Cranking it in the UK

What do we expect from modern America? On the one hand we are used to castigating the right wing, jingoistic, oil obsessed politics of the administration, and on the other hand we find some of those most dedicated to actively finding new economic templates and committing themselves to protecting the world’s ecosystems. Dom Paczko’s latest www.choosemymusic.org project “The State Of Music” seeks out 50 unsigned acts from across the USA, so would it reflect this diversity?

Aside from the State Of Music blog on choosemymusic.org, Dom has decided to make a series of compilations from the acts that feature on the site. With all proceeds going to charity, that’s a lot of dedication.

The opening track is true call to arms, “Settle Down” by North Carolina band Junior Astronomers sits at the quality end of the garage punk sound. A strong vocal with a great rasping edge, a cry of youth to their elders. Surely that is the essence of modern America right there?

From the opening volley the compilation moves on to a softer solo “The Backyard” by Gomez Addams, here I think you can start to sense of space that one thinks of when Ohio is brought to mind. This feels less accomplished than Settle Down, I really liked the vocal, but would have preferred a simpler sound that just put Gomez’s voice and simple guitar together.

I haven’t been as diligent as I should in listening to every track on The State Of Music blog, so it was a real surprise to find two hip-hop tracks on the album. I hadn’t expected anything other than guitar based music to turn up, and both Kendall Elijah and Unsung with their tracks are welcome additions. The gentle clarinet samples in The Wild underpin the Maryland contribution and it’s a sound that one might expect from the East Coast. Of the two, I preferred Unsung. Not what I would expect from West Virginia, certainly this is not John Denver. The urban flow rolls over a layered, abstract background which is simple and very effective.

Aside from Unsung, the stand-out tracks for me on this excellent compilation would be DEERPEOPLE from Oklahoma, Earth House from Alabama and Lady Lamb The Beekeeper from Maine. Only the last of these really demonstrates a clear sense of a link between music and location, you can feel a cold winter, coastal towns and grey skies in “Regarding Ascending The Stairs”. It’s a great track and the only female lead on this first release from The State Of Music Project.

Lady Lamb The Beekeeper would have made an excellent end to the compilation, and I think might have left a clear sense of more to follow, a comma rather than closure. But, having said that, to not give Earth House some clear recognition by dropping them into the last spot would have been wrong. Esto is a great track, a truly accomplished work that has space and character, gentle lulls and sweeping almost choral elements.

America is more diverse and yet at the same time more united than the European states, so I was interested to hear whether The State Of Music would produce cohesion or variety. Would a sense of the different spaces shine through the music? In some of the tracks, I think there is a clear sense of place, whilst others like “Wake for Waves” are enhanced by being out of place. 

Selecting an unsigned band from every state of the USA, and then interviewing them and posting links to their music is a superb result of many hours of dedication. In a world crowded with media outlets, which all too often cover a worryingly narrow band of taste, Dom Paczko is to be praised for his efforts and he has uncovered some real gems here.

The State Of Music is avaialble soon for just £6 in limited physical release, or digital release only for £3 with proceeds going to the Camden Calling charity. You can find out more here: http://www.choosemymusic.org/the-state-of-music-album and as demand for the physcial release is going to be very high, you should probably sign up for the pre-order list here : http://choosemymusic.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=1cd90e2144e74d05c9d8ad63a&id=74b8a3eef8