By far, the weirdest shit for which I’ve developed an unhealthy obsession this year is music by a dude named Jesse Rakusin, who lives in L.A. and records and performs under the moniker “Awaken!” (exclamation point absolutely included). I can’t even tell you how amazing it is to me that this stuff exists, but then again, maybe the blues are making some kind of a big comeback… in the form of oddly out-of-tune strumming, off-tempo drum accompaniments, over-the-top Morrison-esque baritone, and some hilariously radical guitar soloing. In all seriousness, though, Awaken! really can stray into cheek-biting territory, so prepare yourself, yeah, but hang in there. For the passion, the honesty, and the sincerity — that’d be enough to keep you coming back even without the sweet cosmic collage art that accompanies the CDs.
• Awaken!: http://awakeninadream.com
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