Saturday: Trioscapes - From the Earth to the Moon

     I've spent a fair amount of time with Trioscapes' new record Digital Dream Sequence since it came out, and I've come to the conclusion that it's a grower, not a shower.

     Upon first listen, I thought, this is good, but not as good as Separate Realities. But after multiple listens, I've decided it's at least as good. It's grown on me with every listen, and today's song is a major reason why.

     "From the Earth to the Moon" might just be my favourite track on Digital Dream Sequence, thanks largely to the big fat groove that happens (for the first time) around 3:25 when all three instruments sync up for a passage that gets endlessly stuck in my head. Later, just shy of 6:00, when the guys touch on these ideas again with flute in place of saxophone, it's that much bigger because of it.

     The only problem? No upload of this song on Youtube, or anywhere else that I've found so far. So you're just going to have to get yourself a copy of Digital Dream Sequence to know what I'm talking about.

Trioscapes - Stab Wounds

     Some days I go out looking for a song to feature here, listening to a variety of stuff and picking something I dig enough to want to share. But then there are the other days, when the right song falls in my lap. Today is one of those song-in-lap days, and it's extra exciting because it's a new a song off the new album by a band you should know I'm really into.

     We've known that great jazzy equalizers Trioscapes have been working on their follow-up to 2012's Separate Realities for a while now, but in the last couple of days we've finally gotten a release date and, more importantly, a new song.

     Sophomore disc Digital Dream Sequence drops August 19th, but you should most definitely listen to the first single "Stab Wounds" right now. It's got a but of a heavier feel to it than previous Trioscapes material -- not necessarily more metal or anything, just a little bit... heavier -- but there's still all the groove that makes Trioscapes what it is. Oh, and all the yazz flute is still there too. Gods be praised.

Album of the Week: Trioscapes - Separate Realities

     The other day I featured the latest from Scale the Summit's Chris Letchford, and it got me thinking about instrumental music generally, and instrumental jazz in particular, and, for my money, any conversation about modern instrumental jazz has to include the titans in Trioscapes.

     Drums, bass, and saxophone might sound like a somewhat limited palette, but it's more than enough for the boys in Trioscapes (among whom is Dan Briggs, bassist from Between the Buried and Me, for those of you who need a metal connection to justify some jazz). Exemplifying the term "power trio", Trioscapes weave funky, labyrinthine grooves that can't help but appeal to the riff-oriented mind of this metalhead.

     I've said before, and will no doubt say again, that Trioscapes are a great equalizer. Put them on in a roomful of different musical tastes and watch as everyone miraculously becomes a jazz convert. OK, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration, but not much; I most definitely have put Trioscapes' debut Separate Realities on for friends of mine who don't normally share my musical tastes and discovered that lo, we have come ground after all. So why don't you spend some time with Separate Realities this week and see if you too have a little jazz in you.

Trioscapes - Curse of the Ninth

     We're going to shift gears ever so slightly for this last evening of Instrumental Week. If I've spent the last six days trying to convince you that music doesn't need vocals to be badass, then tonight you're going to learn that instrumental music doesn't need to be metal to be "metal".

     I've espoused the great unifying properties of Trioscapes before, but then I was talking about getting your non-jazz friends into something jazzy. Now I'm talking about getting your non-instrumental friends into something that doesn't have any words to it. Trioscapes is the band for the job, and since I've already featured a couple of their songs before, tonight "Curse of the Ninth" is the song for the job.

     In metal influencing terms, jazz is the new classical. Back in the day classical music had a heavy influence on some of the greats of the genre (like Metallica, just to name one example) but now jazz is where it's at (take Between the Buried and Me, to again cite but a single instance). Why not check out the very groovy intersection of the metal, jazz, and instrumental worlds that is Trioscapes? You'll be glad you did.

Song of the Day: Trioscapes - Separate Realities

     Happy Sunday night, everybody. Since it was Kelsey's birthday yesterday and we spent the weekend at her parent's house, and of course because she is so awesome, I figure she deserves another song. But as much as I love her, I'm not writing this blog just for her, right? So the challenge then becomes picking a good song that she really digs but that the rest of you should find equally bad ass. Challenge accepted.

Song of the Day: Trioscapes - Blast Off

     I've got something a little different for you today, and something I can't believe I haven't posted about before. However, I warn you now, there be saxophone ahead. I know sax isn't everyone's favourite thing, and can in fact be quite divisive, so consider this your fair warning that today's song includes sax.* Intrigued? Read on.