A band called Midlake

St. Louis' very own Old Rockhouse (http://oldrockhouse.com/) has been newly...(and coolly) revamped. They've had some very cool bands of late, quite an improvement over their previous bookings. I'm looking forward to seeing a band called Midlake play there on May 15. Midlake is a band from Denton, Texas, a place I've never been but am familiar with due to it being the hometown of one of my favorite musicians, Will Johnson. Don't get me started on Will. :)

Midlake was formed in 1999 by a group of University of North Texas jazz students heavily influenced by Herbie Hancock. By their own accord they were jazz musicians that from the start never really played jazz music. They've been said to lean toward an indie sound but personally I don't hear that. Their music is hard to describe and impossible to pigeonhole and I think that's one of the things I appreciate most about them. They have a different sound for sure. Some say it's sort of exotic, dreamy. One description I read was "shimmering with melodic swirls that feature tight, almost orchestral vocals and grand storytelling. I would say yeah that sounds about right.

I remember listening to their 2006 album "The Trials of Van Occupanther,"....really listening, not just to their different sound, but mostly to their words. The album is chock full of great storytelling. Wikipedia describes the acclaimed album as "a suite of lush, heavily melodic songs laden with multi-part harmonies, given evocative lyrical imagery set in woodlands, boats and log cabins, telling oblique but moving tales of pioneering, travel and isolation." How true how true. When I hear songs such as Roscoe, Head Home, Young Bride, Branches, they take me to another place where I can see for myself those pioneers, their travels, and imagine their lives so totally different than my own. It's a nice place to visit once in a while.

Midlake's new album, released in February, is called "The Courage of Others." So far I've only had a chance to listen to a couple of the songs from the album but I can definitely say I'm still a big fan and know that as May gets closer I'll be getting more and more excited to see them live. To a person that doesn't get excited all that easily that means a heckuva lot.

To listen to some songs from "The Trials of Van Occupanther" click on My Music Room (right column). I think my favorite song from the album may be Young Bride. I love how the words and beautiful violin emote the sadness and despair of the young girl in this story, yet somehow the song still manages to warm my heart.