Cocteau Twins, a trio from Scotland, has intrigued me ever since my college days in the late 1980s.
Their music has a lush, almost ethereal quality that is very distinctive, amounting to the musical embodiment of both surrealistic and minimalist forms.
Trying to decipher literal meaning in the lyrics is time wasted.
Elizabeth Fraser doesn't want her vocals to be taken literally;
they reinforce the music's suggestive and mysterious nature.
This principal is the group's cornerstone; even their song titles support
the enigmatic theme.
This sample from "Aikea-Guinea" is representative.
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Sleater-Kinney, from Olympia, Washington is another trio that sparked my curiosity two years ago.
I enjoy the novel guitar work fashioned by this group.
A very interesting composition is created when two independent guitar voices play separate melodies simultaneously;
together, a unique harmony forms.
Mirroring this instrumental duet are aggressive vocals that usually follow the same strategy,
with each voice using different lyrics.
These talented songsmiths make it work.
I like the musical ideas created by Sleater-Kinney.
Their material is innovative; you can listen to samples of "Get Up",
"Burn, Don't Freeze" and
"Words and Guitar" to form your own opinion.
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