Music in the Age of Information

Listening to music on Spotify today, something struck me and for a minute I had a case of the sads.

As much as I love so many aspects of the digital revolution, the information age, and the lighting speed of communication technology, there are some things that are gone now and can never be replaced.

When I was growing up, I would hear about a new band via a few different means.  Most commonly, I would hear a song on the radio or see a video on MTV.  Sometimes, my friends at school told me about a new band or artist.  Or, I would read about them in Rolling Stone or some other magazine.  That was about it.  Once an artist was on my radar, I could wait until I heard them on the radio or saw them on MTV, or I could just take a chance and buy their album.  By the time I got to the point of purchasing their music, I was usually already pretty certain that I was a fan, but once in awhile I'd get burned and end up disliking the album.  But, for better or worse, I would own that album and would either listen to it a lot, a little, or not at all.  Sometimes, I'd own an album for years and not get into it until some weird moment transpired and then I would become obsessed. 

Now, there are bands and musicians coming at me from all angles.  It's a full assault.  It's on the television (in shows, advertisements for random products and cars), the movies, the internet, billboards, stickers stuck on utility poles, people handing out flyers on the streets, signs hung in windows, in my e-mail, on my phone...  I might hear a band I really like, and then in the blink of an eye, something else is distracting me, demanding my attention.  And maybe something that I don't like ends up getting my attention and I forget about the thing I did like.

I don't have the album, or the article, or the video anymore to remind me.  I have to sift through the endless amount of information in my brain and hope that I can find what I'm looking for.  I can google or search spotify or phone a friend, but before any of that can be effective, I have to sort it out in my own mind.

Once upon a time, music was a tangible, respected art form, that people would seek out and pay to make it a physical part of one's universe.  Now, it's a fleeting thought on a subway or a set of binary numbers recreated on a handheld electronic device.

OUT NOW: S NO S "10 DIGITS"

...And, we're back!
We've been away for awhile, but not nearly as long as S No S, which is the solo project from Brandon Strecker, formerly of the band Shitting Glitter and currently of the band Turbo Sunshine.  As S No S, he released quite a few solo albums back in the late 90's and early 00's before relocating to Los Angeles and joining Shitting Glitter.  While those albums all had their charms, especially "May April," this new collection shows a vast improvement in songwriting, technical proficiency, and a broader range.
10 Digits is very much a "digital" album, being released digitally, and featuring much more electronic instrumentation than in any previous album.  The opener, "Bring On The Aliens," makes clear this new sound from the get-go, filling its atmosphere with spacy synths, electronic beats, and all kinds of effects and noises, all adding up to a very modern and advanced sounding track.  The crescendo section before the last chorus is very dramatic, but the biggest surprise is at the very end of the song when it sounds like the aliens have just landed in a loud cacophony of sound.
"Who Killed Love" is a great, electro-goth tune with guest vocals from Adrienne Pearson, formerly of Radio Vago and Shoot Out The Lights, and currently of The Readership Hostile.  The lyrics are often funny, perhaps tongue in cheek, but also something a lot of people can relate to.
"Ask Me Later" is very catchy and upbeat, and tells a great story in the lyrics.  We always enjoy songs that tell stories, a craft which seems to be rare these days.
Several other up-beat highlights include "Shake Off The Fever" and "Where Did You Go," but perhaps a bigger surprise are the slower, more lush and melancholy tracks such as the psychedelic "Far Out With You," the haunting "The Pen And The Twist," and the utterly gorgeous album closer, "Ending Of The End," which sounds like it would be a perfect soundtrack song in a movie.
There's even a track which could be considered witch-house, a fairly new and obscure genre, called "The Reckoning," which might be a great song to add to your Halloween playlists as it's dark and spooky!
All in all, this is a tremendous album full of depth and distance, which shows a musician really perfecting his craft and strengthening his voice.

Available at snos.bandcamp.com.

Rating: OOOOO (Five out of Five O's)