Good Pass Filter: Music w/ Less Suck

The end of the year means that every little website is making their “best album of 2011” lists and discussing the musical artists that “made it big” this year.  Well, you can read that shit anywhere.

The year isn’t over. Plus, when it really comes down to it, the artistic flow that  brings us lovely and awesome new songs doesn’t know what year is…or decade for that matter.  These days, music is being released every minute of every day, and while it is neat-o to reflect on “the year that was,” I am going to be the new music junkie this time around. I like discovering new music…and I letting you know about it even more.

So instead of writing about Adele like everyone and their mother is, I will be writing about an emerging female voice from San Francisco named Ash Reiter.  And instead of writing about the plethora of pretty-good rock albums from this year, I’m gonna tell you all a little bit about an energetic modern Americana band from Kansas called The Calamity Cubes! Yes, the exclamation point is part of their name…at least I think so.

Ash Reiter

Ash Reiter has a bunch of new-to-the-internet music right now.  The biggest deal is the 10 song EP, Heatwave. You can hear any of the tracks from the EP on the band’s Facebook page.

The music is simultaneously groovy, moody, and quite pretty.  My only complaint is that the band is named after the lead singer, so I have trouble knowing which pronouns to use.

This video of the title song is brand new and I really love that it makes me identify with the warm weather I WISH I could be complaining about this time of year.

Besides the video, the band has also recorded a couple of Christmas songs, both under 3 minutes (so they don’t cause that pain in my head that makes me want to maim everyone expressing holiday cheer).

The first track is an original called Christmas in California.  While the title evokes the opening sequences from the movie Almost Famous, the music has a spirit all its own.  The other Christmas song is Merry Christmas Baby, which you might know from the Beach Boys Christmas album.  The Beach Boys version is kinda cool with the harmonies, but a little bit too sickeningly sweet.  This version sounds different, with a female vocalist, with a hint of somber added to this feel-good ditty. If you want to hear them, you can stream or download the songs for free here. I highly recommend it.

The Calamity Cubes!

The Calamity Cubes! are an awesomely-odd combination of Country, Americana, and Punk.  I suppose if you have a rapidly-strumming banjo and persistent upright bass in a song about skateboarding, then genre limitations are pretty much out-the-window. They can sing a drinking song with sweet harmonies one minute, and the next minute, their tattooed extremities are a blur as they whip themselves into a frenzy,  If you thought country music was boring  music for sad hicks, then these guys may shift your attitude. It’s more Johnny Cash than Blake Shelton, or maybe it’s a bit more like Rancid playing country music.  Either way, it is good to be reminded that music from any genre can be amazing if you approach it from the right angle.

 

One of the things that I really respect about them is that they are always touring.  Bands that are on the road all over the country playing every night are forced to find the joy in their own music, long after the new-ness and excitement have worn off.  I’ve been keeping my eye on them for a couple years now, and I am always blown away that they’ve got gigs from their hometown of Wichita all the way out west to places like Portland and Santa Cruz. I’m sure they travel east too, but I’ve never had any need to care.

 

 

So there you have it. Two good musical groups that you can go listen to RIGHT NOW, instead of re-hashing the year’s releases over and over.