Over the Rhine - Ohio

Official album art, courtesy of Google Image search

Back when lights didn't make the music, it all sounded like this. Today, this particular breed of folk lounge music is nearly extinct.

Even though this band has been around since before I was born, and this album was released when I still in junior high, the music is priceless. The music features that familiar relatability that comes from writing about life and universal experiences that are sure to bring you back to a more familiar, comfortable part of your life, whether you are 16, 25, or 60. The voice of lead singer Karin Bergquist captures your ears right from the first note, and leaves you waiting patiently for more during the instrumental parts, featuring a factor of repeatability that I would comfortably accept as the endless backtrack of my life.

Birdmonster - From the Mountain to the Sea

Official album art, courtesy of Bandcamp

It's probably not a surprise to those that regularly read this blog that I am in love with folk music. If you were ever wondering why that is, Birdmonster is that reason.

In no other area of music can you find so many unique and multifaceted band as folk music. For me, folk music brings out the roots of sound, and captures a feeling that transcends the boundaries of music and lyrics, to carry an emotion from one heart to another. As cheesy as this may sound, Birdmonster does just that.

Sitting in a dimly lit room, this album brings me back to a time when music was performed round a fire in a back yard, or on the front porch on a humid afternoon, rather than on a portable metal stage put up in some arena or ballroom, backed by guitar amplifiers and sound mixers. Don't get me wrong, music should definitely be a shared experience, but this band reminds us all why we need house shows, unfinished basements, and acoustic guitars.

The Low Anthem - Oh My God, Charlie Darwin

Official album art

First off, I have to apologize for my absence this week. For the past two weeks, I have been either under a pile of work, or passed out from extreme sleep deprivation. This entry, in a way, comes directly out of that experience.

The desktop of my computer is covered with albums that I need to listen to, and I never seem to have time. This is one that has been on my desktop for a long time now. For past posts, it has been overlooked when time came to decide on an album. However, this week, the unique qualities of the music really stuck out in my lifestyle.

Under extreme sleep deprivation, sleep gets really hard for me, and even though I am tired, my mind won't let me fall asleep. This is when I turn to music, and find an amazing band such as The Low Anthem. This album always puts me in a trance state, in which my body feels asleep, but my mind stays lucid, and lost in the music. Even though I looked passed out, my mind heard every beautiful note of every song.