Perhaps the glasses that accompany Brightblack Morning Light's self-titled album say enough about the record itself. They're of thin paper, with a rainbow, three marijuana plants, and the phrase "resisting Babylon system one rainbow at a time" drawn on the face. To aid in achieving this stated goal, putting on the glasses blurs the wearer's vision and not only makes rainbows appear but all capitalist yearning for mindless consumption vanish. Ostensibly, wearing these glasses while listening to Brightblack Morning Light's music will transport listeners to places in which nature takes priority, where things are peaceful, where hours can be spent by the river watching the flow of the water and contemplating the simplicities of life. Whether all of this actually happens, however, is fairly debatable. Not that the efforts by founding bandmembers Nathan "Nabob" Shineywater and Rachael "Rabob" Hughes aren't sincere (they live in tents during the warmer months of the year and a communal cabin when it's colder), but their apparent desire to break out of stereotypes is so strong that it almost seems contrived. Why the glasses? Shouldn't the music itself be sufficient? But perhaps all of this superfluity must happen because the band realizes that the actual record just isn't quite strong enough to bring its listeners to any kind of higher plane of understanding. It's not bad, it's just not as profound as Shineywater and Hughes would like everyone to believe it is. It's slow, languid music, music that wants to be sung by the Spanish moss that hangs in the duo's home state of Alabama, but stays stuck in the swamps instead. It's all very nice; it just doesn't ever do anything, say anything, mean anything. The Fender Rhodes starts a simple groove, the guitar joins in, the hi-hat begins tapping out triplets, and then Shineywater's nearly unintelligible vocals pour in, echoing against Hughes' own voice and the bass, but it goes nowhere, does nothing. The lyrics meander around abstract ideas of oneness with nature that aren't particularly profound ("With silver cloud came a rainfall, with rain made a river come all for you"), the instruments continue repeating the same phrases, and everything is poignant in that way that a prism refracting sunlight around a room is: not very, but pretty nonetheless. Brightblack Morning Light may have been able to successfully extricate themselves from the grips of urban existence, but it's doubtful that their music will do the same for anyone else.
My favorite received gift this holiday was the Brightblack Morning Light record. I was especially excited about the little sheet that came with the record that tells you how to download the mp3s. "The best of both worlds!" I thought.A couple of weeks ago I took said sheet out, placed it by my computer, and walked away. This was a bad idea, because it's gone now, and I can't find it anywhere....
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i didnt blog at all yesterday and i feel like iv been gone for ages! im in the process of writing at the moment, and so thought id channel all of my literary skills into my music, but i cant. mog is too addictive. anyway i figure i deserve a break.....yesterday i picked up the album "Brightblack Morning Light" by the band of the same name, after seeing it in pitchforks 50 best albums of the yea...
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It was a couple of weeks ago, in the morning, and I was snoozing, just about to wake up. I fell into a dream, one of those warm muddy dreams... and an image came to me.Specifically, the Brightblack Morning Milk Truck. It was driving by through the yellow haze of a summer morning, and birds were chirping and the world was beautiful.When I woke up, I said to myself, "Hum." I'd heard of Brightblac...
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Just saw one of the best shows of the year at the First Unitarian Church in Philly this past Sunday (June 25th, '06)... Brightblack Morning Light played with my good friends, Espers (and Mairee Sioux opening). Those guys were tapping into some powerful vibes. Two drum kits, guitar, Fender Rhodes and super processed vocals... They got into a heavy groove for the packed, sweaty house. Super me...
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On Tuesday I got back to California from relative musical obscurity (also known as Western Europe). Aside from the random instance of hearing an apartment in the tiny residential area of Venice play "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley on repeat, I've been completely out of touch with what's going on with music for the past month. However, since I've returned I've been seeing mentions in blogs and artic...
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First let me say that I miss Muxtape and Mixwit. Record companies are eff'ing idiots, and any time I think that I would want to be a lawyer for one I quickly recall that it would be a bummer to be on the wrong side of history despite any skillful training. All I want to do is post an internet mix.Does anyone know if you can still make MOG playlists? I seem to remember that feature somewhere in ...
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Here it is, childrens, the tenth day of 2007. "How is 2007 going?" you ask. "Fine," I say, "but I need some new music to ring in the year."2006 was Brightblack Morning Light and Joanna Newsom. Nonetheless I am not really a freak folkster. So now I need something with bass lines!Can anyone help me?
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It was a couple of weeks ago, in the morning, and I was snoozing, just about to wake up. I fell into a dream, one of those warm muddy dreams... and an image came to me.Specifically, the Brightblack Morning Milk Truck. It was driving by through the yellow haze of a summer morning, and birds were chirping and the world was beautiful.When I woke up, I said to myself, "Hum." I'd heard of Brightblac...
More >
According to 'The Village Voice' BrightBlack Morning Light has released the best indie-rock album of the year.I've checked it out...and can't turn it off. It is the kind of backround music that has the potential to remain in the rotation for a long, long time.The blunted, hazy, funk induced rhythms are just doing it for me....its mood music. Check the "BAND":http://www.thebrightblackmorningli...
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i didnt blog at all yesterday and i feel like iv been gone for ages! im in the process of writing at the moment, and so thought id channel all of my literary skills into my music, but i cant. mog is too addictive. anyway i figure i deserve a break.....yesterday i picked up the album "Brightblack Morning Light" by the band of the same name, after seeing it in pitchforks 50 best albums of the yea...
More >
On Tuesday I got back to California from relative musical obscurity (also known as Western Europe). Aside from the random instance of hearing an apartment in the tiny residential area of Venice play "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley on repeat, I've been completely out of touch with what's going on with music for the past month. However, since I've returned I've been seeing mentions in blogs and artic...
More >
Just saw one of the best shows of the year at the First Unitarian Church in Philly this past Sunday (June 25th, '06)... Brightblack Morning Light played with my good friends, Espers (and Mairee Sioux opening). Those guys were tapping into some powerful vibes. Two drum kits, guitar, Fender Rhodes and super processed vocals... They got into a heavy groove for the packed, sweaty house. Super me...
More >
--- - |- Gather round, all you cinnamon gals and mellow fellows: Brother Nabob and Sister Rabob have got something new to lay on you. Brightblack Morning Light-- the slippery, stoney, bluesy slowcore duo of Nathan "Nabob" Shineywater and Rachael "Rabob" Hughes-- have jammed out their follow-up to their 2006 self-titled breakthrough. This one's called Motion to Rejoin, it retains much of the s...
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My favorite received gift this holiday was the Brightblack Morning Light record. I was especially excited about the little sheet that came with the record that tells you how to download the mp3s. "The best of both worlds!" I thought.A couple of weeks ago I took said sheet out, placed it by my computer, and walked away. This was a bad idea, because it's gone now, and I can't find it anywhere....
More >
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 "Brightblack Morning Light")
