We Have a Bright Channel...

Discovering gems like Bright Channel is one of the main reasons I love the Internet so much. Without it, I doubt I would of ever run across this great band any other way. Thankfully though the Internet is much alive and is keeping me quite busy. I found Bright Channel in 2004, the same year they released their self-titled album through their own label Flight Approved Records. There you can find a few of their other past and current projects including Pteranodon and the now defunct Volplane. Among those though, Bright Channel remains the focal point, as their 2004 album ended up in my best of list with ease.

Other than having the word "bright" in the name, that's about as close as they get to being bright and/or uplifting. The music played by Bright Channel is a very moody set of cascading guitars and echoing feedback. At times the music can feel very dark and brooding, however it seems fitted best for those times you're on a late night drive with no real destination or reason for even being out. The guitars are constantly wandering from sound to sound, spicing things up with a bit of a psychedelic touch and adding to the seemingly drifting feeling the music gives off.

Bright Channel - Night Eyes (Demo Version) [MP3]
Bright Channel - Icefield [MP3]

Their debut self-titled album was recorded by none other than Steve Albini (Shellac, Big Black, etc), so it's a given the album is going to be rough. However, the production for this album is perfect for the music they play, the dense lo-fi textures play into Bright Channel's court perfectly, blending in with the low bass driven feedback and giving the album even a more eerie vibe than it would of originally. In the end the music Bright Channel creates and what is featured on their album is the perfect soundtrack for all the seedy little things that may go on in the night. Do yourself a favor and pick this up from either their website or the CD Baby link below.

Buy Bright Channel - Self Titled