If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Courtney Chappell If you had told me I was going to be this fascinated by experimental re-workings of sea shanties, I never would have believed you, but here we are. The latest single from Shane Parish is "Randy Dandy O," and it continues his guitar and drums re-imagining of traditional sea shanties. This one is just guitar, and the accompanying video is a live outdoor performance of the song, complete with the noises of cars driving in the distance. Once again, it doesn't sound like a traditional song at all until you start really paying attention and the traditional melody slowly unveils itself to you. "Randy Dandy O" is the rare kind of song that is going to appeal to fans of traditional music and experimental music. You can watch the video for "Randy Dandy O" below. Liverpool is due out March 4 on Dear Life Records and can be pre-ordered via Bandcamp . For more on Shane Parish, check out the artist's website . Upcoming tour dates are b...

Photo by Courtney Chappell I never thought I'd be that into reworked sea shanties, but we live in odd times. Shane Parish has recently released a new song from his album of re-imagined sea shanties for guitar and percussion. "Haul Away Joe" doesn't truly sound like a traditional song. It's experimental guitar layered over guitar and drums. It's beautiful, but in kind of an ugly way. Parish has created this swirling and haunting soundscape for "Haul Away Joe" that is going to repel casual top 40 or adult contemporary listeners, but is going to draw adventurous listeners in. You're going to be taken in by the wave of sound that sweeps over you and around you. As I describe this, I realize I'm also describing an ocean wave which wasn't intentional. And then, slowly, the melody of a traditional sea shanty starts peeking out for you to notice. Shane Parish has crafted something truly special and unique here. In a press release, Shane Parish ta...

Photo by Courtney Chappell The upcoming album from Shane Parish is one of the more interesting releases we've come across. Liverpool is a collection of traditional sea shanties re-imagined with electric guitar and drums. The collection of songs was originally arranged for an acoustic guitar but were then recorded with electric guitars. Far from being a TikTok trend, a song like "Black Eyed Susan" sounds like no sea shanty you've ever heard before. It's an experimental instrumental showcase for Parish's musicianship. While most experimental guitar based music tends to focus more on noise, Parish takes the familiar and completely reworks it in a dark and hypnotic way. There aren't many artists out there that could release a six and a half minute instrumental sea shanty and make it one of the most compelling listens of the year, but Parish has gifted us all with that. You can watch the video for "Black Eyed Susan" below. Liverpool is due out March 4...