the sound

for a long time, i have been searching for a sound in my listening. not necessarily in my playing, but in my listening. usually on colder days, days that cry out for a few cups of tea and deeper thought, i would scroll up and down my ipod looking for “the sound”. i’d pass up great music that i enjoyed in my quest for something that fell into the category of this thing i couldn’t quite put my finger on. i new what album had started my love for “the sound”: kid a by radiohead. But it had to be more than just one album. after a year of listening i came up with a rough description and a list of songs. this is an email to a friend last year:
“it's
warm in temperature
cool in feel
but warm in feel also
sometimes red, brown, or deep dark blue
a bit etheareal but can still rock
sometimes dreamy but not spacy
takes you somewhere else when listened with headphones
well-produced, but not over produced.
everything in its right place nails it, but it has more depth and
range than one song
i mean if kid a, hoppipola, medication, and satellites all blend for
it, then it has range
but do you see the thread through it all?
that is what i have been reaching for in my listening
like sucking on a brownish blue warm candy while listening to miles
davis (although miles isnt part of he blend)”

i know that doesn’t really make sense, and now you think i’m weird. but o well.

the rhodes keyboard has a lot to with it. and a warm guitar tone. and simple powerful harmonies. and sometimes electronic sounding drums. and present bass. and listening with good headphones makes all the difference.

so, now you get a little bit closer to knowing my musical taste.