That's how I discovered the music of the Toronto-based band Uncle Seth. Not Rolling Stone. Not Spin. Not MTV, VH1, or MuchMusic. Not even a snotty "Indie" publication like Pitchfork Media.
Nope, the Uncle Seth podcasts posted here at Blogcritics. I just love their energy, humor and apparent chemistry (unless they're faking that, in which case they're incredibly great actors and are in the wrong business). At the end of each podcast is a song, usually something taken from one of their live shows. After several episodes, I begged for some music by firing off an email to Jay Moonah, the Uncle Seth bass and harmonica player. A few weeks later, the package arrived.
Which brings us to this morning. I've been blasting both Lame Suburban Poetry (2002) and Forgive and Forget Vol. 1 (2005) in my car for several weeks. It's tough to pick a favorite as the band's lineup change between the two recordings brought a slight change in sound. What's constant between the two are the very melodic and tight arrangements, harmonica lines that bolster the melody when not creating it, and the strong vocals of Tara Thompson. Their music reminds me of when I first started listening to Joe Jackson, right when he started to move away from his early New Wave-ish era. Unlike much commercial music being produced today, there's still some "air" in it. Whether it be a ballad or a straight ahead rocker, you're not overwhelmed with the full-on compression that ruins many a modern recording. This allows the various musical elements (vocals, interplay between bass and guitar, percussion) to not be lost in the sonic wash. Go ahead, just check out the newly-released single "To Be An Angel" on their website. Listeners familiar with their podcasts will recognize this as the opening music, played just before that funny and/or annoying "Poooooooodcasssssttt!" thing.
Not being much the traveling sort, I've never made a trip to Moncton. The closest I ever got was Machias, Maine. No wait, I did go to Montreal once. Hmmm, maybe I should visit Toronto.
Article comments
1 - DJRadiohead
Another winner this week, Sir Saleski, and I know you've been dying to fire one off at PFM.
2 - ~Tara~
Thanks for the love Mark.
It would be great to have you visit us in Toronto..you should come!
thanks again,
~Tara from Uncle Seth