I am listening to “Cycles Repeat” right now. It’s soothing and melodic and yet I want to find meaning.
‘Meaning,’ (ha ha), this could provoke the ramblings of words torn apart by the vicious strings of guitars and double bass.
That’s how I feel when I hear Rebecca sing … I see highways (and I hear something about a grave); and my speakers are a bit muzzy at the moment, so I apologise that I can’t make out all of the lyrics.
However – I love it when I near the devil and something reborn, like the guitar strings, lead and rhythm, being replucked and plucked until the sound is plugged, right into one’s mind. Yes, that sound of singing seems to get right into one’s mind.
Right – back to the big picture. I look for something real and emotional in art …
I’m now listening to Cogwheel Dogs’ song “Emmeline”.
…. Yes, art for my taste benefits from having something raw about it. I don’t know if it’s just me but I hate it when the artist is trying to manufacture something to please somebody else. I mean it’s better for the artist to produce something that everybody hates than it is for them to sit their and scientifically try and work out what will be popular. God, I know it myself from my personal experience.
That song has ended so I’m now going to listen to “The Bee of the Multi-Storey Foxglove” by Cogwheel Dogs.
A fantastic song that was – really enjoyed the sort of ethereal energy that it had. I don’t really want to say this too loudly because good things are best kept secret – but Cogwheel Dogs are best kept very-very secret because they are really-really good. But for their sake then it would be nice if one day they hit the bigtime – However, your reward, whoever you are reading this, is merely to listen to them and enjoy them.
Eel Six devoted a year to writing his book, The Secret/Unsecret Grey List Project. It is out now on Amazon.
TinVanMan
March 26, 2015 at 7:53 pm“Cycles Repeat” is great. I agree that I am not sure of the meaning, but it is so hypnotic and the balance between sweet harmony and dissonance is perfect. First time hearing this band but for sure not the last. I would really like to hear something with her and a full band. I imagined some percussion kicking in at about 2 minutes and I really liked what I “heard.”
zandi
April 5, 2015 at 1:12 pmYes. If an artist is not relating to their own composition, it is a waste of time and energy. “Go alone, dance with the soil” resonates deep in my bones. For me, the personal emotions we individually relate to is the beauty of the experience of listening to music. Sometimes it is the lyrics, sometimes it is the beat of the melody, or in some cases the lack of any rhythm. Emmeline brings me peace. Thanks for posting.
nlawestx
April 8, 2015 at 1:58 pmWhat interested me about this article is the way you put the feelings you have when you hear this song, such as “I see highways.” It sounds like there is some deep hurt being revisited in the first song. Do you happen to use music as an escape, or as a therapeutic method?
Heather_Rose
May 29, 2015 at 5:58 amShe has a wonderful voice! I love this music; it’s so raw and un… manufactured. There’s something visceral about hearing the sound of someone’s fingers on a guitar, sliding along the strings while they play, that just gets me right in the gut. Music should be about the music being made, not about a perfectly polished product.
BeanKeeper
June 4, 2015 at 2:09 amWell, this whole article hit home with me. The music selections? New to me, but definitely appreciated. There is a song that brings my heart into my throat and a sting to my eyes: Trevor Hall’s “Lime Tree.” Don’t listen to it unless you’re driving on a winding, wooded road with the light dancing across the hood of your car. It is a song that should never be taken for granted or played with irresponsible casualness. Play it where it belongs – on the aforementioned drive or when the moon is brilliant and lofty in steel blue of the night and you can smell the sleeping greenery. Truly. Good song. Thanks for the article.
Crawling Dolphin
June 6, 2015 at 6:45 pmI personally love Emmeline. It reminds me of my childhood days and fairy tales with a hint of darkness. I actually closed my eyes when I listened to it and I had the imagery of a little girl walking through the forest with all sorts of magical creatures. Yes, magical. That’s what Emmeline is – magical.
Liv6
June 24, 2015 at 11:46 pmI likewise did not really pay attention to the lyrics of “Cycles Repeat” as well as I probably should have, but the tune is unmistakably soothing. For me, I picture a group of friends around a campfire, but “Emmeline” just had me think of a spring day in a field. Her voice is hauntingly beautiful, and I find myself returning to listen to each of these songs a second time. Excellent choice in music! I’ll be looking for future tours for them; I’d love to hear them live.
Coolbutlame
September 8, 2015 at 8:19 pmStringed instruments are criminally underused in modern music, so it makes me extremely excited to see this band put them to good use. I love the post-punk and jazz influences of Cogwheel. It sounds like something I would either trip to or enjoy on a slow sunday afternoon.
Necrotica123
September 10, 2015 at 8:40 amInteresting work! I do get a campfire vibe from this for sure, and the lack of glossy production values or pop polish is quite refreshing.
RMAU
June 3, 2016 at 10:32 pmThe collector s gaze is limited in height and width. His gaze is not tall enough to see all four rows at once. His gaze is not wide enough to see all three columns at once. This is counterintuitive because human gaze tends to be wider than it is tall. But these constraints upon the collector s gaze are implied by the idea that there must be an eel painting in each column and each row. For if his gaze was of greater area, he could sweep his vision across either dimension and see all of the six paintings.