|| The Sound Faction (dot com) ||

Though I did pick the Eels to be Band of the Month, I did not start out loving them. Actually, I kinda hated their sound (and the fact that my wonderful husband kept trying to get me to listen to them). This had been going on for years, probably since 2006 or 2007. I even did not like the Eels too much when I agreed to go with my husband to see them in concert on September 23rd - I went under the promise that I could take him to any concert I wanted without him complaining (and with MCR releasing their much, much awaited Dangerdays in November, I figured my time was coming shortly). However, that concert made my ears do a complete turnaround, and I left that show loving the Eels.

Eels, according to their official website, appears to be the front for just one artist, Mark Everett, the live band's front man and guitar player. This is reflected in Eels' recorded material. While the discography is extensive (Eels released 2 studio albums in 2010 alone), the sound is varied in each album. For example, the most recent release, Tomorrow Morning, has a strong orchestra, neo-classical, influence; while the album Souljacker has a more guitar driven rock/blues feel. It doesn't matter what the sound of the album is, Everett's lyrics are amazing. I think one of the reasons that there are so many Eels records is that Everett constantly writes about things he is going through, and each record is a time capsule of that time in his life.

Now, as I previously said, the Eels live show is amazing. The recorded albums gain a new life when Everett and his band perform them live. I personally find that I like the Eels better live than I do recorded. There is something in the personality of the songs that becomes real and tangible in Everett and his live band's performance of them.

So, if you want a band that constantly changes their sound, and puts on an awesome live show, Eels is the band for you. Seriously, check out their most recent release, Tomorrow Morning, and just go backwards from there. And definitely check Eels out live. They are performing in the beginning of October in the midwest and Pacific, so if you're out in those areas, go see the Eels. You will not be disappointed.

I really wish that The Eels had more than 30 second snippets on their MySpace, because I... can't tell yet whether or not I like them? When I first clicked on and heard "In Gratitude For This Megnificent Day" I wasn't really sure how I felt. The next few snippets gave me the same feeling, and then came on "Baby Loves Me", this one I enjoyed! (Actually, my roommate Sarah had the same feelings as me! I was sitting in the front room listening and she piped in with "Oh! Hey, that one's not that bad!")

The longer I listen to them, the more they're starting to grow on me I think. As I travel down the MySpace list of song snippets, I find myself more and more endeared. I actually quite enjoy the one full song they seem to have up, "Spectacular Girl". I think this is the kind of band that I could get into the more and more I listened to them. It think they actually may take a bit of getting used to, as weird as that sounds, but I find them really chill, and could see myself listening to them on rainy Sunday mornings and lazy days where it's just nice to sit back and have some music on while you read, or just go about your daily tasks and want something soft and sweet to hum along to! As I always say, at least check them out! (I'm still on their MySpace now, I can't really seem to click off... I think they may be growing on me more as we speak!)

Like Manda, I wasn’t too sure what I thought of The Eels when I first heard them. And actually, the first song I heard was the one she seemed to like, “Baby Loves Me.” I decided to check out their Youtube page because I wanted to hear full songs. I am not particularly a fan of “Baby Loves Me,” but I do agree with “Spectacular Girl.” And the video is kind of hilariously awesome! The Eels have a great sound and I recommend checking them out. Again, Like Manda said, they might take some time to grow on you, but they should definitely be given a chance!

When Doctah J told us that the Eels would be this month's featured band I immediately thought: "Who the crap are the Eels?". When I clicked on the MySpace and played the first song "In Gratitude for this Magnificent Day" I was all set and ready to not like it. However, I kept listening and the band grew on me! The lyrics are beautiful, and I found myself totally mellowing out while I was listening to them.

I highly recommend the song "I'm a Hummingbird" and "The Morning". They have a mellow vibe to them, like Bright Eyes or Slaid Cleaves. If what Doc says is true about their live show, I will definitely have to check them out next time they're close to me! So head over to the MySpace page and check out the music, there are tons of songs up and available to listen to!