This One Has Sweet Links!

For the past week I’ve been conducting a study analyzing the early music of bands and artists I want to emulate. Something you must understand if you are to read “Chronically, Terminally” (this blog) is that on top of having this I.V. perpetually going directly into my bloodstream through my ears feeding me bits other people’s souls via their music, I also aspire to create beautiful music with my soul in it for others to assimilate, to enter into their bloodstream. This is the major motivation for the previously mentioned study; I want to know how they got started.

A few of the bands and artists that I have been studying are Arcade Fire, Coldplay, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Muse, Beck, of Montreal, Death Cab For Cutie, Conor Obeberst, and Sufjan Stevens, to name a few =).

All of these bands/artists were all extremely good at what they’re still good at now, even in the earliest stuff I can find from all of them. A major reason I chose these guys to look over is because they all started with a small budget and gigantic imaginations. Once each of these groups got some green they incorporated all sorts of expensive instruments (like a Hurdy Gurdy for Régine Chassagne of The Arcade Fire) distortions and supplementary digital sounds. Though these things sure do help, without them these people are not any less special. Do you get what I'm trying to express? One doesn't have to be rich to encapsulate their soul into something beautiful and something quality, though, who's going to listen to it really without the equipment one needs to flesh it out?

I get the feel that the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Bright Eyes but especially Coldplay and Arcade Fire, were always limited in their art until they could afford to do what was always within them.

Here, have an example of this idea. Coldplay's first US release, Parachutes, was recorded with accustic guitar, electric guitar (with occasional minor distortions), a traditional piano sound, and traditional percussion. Listen to Yellow from Parachutes and then one of their newest songs, Viva La Vida.

I want a drum machine and fancy distortions. Oh wait I don't even own my own guitar. Thank you to everyone who has let me borrow equipment over the years. Someday maybe I'll be able to afford my own =)