Just think about those bands and the sentiments of those songs which make you want to curl around a tune like you would with a blanket on a cold day on a couch with the expectations of the most wonderful thoughts. That song that musically touches upon everything that is right with everything that you love about music, which in essence, once again, reaffirming that your taste in music is exceptional, and that you're not the only one who can confirm this. No, I don't mean obnoxiously, I mean that others out there seem to be exactly what you are into which means the artists you think are grander than grand are universally, to some extent, felt in the same manner.
And Also The Trees. Pale Saints. Cocteau Twins. The Ocean Blue. Ride. They all got together, toured America, touched base in Arizona, and decided to grab a couple of kids who played music and listened to them and said, "Take this melody and sentiment and spread it to others. If you like us so much, then let the others know, that in America there are still people who can play what is always defined as "euro"!"
So the guitarist, whom had to put Echoes on a Shallow Bay on pause while being spoken to said, "this is true. If For Against did it, we can too!"
Start the project known as HALF STRING.
They went into their recording studio adorned with the artwork of Vaughan Oliver and Chris Biggs and some Brassai photographs, and on a rainy day the track Hue was created. It would be their first recorded track and the one that would confirm for all of them that they were onto something. Most importantly, being the slightly righteous lads they were, they never wanted to be an indie sell out band, but merely play the music they wanted to and be the band that could honestly admit that their albums were part of what they were currently listening to. When I stood back after reading that in a magazine, I thought, there is absolutely nothing selfish about that at all. You SHOULD make the music that makes you want to listen to it as if its your favorite band. It makes total sense.
The following week, with instruments in had the guys hit the studio after finishing watching a bunch of old films while hanging out with their female counterparts the night before over a really comfortable meal at their off the hillside diner. Oval, Sun Less Sea and Slow Engine Kill were spawned and well, every following week another great song was recorded and the EP's of Hue, Oval, and Eclipse were completed.
One afternoon one of the members stumbled upon a Lively Art compilation at a record shop and after listening to it, called the other guys and they all agreed, that combined with the immense amount of Sad Lovers and Giants, particularly "Epic Garden Music" that that they had been listening to, that this was the direction they wanted to take their last ep. Some of them had their doubts if others would get the early Midnight Records influence in the songs, "Would they know we had been listening to Snake Corps?" They called up their friends in the Abecedarians and inquired if anyone had ever gotten too wise to the act they were doing.
"Has enyone blatantly called you out for probably being huge fans of Royal Family and The Poor and The Chameleons, and that you have an undying love for Faith by The Cure," but honestly there was no problem.
"We just play and record what we would want to listen to."
With that the recording continued and the final ep of the trilogy was completed. This shimmering beauty of novelty distributed out to the indie masses and warmly received by fans who thought, "gosh this sounds like it has all the influences a band should."
It was in the end, exactly what it was meant to be at the start. And with that, I was grateful to encounter them, and am warmed to share them with anyone whom is so willing as to have a great addition to their collection, if you don't already. Highly advised for those rainy gray afternoons in early spring.
LINK : Maps For Sleep
(and yes, none of this is true, but it certainly does make a good story and is highly probable in an alternate universe)
