Vocalists, who needs them? In today’s world where pretty much everything is auto-tuned nowadays (okay, maybe not everything), it’s time to redirect our attention to the “real” musicians. You know, the guitarists, the bassists, the drummers, the harpists – yes, people who play harps (we’ll explain later).
To celebrate the release of one of 2018′s best instrumental records, effloresce, and to help shine a light on a some of the music world’s best musicians, we asked our news pals in Covet to list 10 artists they wished would go instrumental – or least release instrumental music.
From Thundercat to The Mars Volta, the San Francisco trio really dug deep to pull out 10 acts they’d like to hear without any singing. To check out who they picked for their list, be sure to look below. Afterward, to grab yourself a copy of Covet’s new mesmerizing release, head here.
Thundercat
Thundercat is a beautiful singer with great melodic ideas but what’s really neat is if you stripped the music of them it would still be captivating. He is a killer bassist and gets some top-notch jazz players on his recordings including the likes of Dennis Ham, Austin Peralta, Thomas Pridgen and Justin Brown.
Isis
Post-metal jams at their finest. The hypnotic drumming, shimmering bass lines and the dynamic between the three guitars make for a truly great original band.
Hiatus Kaiyote
This band has some truly amazing musicians, and while the vocals often have incredibly arranged parts, the music would still hold up without them. Their tones are syrupy, punchy and each instrumentalist is an expert at their craft.
TTNG
The guys in TTNG all have their own unique style and voice on their instruments. Few groups are able to fuse technique and songwriting so seamlessly, something that has always helped them stand out.
Creed
This band is badass. Fact.
The Mars Volta
The vocals allow this band a wider audience and really enhance the melody of the songs. However, it’s hard to deny the power these guys bring to the music as a group of players.
Envy
One of the coolest features of this group is the visceral post-hardcore style singing in Japanese. However, they have some truly lush post-rock atmospheres. The instrumentals could easily stand alone.
Feed Me Jack
Despite a trio of vocalists on their final EP Ultra Ego, Feed Me Jack still brings a lot of instrumental interest to the table. Their use of effects and loops creates very atmospheric compositions with great rhythmic diversity.
Rush
Geddy Lee’s vocal style is polarizing, nonetheless, we’re a fan. That being said, these dudes have released some phenomenal instrumental music and spare no musical expense when composing for vocal tunes.
Joanna Newsom
A masterful storyteller and vocalist, Joanna can easily be overlooked for her harp playing but it’s nothing short of spellbinding.
