Music Under the Radar

The other night, during dinner at Shabu Shabu, I noticed that one of the waiters had a U2 "Under a Blood Red Sky" t-shirt on. I thought that was cool.

I like music. Music is, to me, what poetry is to people who have the attention span to appreciate poetry (I don't have the attention span to appreciate poetry). I used to be able to listen to albums straight through; just listening, picking apart the lyrics and melodies. Sadly, I don't have the patience to do much of that anymore. But I still enjoy stumbling into new musical finds every now and then -- all the more so if they're from musicians that don't get much press. Maybe it's because I have a deep-seated need for pretentious music-snobbery, like, "ooh-la-de-daa, look'it this band that's so awesome, but you've never even heard of!" Or maybe it's just that I think that indie artists have more creative freedom than mainstream ones do. Or maybe it's both.

If you're anything like me, you'll enjoy some of these musicians that have somehow slipped under the mainstream radar. They do what they're passionate about for a living, but don't get much publicity, and I think that's pretty cool of them. Stop by their sites for a listen, why don't you:

1000 Generations--To Those Who Cry
-Worshipful pop/rock. Check out the songs "Only in Weakness" and "To Those Who Cry." Very nice.

Deas Vail--All the Houses Look the Same
-Keyboard-and-guitar-driven rock. "Shoreline" is a pretty song. Also check out "Anything You Say."

But the musical gem I really want to highlight right now is from Jacob's Well. I picked up their newest EP, I Will See You, at their concert in San Gabriel last weekend (thanks for the invite, Kiks!). Jacob's Well is tight. Their sound is folksy, upbeat, and almost exclusively acoustic (though they have an electric bass player now. Nice guy.). Elise Loomis' vocals are amazing, and the quality of her voice reminds me a bit of Leigh Nash from Sixpence (maybe that's just me). Many of their songs are Scripturally inspired, which, when coupled with the band's skillful musical chops, makes you wonder why we don't see more bands like Jacob's Well in the mainstream. But to really appreciate these guys, check them out live. This is a band that knows what they're about, and it's not themselves. These are the kind of people that will put on a free concert, pour their hearts out into their music, and then thank you for the opportunity afterward. They're not rock stars, they're worship leaders. And it shows.

If you haven't succumb to the Jacob's Well sensation yet, check out their myspace. Their new album's title track, "I Will See You," is definitely worth checking out.

I also saw this the other day, and thought it was amusing. And it involves one of my favorite bands ever:
U2 Bringing Spider-man to Broadway

Broadway, comic books, and U2. How can it go wrong??