Green Eye for the Great Buy: Sustainable Beats
Here are our some of our favorite recordings (and a tour) worth listening to for the best in sustainable beats.
Kelley Stoltz –- Below the Branches
Sub Pop Records recording artist Kelley Stoltz produced a music-industry first. Teaming up with the Bonneville Environmental Foundation, and the Green-e program of the Center for Resource Solutions, Stoltz's newest album, Below the Branches, is the first album to incorporate the Green-e label on its product packaging, signifying that the album was recorded using 100-percent renewable energy. "I've never been one to write a political song, but I can let people who buy my album know that I care a lot about the environment and possibly influence them to think about what they can do by labeling my album with the Green-e logo," said Stoltz. "Using renewable energy to offset the electricity I needed to power my guitar amps and my recording machines was a simple and effective way for me to do something about my impact on the environment. Green-e certifies that I am buying 100 percent renewable energy. Hopefully, people will see their logo; check into what they do, and make renewable energy a part of their lives, too." Stoltz's dreamy, piano-driven pop evokes The Beatles and The Beach Boys while energetically annoucing itself as a work strong enough to stand on its own two feet. It's summertime on this album, all the time. Available from Sub Pop Records; learn more in our interview with Kelley.
Cloud Cult -– Advice from the Happy Hippopotamus
The fourth album from this project led by Minnesota’s Craig Minowa is another adventurous outing combining fractured indie-rock and folk with hip hop/electronic beats. His passionate songs, backed up by a wide variety of instrumentation and sounds, are focused on mortality and celebrating life. Minowa’s somewhat tragic life is a central part of the album’s story: He lost a two-year-old son to sudden illness, his wife subsequently left him, and he’s since been diagnosed with a rare spinal nerve disease, making his life-affirming lyrical stance all the more brave. As important as these soulful, tragic influences are Cloud Cult's passionate activism and enthusiasm for protecting the planet and making it a better place for everyone; that ethic isn't lost on the music, whose worldly tone pushes the philosophy come through in a subtle way. Available from Earthology Records; learn more about Cloud Cult and Earthology records in our interview with Craig.
David Gilmour –- On An Island
Former Pink Floyd frontman David Gilmour has returned from the dark side of the moon to release a climate-neutral album. On An Island was released last month to critical acclaim, and the carbon emissions that resulted from production of the album has been neutralized through an arrangement with The CarbonNeutral Company, who plant trees to absorb excess carbon dioxide floating about in the atmosphere. The album is the first such effort from Columbia Records, but not a first for Gilmour; he has a section of his website, appropriately titled "The Important Stuff," which features his environmental interests. The slow-tempoed, relaxed feel throughout much of On An Island is tempered by Gilmour's expert guitar work, he can still play his six string, though he's crafted a warm sonic bath that lends itself perfectly to sipping a glass of wine in low light. Available from Amazon.com
Pearl Jam –- Pearl Jam
The latest album by the iconic Seattle-based band incorporates their Carbon Portfolio Strategy, the newest component of their ongoing efforts to advance clean renewable energy and carbon mitigation. Through this Strategy, we will donate a total of $100,000 to nine organizations doing innovative work around climate change, renewable energy, and the environment. They hope that by highlighting and creating a commons for these groups, we can advance preservation of existing ecosystems, restoration of degraded environments, and continued investment in clean, renewable energy technologies. By working with these groups and others to mitigate our own carbon emissions, they ultimately hope to get Pearl Jam at 0% net emissions for their tours and businesses.
One of the things we like best about this album is that the politics on Pearl Jam are not those of right or left but of engagement and responsibility. It's similar to the message they've been crafting since the early 1990's, but has matured from the ears-back shotgun rock of some of their earlier work, and the differences are an improvement in message and a new chapter in sound. Available from Amazon.com
30 Seconds to Mars – On the Road with MTV2’s $2Bill tour
MTV2's $2Bill tour, featuring 30 Seconds to Mars (fronted by Jared Leto), will be fueled by biodiesel. Hitting 30 cities between October 17 and November 25, tickets for each show are just $2 each (while they last) and are on sale now at Ticketmaster.com. About the use of biodiesel, singer Jared Leto said, "Taking this approach gives us the opportunity to set an example and share with others the possibilities of real alternatives for a safer, cleaner world." About the music on tour, he added, "We want to create a festival atmosphere. We plan on bringing an element of excitement and chaos and escape. We are going to do things that have never been done before, and we are making all kinds of plans and postulations about the possibilities. We have a lot of things happening, and it's very exciting."