Heave Media

Missed Out Music

It's better to have loved great music than never to have loved at all. We remind you, just in case you've forgotten.

Time and time again I pretend that my life is a movie. I’m convinced everybody does it at some point – or at least picks a song that goes to a particular situation. I have a train-riding soundtrack that I play whenever I ride the CTA or Metra – it may seem like a silly idea; but I’m willing to bet that you listen to songs in certain situations, too. Music is just too powerful a tool to not use like that. Music can change how you feel for the good or bad - you should have some control over it.

These songs change as I rewrite my living screenplay – but there has been one artist who has stayed constant over the past few years, The Album Leaf. I always felt that The Album Leaf made movie music – but you don’t get the full effect of it until you are doing some cinematic activity. Next time you are moving out of your home or apartment, start packing to The Album Leaf. I swear to you that you will feel like the love of your life is going to run into your room and tell you not to leave. Also, it’s your movie – so make sure they are good looking.

The Album Leaf is essentially one man, Jimmy LaValle. LaValle records all of the instrumentation on the albums, while his touring band consists of four more members. The Album Leaf has been around since 1998, but did not start to garner success until 2004 when LaValle signed with Sub Pop Records. 2004 also saw the release of In A Safe Place, an album that featured members of Sigur Ros, along with many others cameos sprinkled throughout. Into The Blue Again was released in 2005, and features the same cinematic sound that LaValle has mastered.

The Album Leaf is a band that most people have heard of, but they continually overlook. I sometimes receive weird glares when I tell someone that The Album Leaf is one of my favorite bands. Give a listen to “Over The Pond? below. Ebert and Roeper would give it two thumbs up.

The Album Leaf – Over The Pond [MP3]

Posted by Wes Soltis on Oct 16, 2007 @ 12:00 am