Who Knew? Good Music on Myspace

As anyone who uses Myspace can tell you, entering pretty much anything into the "Interests: Music" section of your profile will subject you to a steady barrage of friend requests from bands (that use the site's search capabilities to seek out, as potential "friends," users who profess an interest in ostensibly similar bands).   Not surprisingly, nearly all of these bands are absolutely terrible.  But, every once in a while, one will come along that will make you believe that MySpace has a function other than giving you an excuse to take pictures of yourself, and keeping you posted as to how your friends scored on the "what Kitchen Appliance are you?"  survey.  And, what a pleasant change of pace it is, too, to have good music come find you, instead of vice versa.

So, here are the most intriguing bands I've "befriended" in the past six months or so:

Placebot:  It boggles my mind that this guy isn't already famous.  But, then again, when you're making the type of music he does - Kompakt-esque ambient pop - and you're based out of Baton Rouge, Louisana...  I mean, honestly, I've often wondered how you attract the attention of a label, when you're this type of act, given that you can't really go on tour, and what you're doing isn't exactly next-big-thing-ish.  Perhaps I'll learn one day, once this guy is signed to Warp.

                                                                                             

Mike Tamburo:  It's sort of hard to pin this guy down, other than to say he clearly appreciates all that   drones.  The live recording he has on his profile is reminiscent of the Appalachian-tinged ragas of Pelt / Jack Rose.  But the other, (presumably) studio recordings are much more relaxed, and expansive, and wouldn't be out of place on the Kranky label.

I Have Eaten The City: I know that to anyone under, say, forty, "jazz" is a four-letter word - and particularly in reference to contemporary jazz, which is generally associated with elevators and dentist's offices.  But, in fact, the genre isn't completely given over to Kenny G and his ilk.  For instance, take I Have Eaten The City, who like their contemporaries the Necks, seem to have noticed that on any number of classic jazz records, there are a few seconds at the very beginning - in which you briefly hear the band tuning, running through scales, and generally making a wonderfully cacophonous mess (presumably tacked on to replicate the live experience of a band performing) - that are in fact the best part of the entire album.  And who have managed to take that fleeting, terrifically chaotic moment, and stretch it into entire songs.

zelienople: Just when I thought Chicago's music scene had died along with post-rock, up pops zelienople (who have actually been around for several years, on several respected below-the-radar labels, including 267 Lattajjaa and PseudoArcana).  The songs on their profile include two doses of  ambient, melancholy drone ("You Got Shot Down" and "Ship That Goes Down"... "down" being the optimal word in both these titles), and a song ("Softkiller") that - and I mean this in the most complimentary way possible - resembles a chilled-out Kasabian.

The Eavesdroppers:  I get the sense these guys haven't been around for very long, but I like the direction in which they're headed, which is reminiscent of the No-Neck Blues Band, Sunburned Hand of the Man, Wooden Wand & The Vanishing Voice, and the rest of "New Weird America."

Comments

[I HAVE EATEN THE INVADER.BLOGS.COM]

Thank you for promoting our music! That's very thoughtful of you!

I've got a couple recommendations for you:
Adam Pacione http://www.myspace.com/adampacione
If you like Stars of the Lid this guy's someone to check out. Subdued yet dramatic ambient music with a real organic feel!

Keenan Lawler http://www.myspace.com/keenanlawler
This guy plays lovely music on prepared guitar. Very much recommended. Kinda folky, kinda bluesy, kinda Henry Cowell, kinda Harry Partch.

Orr/ Allen Duo http://www.myspace.com/orrallenduo
more experimental jazz stuff.

Origin http://www.myspace.com/origingroup
Experimental jazz stuff: two percussionists and a trumpeter! Great stuff!

and now for some shameless self promotion:
Nick Storring http://www.myspace.com/nickstorring and Piège http://www.myspace.com/piegemusic
Two of my non I Have Eaten The City projects. Nick Storring being devoted to more abstract electronic music and Piège to more pop-based electronic music, and the occasional acoustic post-rock thing.

Take care,
Nick Storring of
I HAVE EATEN THE CITY

[Nick Storring]

Hey hope my vanishing comment isn't a sign you are pissed off that I tagged two of my projects at the end of it... A sincere thanks though for your mention of my group!

Take care,
Nick S.

[ummm]

uhh wait... guess it didn't vanish... guess you weren't annoyed. guess i'm gonna go drink some paint thinner now :-(

[scott from modesto]

Your taste in music stinks