Dave's Den

Some Great New Music

I listen to a lot of music, especially at work, where I can throw on the headphones for hours at a time during my coding sessions. It's extremely rare when a whole CD can grab my attention, as most music produced nowadays is shallow and forgettable. Recently I've discovered 3 notable exceptions:

Jeremy Enigk - World Waits
I love records that can set a mood and sustain it over the course of their entire length. World Waits falls into that category, but the mood itself is hard to describe. It's a disc full of heartbreak and loss, interspersed with heavenly, transcending moments of hope for new beginnings. It avoids the emo traps of wimpiness and self-pity, settling on a sweet spot that seems to hit just the right notes. Swirling, majestic melodies and richly layered arrangements surround you and pull you in. I've only had this one for a few days, but it already may be my favorite record of the year.

Roger Joseph Manning Jr. - Solid State Warrior
This is a Japanese import from one of the members of Jellyfish, one of my all-time favorite bands. This release is about as close as we're likely to get to an actual Jellyfish record these days. All you'd need is Andy Sturmer on lead vocals and some more production flourishes, and you'd have a full-blown Jellyfish record- it's that good. There is also a US release called "The Land of Pure Imagination", but it omits what I consider the best song on the disc, "What You Don't Know About the Girl", a fantastic slice of 60's pop that would have fit perfectly on an Austin Powers soundtrack. Roger plays every instrument and provides all the vocals here, an amazing feat from a truly talented musician. A must-have for any Jellyfish fan.
- Watch video for "Too Late For Us Now"

L.E.O. - Alpacas Orgling
Indie rocker Bleu assembled a bunch of his buddies, including ex-Jellyfisher Andy Sturmer to produce this tribute to Jeff Lynne. Each of these original songs sounds like it could be a lost ELO classic. Lots of fun.