My Favorite Band That Isn't From 1969.

Hello Humans! Today we’re going to talk Music. Those who know me best know that Music is something that is super important to me. It’s the thing that’s always been constant in my life and has gotten me through so many hard times, and still does. The stories it tells teaches us things about life that we couldn’t otherwise learn. It either makes you forget everything, or remember anything. Music is so important to me, that it’s something I identify myself by. That’s right. I’m a Classic Rock Junky. All the best bands came from the 60s to 70s. The bands with big names like the Beatles, the Who, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, the Rolling Stones, and all the great American solo artists like Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and Bob Dylan. Just over a year ago, I saw the Who live. This is a whole miracle on its own which I will blog about at a later date, when I feel ready to share that experience. The opening act for the Who was a Modern-Day band. And I loved them. The first reason I loved them, was because of the font of their name. I would recognize that font anywhere as the font that holds the greatest band of all times name: The Beatles. How did I recognize it? Well one, I’m a Beatlesmaniac and have looked at the name countless times, and two, the S’s are VERY unique and look like snakes. That was my first impression of them, was the font their name was written in. Second, was their accents. They were from the amazing country of England, where all the best bands come from. The fact that they were English sparked my interest in them almost immediately. Funny side note, one of my Uncles a couple of years ago was trying to get me to branch out and experience American Bands. It was really nice of him to go through band after band with me, while I listened to one or two of their songs and pretended to like them, but making a mental note to not give them the time of day, because they weren’t from England. I told you, I am a Classic Rock Junky. Thirdly was obviously their music. It sounded old and new at the same time. It was kind of a weird experience, but it spoke to me. I had their song, “She’s My Rattlesnake,” stuck in my head for the next few weeks. Fourth was the way they performed. It was a mix between the crazy jumping, mic-throwing, and guitar smashing of the Who, but settled down and classy like the Beatles. While they sung, they held themselves to a more classy standard, but then came the guitar solo and chorus, and they went wild. They were having a blast on stage, and as part of the audience, I could feel that. They also dressed in a mix between the Mod fashion and the Hippie fashion, both of which I am very fond of. They wore nice button up shirts with jeans, but then wore scarves tied around their head or neck. Their lead singer wore a furry jacket. The drummer reminded me of Keith Moon, going wild and taking the song where it needed to go next. That was my first impression of them. A fantastic start-up band from England. About a month later, I started listening to their album on my Phone. And HOLY COW. The fifth thing that I loved about them is like the older music, their whole album had been carefully planned. Every song originally written, carefully played, edited perfectly, and placed in a specific slot for the final album. The album work was powerful, but elegant. The heart and soul that they put into their music was insane. And then, getting onto their website and reading the band’s story was amazing. Don’t you want to listen to this band already? And I haven’t even mentioned their name. Well, here it is. They are the Slydigs, and I am in love with them and their music. They’ve only released two or three albums, but all pack a punch like the albums back in the golden age of music.

People who know me well, know that I like to look deep into lyrics and their meaning. I mean, I did write a ten-page paper using only the Beatles’ album covers and song lyrics to prove that Paul McCartney did die back in 1964. People who have witnessed me listening to new music know that I intently listen to it the first time, figuring out all of the guitar solos, where the drum fills are, the beautiful bass line that keeps it all together, and figuring out how the lyrics speak to me. So, here we go into yet another song. This one, “To Catch a Fading Light,” is one of their newest songs on their new album, “How Animal Are You?” which is a fantastic album, and you should all go listen to it. It’s only six songs long, but it’s AMAZING. So first of all, to dissect this song, you all need to know the lyrics, so here they are. “Tell me why, why you’re feeling low. Maybe I, I can help you. And if it’s true, that you can’t let go, maybe I ought to know. I should have tried to make you see that you were on my mind. Forever chasing who we used to be. To Catch a Fading Light. Time goes by, and cold winds blow. People change like the seasons. But in my heart, you remain the same. No matter where I go. I hear the calling of the steeple bells. They echo through the night. Another journey on Life’s carousel. To Catch a Fading Light. I was trying hard to be the one you need, but I couldn’t get it right. It ain’t as easy as it used to be, To Catch a Fading Light.” This song is so simple, yet I love the deeper message it contains. Playing it on the Acoustic guitar, instead of their normal hard rock’n’roll Electric Guitar was a fantastic move by the Slydigs and made it that much more impactful. I feel like the deeper meaning is that love slips away so easily, just like a fading light, so you need to tell the people you love that you do love them while you still have the time. Also, another underlying theme that isn’t as prevalent is to be yourself. So that’s my goal for the next few weeks, is to tell the people I love that I love them and why I love them. Stay wild, flower child.