The Internet is the great equalizer. If you grew up when I did, you could have had all the talent and drive in the world and, unless lightning struck or you got very very lucky, nobody would hear your music outside of your immediate area. It's no small thing to be the hottest band in your neighborhood, but, if you're making music, I'm sure you want more people to hear it. Ah, but the Internet allows anybody to post their music and it's there to be had by the entire world. And, OK, most of it is going to lay there like a latke. And, even if you've got all the talent and drive in the world, you're still going to have to be very lucky to hit it big. But people beyond your immediate area are going to hear your music. Next thing you know, you've got a fan in Tuscaloosa Alabama or Parsippany New Jersey or Cavalleria Rusticana. And it's all to the mustard (extraneous Abbott and Costello reference).
But the power of the Internet is even greater than that. It brings bands back to life!
Sorry. This is what I sound like at 3 a.m..
Depression Glass was/is a band from Madison, Wisconsin. They formed in the early 90s and, in 1995 and 1996, recorded some of their music. And I'm guessing nobody in Tuscaloosa or Parsippany or Cavalleria Rusticana ever heard it. Maybe they did, I dunno. When was My Space a thing? Regardless, Depression Glass has just recently posted these recordings to Bandcamp. And tucked away at the very end of "Through The Pane" (I'm going to refrain from saying anything snide about the album title), are a pair of Christmas songs. "Winter Wonderland" gets a fresh and inventive arrangement but, in the end, it's "Winter Wonderland". But "Is It Still Christmas?"....now there's a song perfectly built for Stubby's.
What I find enticing about Depression Glass--and I'm talking the whole record, here, not just the Christmas stuff--is that here is music recorded nearly a quarter century ago that sounds like music made a half century ago. There's a definite Folk Rock/Folk Pop vibe that takes me back to the days of The Mamas & Papas, The Pozo-Seco Singers, Buffalo Springfield, The Strawbs ...oh, I don't know, there were so many great groups like that back then. It was when Folk met Rock met Pop (and just a little bit of Psych), when Garage bands got a little more polished and brought richer melodies and thoughtful lyrics to their music When music became more than a beat...more of a "head". I don't know how well that sells in today's market. But that, too, is the beauty of the Internet. There are people like me who will love this stuff. And some of us have blogs.
But the power of the Internet is even greater than that. It brings bands back to life!
Sorry. This is what I sound like at 3 a.m..
Depression Glass was/is a band from Madison, Wisconsin. They formed in the early 90s and, in 1995 and 1996, recorded some of their music. And I'm guessing nobody in Tuscaloosa or Parsippany or Cavalleria Rusticana ever heard it. Maybe they did, I dunno. When was My Space a thing? Regardless, Depression Glass has just recently posted these recordings to Bandcamp. And tucked away at the very end of "Through The Pane" (I'm going to refrain from saying anything snide about the album title), are a pair of Christmas songs. "Winter Wonderland" gets a fresh and inventive arrangement but, in the end, it's "Winter Wonderland". But "Is It Still Christmas?"....now there's a song perfectly built for Stubby's.
What I find enticing about Depression Glass--and I'm talking the whole record, here, not just the Christmas stuff--is that here is music recorded nearly a quarter century ago that sounds like music made a half century ago. There's a definite Folk Rock/Folk Pop vibe that takes me back to the days of The Mamas & Papas, The Pozo-Seco Singers, Buffalo Springfield, The Strawbs ...oh, I don't know, there were so many great groups like that back then. It was when Folk met Rock met Pop (and just a little bit of Psych), when Garage bands got a little more polished and brought richer melodies and thoughtful lyrics to their music When music became more than a beat...more of a "head". I don't know how well that sells in today's market. But that, too, is the beauty of the Internet. There are people like me who will love this stuff. And some of us have blogs.
And, hey, they're getting the band back together again. It's Alive! Truthfully, not being from Wisconsin, I don't know whether they've continued playing and making music in the intervening years, but Depression Glass just started up a Facebook page and they've announced a Christmas Show for this coming December. Sorry, I can't make it. But you can download "Through The Pane" from Bandcamp. There's about an hour's worth of music, there, and it's "name your price". It's good stuff, too (personal favorite, aside from the Christmas tunes: "Harvest Moon"). And, now, maybe someone from Tuscaloosa or Parsippany or even Beijing will hear it and wonder where Depression Glass has been all their lives. And that's all to the mustard.
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