The Ocelots – Basket Case
Genre: Indie Folk, Folk
Never has there been a time in which chart-topping pop stars had less to do about the music that they are releasing than nowadays. This is not because the figureheads have become lazier or less talented.
It’s all a commercial calculation. It’s division of labor. Record labels, who still account for the majority of certifiable pop stars, believe that their biggest chance of getting a hit is to involve producers, writers, and marketing people experienced with such things.
With this in mind, spare a thought for those taking a rebellious route and actually learning to sing, play their instruments, and face audiences with nothing but their own songs to guard them.
The Ocelots’ Basket Case may prove that the artists were born at the wrong time in history, but that seems to suit them just fine. Their sweet melodies and the Earthy tones of their writing could well have belonged to their grandfather’s generation. Still, to some, strong values must be kept and passed forward.
Scrimshire – Unity Gain
Genre: Jazz Fusion
The myth of the 10.000 hours required to become an expert looms large over a notable segment of upstarts. Their belief, for the most part, is that the unnatural sacrifice will put them in an almost magical situation. When this happens, they’ll be able to do no wrong with their work.
What you get instead, for the most part, is technicians who are unable to communicate with an audience. It’s fine to write novels for people who study writing or to play dazzling guitar solos for fans of Jason Becker. But is the time investment really wise?
Oftentimes, putting on this kind of show of virtuosity is merely a decoy. You can’t go on and criticize someone that has spent years of their life mastering a craft, can you? You’d be a jerk to call them boring.
It is exceptionally rare to come upon music that requires great skill to be played and composed but that can also make an immediate impression upon any type of listener. This is what Scrimshire’s jazz excursion of Unity Gain manages to achieve. It’s a memorable piece of music that exists beyond the classic conventions of musical genres.
