Melodically, I fucking loved the song. Heart 2 Heart reminded me of similar music crafted by talented groups such as The Smashing Pumpkins and Muse. There is an intoxicating buildup of anticipation from the song as it preps the stage for the next tune to scene its way into the lineup, or as it closes us out into a moment of silence, and integration.
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There was a new track that slid across my desk last week and this one stuck with me. I get lots of requests these days to check out new music from various artists via their management or record label. However, this one came straight from the artist and from the Land Down Under. Not to be confused with The Upside Down from Stranger Things (old punk head trying to keep up with the kids), this is from Australia. I received a very polite and straight forward message, asking me to simply check it out if I could, from a musician named Zara Chantelle.
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SOAD’s music made my grief-anger feel so seen and understood. Much later in life, I heard how these lyrics came to be was by the album’s producer, Rick Rubin, encouraging Serj to grab a random book off the shelf, find a random line, and build lyrics from that. How crazy is it that a random suggestion and chance turned into some of the most affecting lyrics for so many people.
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My prize was going to be in the Neuhoff District at the River Steps, along the Cumberland River, for a FREE show that flew under the radar somehow. This curation was also put on by a radio station but had limited advertising and was in the realm of IYKYK. Lightning 100.1 FM kept their promotion fairly low key, but if you were following along on The Gram you knew. The semi-secret show was one that severely caught my eye with Big Star on the bill. More specifically, Big Star Quintet, which is an amalgamation of legendary musicians who have recently joined forces to bring you the timeless music of the 1970’s indie power-pop band from Memphis, Tennessee. In fact, they were playing the bill alone with a gorgeously managed 7pm start time. The beauty of seeing older bands is those early start times that lead to early end times.
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‘Butterfly’ takes us down that winding road of the inevitable…death. However, this isn’t a gloom and doom song about the end of days. It is a beacon of light that begs the question of “what really happens when we die?” and combines that with a glimmering and optimistic answer. Hopefully we are with the ones that went before us, and if we are first, then hopefully our loves will follow us there. Rose says of the track, “Overall the song is about the idea of being so deeply bonded with someone that you believe you would stay connected in any and every lifetime.”
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The band itself started simply enough: Eddie and Bean, guitar and drums, two guys making instrumental music together. Six months later, bassist Oj joined, and the connection was immediate. The trio eventually christened themselves the “Cosmic Triangle”, which is exactly the sort of wonderfully dramatic name I expect from a psychedelic instrumental band wandering around the New Mexico desert.
And for nearly nine years, the triangle held.
The people who make music (at any/every stage of the process) absolutely embody Hibiscus/Hummingbird energy. They pursue that flow in order to send something of true beauty out into the Universe that brings so much joy to so many people. While joy (as well as music that brings joy) can be highly subjective, some artists that immediately come to my mind are: Cher, Hans Zimmer … DOLLY PARTON. (We will miss you so much, dearest Dolly. See here for The Godfather’s piece regarding his mom’s recent visit and their outings that led them to honoring and sending love to Dolly.) Artists like these more-than-honorable mentions have creates such an abundance of good energy with their music – and thank Universe for that.
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