lately i have been listening to Otis Redding nonstop.  on the bus to get work done, in the kitchen doing dishes, and while playing around in my room with my new accidental pet rabbit.  just constant and unabashed Otis all the time.

if you read anything about Otis redding than you know that he got started at a very young age.  by the time he was 19 he was touring with Pinetoppers, and at age 21 he wrote and recorded one of rock n roll’s greatest ballads “these arms of mine.”  this man accomplished so much in his short life it is unbeleiveable.  many songs you still hear today were written by him; songs like “respect” made famous and “hard to handle” covered by both the greatful dead and the black crowes were both originally written by otis redding.

to accomplish as much as he did at such a young age baffels me.  i just do not understand it.  where does it come from? that spark of creativity, pocket, and charisma to become such a reknowned artist and musician that the post office issues a stamp with your face on it.

i do, however, see it in a lot of faces that come through TCS.  students who have that drive and that “little somethin’ else” find their way into our program and make me feel crappy about myself.  those kids will be the next otis redding.

sadly otis redding died in a plane wreck when he was 26.  but he owned the plane. at 26th. insane.

in other news, anyone else think its wierd that electronic arts used matt and kim’s song daylight for the sims 3 ad? i do.

i was going to add an otis redding song to this post, but now i’ve been listening to matt and kim for 30 minutes so i am going to force you to watch this video:

- larry

so. larry and i are beginning a once a week onslaught on the blogging world, and since the whole point of the Collective Sound stems from an appreciation and love for music, i’m going to begin this with just that. most of what i do, form here on out, will probably be talking about music, reviewing, discussing and sharing thoughts on new albums, movements and shifts within this beloved industry.

first, PJ Harvey. I’ll admit to being somewhat of a late bloomer when it cam to one Polly Jean. my first introduction came in 1995 with the album, “To Bring You My Love” and the single “Down By the Water,” which most people incorrectly remember as the little fish, little fish, swimming in the water song. vocally, she has always had an incredibly haunting voice and that was the initial hook for me. in regards to “Down By the Water,” it was that voice coupled by the apocalyptic sounding synth, overdriven bass line. upon hearing, i purchased “Bring You my Love” and the preceding albums, but then lost touch with her until the amazing “Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea” in 2000, which came with an unbelievable duet between her and one Thom Yorke.

the new album continues in this vein of defying genre and existing solely as it is. she belongs in a category amongst bands like radiohead who continue to make inspired music uninfluenced by the happening of popular radio trends. and they stay amazing. highly recommended. key tracks: “Black Hearted Love,” “Leaving California,” and the title track.

the other cd i picked up was the new one from one mr. bob dylan. dylan has worn many masks throughout his career; poet, voice of a generation, renegade, pioneer protest singer. he has had many phases; folk, his electric turn, blues, christian, rockabilly. his newest… i’m not sure how to categorize. as i mentioned above, there are a few artists throughout the history of music that tend to do whatever they want, ignoring the ebb and flow of the current scene. honestly, the first few tracks sound like tom waits, and i love me some tom waits. this album follows suit, continuing on a sound from 1997’s “Time out of Mind.”

dylan, at his best, is a whirlwind. he picks you up and makes you run a labyrinth of imagery, backed by a band sculpted throughout the years by the man himself. at his worst, he’s still the greatest storyteller of our time. this album captures both. while not his best work, still better than most else out there, and definitely worth a listen. key tracks: “Beyond Here lies Nothin,” “Life is Hard,” “Jolene.”

here is the first video off the new dylan album.

-tim