
Deborah Stokol – In a Time of Lockets, A Time of Lace (feat. Igor Kogan, Scarlet a. Newman-Thomas & Rachel Stokol)
Genre: Folk, Bluegrass, Americana
Similar artists: Alison Krauss, Laura Marling, Sinead O’Connor, Lisa Hannigan, Chris Thile, Dead Tongues, Paul Simon
The experienced music fan will always tell you about the lengths that they travel to in order to find new sounds and ideas to tickle their fancies. But, it is generally the same fans that boo loudly once their favorite musicians opt to release tunes that stray away from the formula with which they have accustomed their audiences.
Similarly, record label execs could talk for hours about the company’s efforts to find something unique, untapped, and wholly original to back towards glory. But, when their established artists attempt to break from convention, they are reprimanded and often left without a recording contract. It doesn’t always pay to be brave, but the very best musicians can’t help but think in any other terms.
Deborah Stokol’s music takes inspiration from the English theatre, classic poetry, and the tradition of British folk. These elements are, however, weaved together in a way that defies comparison. In a Time of Lockets, A Time of Lace sounds like music made for the stage of the theatre and for an era in which the attention of audiences had not yet been affected by the simplicity of three-minute singles. It may involve some effort, but open your ears and your hearts, and you may well find magic in Deborah Stokol’s music.
Musuji – Embers
Genre: Psychedelic Rock, Garage Rock, Alternative Rock
Similar artists: The Mars Volta, Primus, Rage Against the Machine, The Smashing Pumpkins
There is no way to kill progressive-rock as the punks found at their own expense. It’s not only the fact that, eventually, the public will request some musical sophistication to counteract the primal energy of three-chord rock. It’s also the fact that even the pioneers of direct, punchy rock will likely become prog-heads.
Take a listen to Public Image Ltd and tell me that they couldn’t have split a bill with Yes or Pink Floyd, bands that they used as examples for all that was wicked in the world of music. It’s much the same in modern times as the clock swings towards musical finesse and sonic exploration.
Musuji’s Embers is a complex piece of prog-rock examination of the world combined with the sucker punch of 90s alt-rock. What’s its aim? Just like a rollercoaster, this is music designed to give a few thrills as it spins round the corners and drops you from a great height. But, each time, it needs to bring you back to the sonic conclusion, to the pretty hooks with which it started.