Odyssey of the sun – Odyssey of the sun
Genre: Blues, Power Pop, Psychedelic Rock
A lot of people are decrying the state of modern recording. You don’t have to be a world-class producer to hear it. Most music, even that played on live instruments, sounds as if it was made by scientists working in an institution with thick walls. Usually, it is technically advanced and extremely lacking in personality.
It’s enough to make some cry about the old days, and others invest heavily in bringing back the spirit of the 1970s. Those who can afford it and have the patience for it, invest heavily in machinery made during that era and in the personnel capable of manning it. Are they right to do so? Well, few modern musicians will quote modern albums as their favorites. This says a lot.
But, once in a while, a group will defy the expectations of the times. A supremely weird, confident, and original group is Odyssey of the sun. Their self-titled song, in the hands of almost any other group, would have just ended up sounding like a Pink Floyd rehash. But, no. The quartet has enough eccentricity and a zest for making their music travel to the outer reaches of human consciousness that it ends up sounding like few other psych-rock groups that you have ever heard.
mr cool – Grateful
Similar artists: Beirut, Sigur Ros, Neutral Milk Hotel
Genre: Folk rock, Americana, Soft Rock
It’s not an easy world for modern hippies to inhabit. Naturally, the first impediment that they have to overcome is having to be called hippies. They would much rather use any of the hundreds of words that they have opted for as worthy labels for themselves. It’s eco-conscious, vegan, or post-rockers. You know, hippies.
The truth is that for all of their good intentions, the hippies let the world down. During the 1960s, when rock music had reached its zenith, it looked like they were the ones to inherit the world. Even the likes of The Beatles were ready to grow their hair, endorse tye-dye and take their music into a spacey, peace-living direction. But, the hippies became lawyers and accountants or ended up running Apple corps.
This is the kind of opposition that modern groups have to face, not to mention the scourge of arena-based folk rock. mr cool know the trappings of appearing to embrace a hollier-than-thou attitude but can’t be stopped from delivering their message of unity and thankfulness. Grateful is a song that develops beautifully, that could be played at a wedding ceremony as the Sun is heading down, and that gives hippies a good name.
