Creeping Weeds...

Ok, so there's this band called Creeping Weeds that sent me their CD. Actually they emailed me and asked if they could send it to me, I said yes. Usually that's where these little interlocutions stop because I end up listening to the first track of the CD, skip through the rest of the tracks and decide that Pro Tools and My Space were the worst things to ever happen to music. But Creeping Weeds' CD We Are All Part of a Dream You Are Having actually shows a degree of professionalism and dedication to craft that many bands with rehearsal spaces can only dream of. Customarily I like to spend at least a week with a CD before I consider posting about it as I try to stay true to my mantra of "music I like and music I think other people should like". I diligently try to avoid simply cutting and pasting the vast number of links that are emailed to me every day by a variety of labels and publicists who are, I believe, very good people trying to do their job. I like to believe in the music, feel a little moved by it, be convinced that there's something special going on in a song. But there are a couple of songs on We Are All Part of a Dream You Are Having that I have found to be immediately affecting. And that's good. Creeping Weeds wear their influences on their collective sleeves (or at least on the sleeve of primary songwriter Pete Stewart) and those influences are classic indie rock. I'm talking about Pavement primarily, Modest Mouse, Shins (my jury is still out on the new record)and the like. The band has done a good of synthesizing said influences into something that is at the least notable for the fine effort they have made to be true to those influences. It's not a completely original undertaking but it's a fine place for a talented young band to begin. Does it require some polish? Sure, I could do without the noodling of the 7 minute plus "Derelict", but then they come back with the schizophrenically charming "Our Country Home" which is as all over the place as my youngest nephew after 2 Cokes and a box of Zots. There are good heartfelt songs here. Sometimes a little sincerity goes along way with me.

my 2 favorite songs from We Are All Part of a Dream You Are Having:

The Desert

Wired Shut

If you live in in the city that no longer has Allen Iverson (and I spent alot of time there in college so I have opinions) Creeping Weeds CD release party is on Jan. 26th @ 1201 N. Frankford Ave.