String instruments (and music in general)

There's nothing really like a string section. I mean, I play guitar, but I don't really mean guitar. I mean violins, and violas, and cellos, and all that jazz (no pun intended).

I've kind of been thinking about that because me and some totally rad kids are kind of in a band now, which has the tentative title of Soldiers and Sailors. Now, the cool thing about this band si that for the first time I get to fulfill my childhood dream of playing music alongside a string section! Kind of! I mean, it's a violin and a cello, but hell, it sounds good enough.

So anyways, me and Lilah have been practicing (and there are OTHER MEMBERS TOO), and I think we play a pretty mean cover of Casimir Pulaski Day, which is by this totally rad guy called Sufjan Stevens, and if you haven't heard of him then your ears probably hate you. (No really, this man is kind of a god)

This year has been surprisingly slow in regards of new music for me, but I think I'll throw out some suggestions just in case anyone needs some new tunes for their tune-machine (And yes, I know I'm late to the party on lots of these, but DEAL. It's good music)

1. The aforementioned Sufjan Stevens, and most importantly, his ridiculously epic masterwork known as Illinois. Orchestral acoustic, which is hard to find, and absolutely breathtaking.

2. My personal new favorite country band, the Avett Brothers, who, in addition to actually being brothers (at least some of them) play some very good music. Very raucous, twangy, and full of verses about ladies who leave them- my type of thing.

3. Last (for now), the charmingly Scottish Frightened Rabbit. High energy fuzz rock with just enough pacing for me to enjoy it. And don't be a genre-whore about this, I really don't care what you want to call  this particular brand of indie electronica nu-orchestral or whatever. I don't know exactly what to call Frightened Rabbit so I took my best guess.

Anyways, listen to this stuff. It's good.