I decided to go back home to Hastings for a few days. For me on band always truly reminds me of home - Jakob.
A post-rock band ala Mogwai, but much much more consistent in quality, Jakob have always been a huge influence on me. For such an experimental and quality to come from a place where most bands usually sound like a mix between Blink 182 teen punk and the Bleeders, or bad Ben Harper/John Mayer folk rip-offs is extraordinary.
Secondly Jakob's memorising soundscapes, also manage to do what seldom few bands can, actually capture the feeling of a region. Like Kyuss capture the Desert rock of Califonrornia, or Joy Division capture the gloominess of industrial Manchester, Jakobs sounds immerse themselves in isolated, natural beauty of the Bay.
NO better representation of this than is "Nice Day for an Earthquake" probably my favourite song ever a times. The comforting basslines eases, in while guitars swirl overhead, creating weirdly comforting tension, before a huge violent breakdown.
The video is also something special, showcasing the wonderful Te Mata Peak, outside Hastings, really close to where i went to school. Contrasting this with the person sitting up and then ultimately destructing (in true Bay fashion - with an axe) is something really cool. I couldn't sum it up better than Kuechenkraft's comment on youtube:
"Look at the beauty around the person sitting on the chair. It's overwhelming. He doesn't recognize the beauty of life in general though but is literally absorbed by the TV, which may stand for anything that abstracts us from life's "true purpose"... When he smashes it, he's relieved from the distraction. The camera pans to the sky. You see it's simple beauty that's to be seen around the world. Anyone may do the same. Beauty's everywhere!"
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