The Ceremonies is:
Matthew Cook Mark Cook
Michael Cook
Today, it seems that people who turn on the radio may
find the same artists that produce the same generic, stale sound. However, if
listeners want to discover new artists that have creative or unique sounds,
they can go to other music sources, such as iTunes, Pandora, blogs, or Youtube,
and do a bit of research. One example of a new artist with a fresh, unique
sound is The Ceremonies. The Ceremonies consist of three brothers from Los
Angeles, California who produce a unique indie-rock sound. Matthew Cook writes
the music and plays all the instruments on the recordings, and all three
members play various instruments live on stage. Matthew also writes the lyrics,
and his writing is influenced by British futurist writer Aldous Huxley and
romantic poets William Blake and William Wordsworth. The band name came about
when the Cooks repeatedly saw the word “ceremonies” while reading through their
favorite novels and poems for inspiration to write music. The band was
recognized by Troy Carter, the manager of Lady Gaga, who signed the group to
his management company, Atom Factory.
On October 8, 2013, The Ceremonies released their self-titled EP, which can be found on music programs like iTunes and Spotify. The band described the EP as more of an “all-around sensory experience, as opposed to just a collection of songs” (Stern). There are a variety of instruments on the record, such as guitar, drums, flute, bass guitar, trumpets, keyboards, and the xylophone. The album has received very positive reviews from iTunes users, and after listening to the EP, I can understand why. My overall reaction to this EP is that this isn’t music, but an experience. While listening to the songs “Ballroom Bones” and “Nightfall”, I sometimes imagined traveling through outer space, and other times I imagined watching a meteor shower. The lead single on the album, “Land of Gathering”, makes a great use of the synthesizer and trumpets. The vocals and harmonies are so well-done that it would put famous pop and rock vocalists to shame. In addition, some sounds on the EP reminded me of artists like U2, Of Monsters and Men, Arcade Fire, and MGMT. Michael Cook claims that the main influence for this EP was nostalgia, but as long as listeners can relate to the songs somehow, that’s all that matters to him.
Written by: John Dirscherl
Works Cited for the Blog:
Stern, Bradley. "V MAGAZINE / MEET THE
CEREMONIES." V Magazine, July 2013. Web. 16 Oct. 2013. <http://www.vmagazine.com/site/content/1764/meet-the-ceremonies>
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