Music Recommendations #8
Welcome to Music Recommendations, a series of blogs dedicated to recommending music I find enjoyable. These blogs will cover a wide range of music I’ve recently discovered or have enjoyed for a long time. My purpose in writing these blogs is to promote positivity and happiness pertaining to music, rather than be critical of music I don’t like. At least that’s what I hope to achieve. If you’re interested in buying or listening to any of the records, click the title of one for a direct link to Amazon.
Music, the representation of our daily lives that can fill any void left untouched. Lately, I’ve been diving into genres and musical pieces from all over the place. Depending on my mood, I occasionally stick to one artist or a specific genre, but lately, it’s been the complete opposite. Nonetheless, listening to new music and records I enjoy have become a natural part of my daily routine.
Ray Lamontagne is arguably one of the greatest vocalists in the acoustic rock genre. Powerful vocal deliveries, soul-filled musical pieces, and acoustic-driven music play a natural role in Lamontagne’s music. Although primarily known as an acoustic artist with full-band ensembles, Ouroboros is a full-blown psychedelic rock album with elements of progressive rock themes.
The album is a dreary landscape listen from start to finish, with a few blues-filled guitar-driven pieces on top of an acid-trip. Part One – Hey, No Pressure is my favorite track on the record, and I can’t recommend Lamontagne’s discography enough.
Unless you’ve been totally oblivious to the late 80s and 90s alternative rock spectrum, you’ve most likely heard of the Pixies. The group’s 1988 record, Surfer Rosa, is their first full-length album and it’s a classic in every possible way. From having the booming intro of Bone Machine to the radio-hit of Where Is My Mind?, who doesn’t love the Pixies?
As a whole, the record is an excellent representation of raw alternative rock from that timeframe. It’s 13 tracks deep with short, fun, and exhilarating pieces of music. Definitely check it out, especially since it’s a significant part of music history.
Alice in Chains was one of the first bands I discovered at a young age. My early interest in them only consisted of their radio hits, soon after I took a deep-dive into their discography. Although it’s only an EP, Jar of Flies is arguably their best work.
Layne Staley’s powerful and fatalist vocal delivery, intricate yet simplified song structures, and everything you could want in a grunge record from the 90s. If you haven’t dug around in Alice in Chains discography yet, Jar of Flies is a must-listen.
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New Music Releases - June 19th to 26th, 2020 June 25, 2020
