Sunday morning hangover: 72 Musicians, One free album download and musings over aural jizzing

October 18th, 2009 - by Eddie

Audio

I’ve been listening to an album this weekend and I know it doesn’t do the musicians who are on it justice. This is usually the case with a recording of a live performance, but there’s something different with this album.

For one thing, the entire thing is free.

The album comes from a documentary by Bob Moczydlowsky, which features 72 musicians either performing or talking about life on the road. While I haven’t seen the film yet (it’s at some festivals at the moment), I can appreciate the music, at least from a fan’s perspective.

Lesser-known bands are usually given the opening slot at big venues and play to smallish crowds at popular clubs. Either way, it’s always a constant battle between fan and band. The musicians have to make a connection and the fan has to pay enough attention (between the sips of PBR and thinking about the hot hipster in the crowd) to get turned on by the music.

And when it happens, it’s beautiful. An aural orgasm that forces the music fan to run into the night to find more about the band to remedy their new addiction. And when they score, it’s never as good as that first time when they are witnessing the band on a sweaty stage playing the middle set of a long show.

That’s why, though this album is engaging, it doesn’t truly capture the feeling of being there or quite show how these bands carried themselves during the night.

What it does do is remind me why I love going to shows in the first place, for the potential of experiencing that aural orgasm and witness something only a handful of people will.

That’s what this album is to me: a manifesto about the love of music in all genres. The album will take you through a journey of genres, offering surprises and nuggets along the way.

Sure, you may not like all the bands since the music will go through alternative indie (The Life and Times) to hipster poetic (Sal Retta) to melt-your-face-off rock (Coalesce).

And while this is a good way to get introduced to new music (remember, it’s free), the purpose of the project, I suspect, is for people to remember why they brave the weather, pay for overpriced beer an stand in crowded rooms with strangers: it’s about finding that new high and overdosing on it later.

Here’s a little taste to get your appetite going.

The Appleseed Cast – On Reflection

Tracklisting for album

1. Que Sera, Sera – The Life And Times

2. Scatter Baby Spiders – Ad Astra Per Aspera

3. Fuego – Olympic Size

4. My Life After Death, Parts I & II – Roman Numerals

5. Don’t Call It A Ghetto – The Architects

6. We’re Just Temporary Ma’am – White Whale

7. Ice Machine – The Stella Link

8. The Handless Man – In The Pines

9. Pills – Sal Retta

10. Lesser Fates – Namelessnumberheadman

11. On Reflection – The Appleseed Cast

12. What Happens On The Road Always Comes Home – Coalesce