The New Northern Star
I don’t know if this happens to you, but during these rainy November days I find myself listening to groups that have broken up. Their sound still reigns in my heart and listening goose bumps still run up and down my spine. (this has happened most recently while listening to Grant Lee Buffalo and The Screaming Trees).
It saddens me to think that I won’t hear anything new from these former bands, but the group The Great Northern X have managed to send me a ray of sunlight even in these grey days of autumn. With a super combination of energy, sweat and the right dose of rock and folk, The Great Northern X have restored a smile to my face, lifted my spirits and have whisked away all traces of nostalgia.
I am ready and waiting for spring to appear on the horizon.
www.myspace.com/thegreatnorthernx
Jacopo Ravagnan
English translation by Karin Andrea Halliwell
Artist permanently and randomly on air at present date
Open your ears
I spoke about the group Three In One Gentleman Suit and their Chinese tour a few months ago in May here on Utopicmusic.
This unstoppable group have wasted no time to produce yet another great piece of work that will stupefy you with its post- rock to hardcore atmosphere yet with a right dose of electronic sound.
It is pointless of me to state what I have said before but they are one of the few groups that fully capture your attention after listening to the first note.
I beg you to listen to "You don’t know foreplay”, “Confusion is pleasure”, “Mountains vs Plain”, and then reread my article from May 2011 . Write to me if you are not convinced that we will be hearing from this group for a long time to come. This is history in the making.
www.tiogs.com/
http://www.upupaproduzioni.com/
Jacopo Ravagnan
English translation by Karin Andrea Halliwell
Artist permanently and randomly on air at present date
Easy remedies to combat modern anxiety
There are some mornings that the simplest tasks like shaving, making coffee, getting through congested morning traffic and having a meeting with your boss turns into something like a Don Quixote adventure – it’s you , sword in hand, fighting an evil windmill as big as a New York City skyscraper . Getting in your car you have that familiar feeling know that deep down inside of you it’s going to be one of those days. It’s too late to do anything. What can you do to make the day a little more bearable?
My personal suggestion is to slurp down not a double but triple espresso or simply take an anti- depressive, however preferably not at the same moment. But wait a minute! This is a music blog. It’s called utopicmuisc not utopicprozac. So if I were you I would try to seek shelter in the magic of music instead of anything else.
Now that you are bored senseless I’d like to speak about a band that could save your day: Es.
With a light touch but great ability, this Italian band takes us on a magical mystery tour of some of the most difficult and explosive themes our times by using an intelligent mix of irony and humor. Even though their songs leave you happily humming they remain impressed in your mind thanks to the superb arrangements and innovative musical techniques.
Have a listen to Es in your car while going to work. If you arrive uptight and in a bad mood you probably are not reading the right blog..
http://www.musicatedesca.es/
Jacopo Ravagnan
English translation by Karin Andrea Halliwell
Artists permanently (and randomly) "on air" at present date