that being said I thought it would be fun to list out a few groups that I consider good...and for any of you out there who like to write like I do...this music is great for it - but that's just my opinion.

1. Deerhunter-Cryptographs

What can I say about this band other than that this is the first album in a long long time to really blow my hair back as it were. The first part a lurching mess of emotion, noise, and feeling it sucks you in and won't let go until the tape reel literally runs out at the end of 'Red Ink'. The second half is a little bit more pop-ish but barely. Excellent in its own right, and easily the more accessible part of the album, it would appear to be starkly different than the first half yet but the more I listen to it the more I feel like each is uniquely connected and would suffer from being seperated. I know I said 'sans lyrics' so this is sort of cheating, but considering you can make out what they are saying on many of the few songs they do actually sing in, I feel like they qualify.

2. God Speed You Black Emperor - Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven

I could go on about this group for a while. Their work is amazing, the score to any countless number of films that have yet to be made. A two cd set, 4 songs, two on each, totalling almost an hour and a half, it definitely has an epic feel. I used to love to put this album on when I was driving around Colorado for my old job. Album in, stereo turned up, and I just drove, alone with my thoughts which ran free across the landscapes of GSYBE.

3. Hammock - Raising Your Voice...Trying to Stop an Echo

Got this recently so I can't say too much about it, except that I enjoy it and embodies a lot of the great qualities to be found in ambient music. Great mix of elcetronic and live instrumentation, each song title seems to tell you just what the song will feel like, but not how it will sound.

4. Rachels - Systems/Layers
Now technically the Rachels are considered neo-classical, but they belong in this list if you ask me. I own every one of their albums, all of them are brilliant. Frequently the music is made with a theatrical performance in mind. They have always remained in rotation with me, and I can't wait for them to put out another album.

Others I like:

Loscil-Plume

God is an Astronaut - All is Violent, All is Bright