New IDA Website

The years 1999-2001 were revelatory years of music for me. Through various forces unknown to me at the time, I discovered LOW, Tara Jane Oneil, Beekeeper and of course Ida. While there are many bands that float in and out of these circles, these were the bands that spoke to me at the time. There was something familiar yet completely new in that music that called to me - the complex male/female harmonies, the deliberate pacing, the air of experimenting, perhaps just the feeling that the music was deeply personal and special to its creators.

While the following albums by LOW - Secret Name and Things We Lost in the Fire, Tara Jane Oneil - Peregrine, Ida - Will You Find Me remain some of my favorite records of all time, the fever and obsession I held for these folks has waned a bit. I’ll still purchase each new record as it comes (Beekeeper is the only defunct unit of the bunch - although I see they just recently released an odds and sods compilation to benefit their late drummer’s estate - worth looking into…) but I don’t find myself urging to travel to keep up with every whim nor do I find myself living on the recordings like I used to.

Apparently, Ida recently re-launched their website with a design based on the artwork (by TJO, naturally…) to their newest album Lovers Prayers which came out on Polyvinyl Records earlier this year. Although there are a few “coming soons”, the site promises to be much more thorough and therefore more interesting than some of their previous sites. Browsing around will find you some rare live (free) tracks, some video and some excellent insight into the band’s past. Curious to see what the community will be like when it launches…

For now I will stay just a bit nostalgic for nearly a decade ago when I discovered a whole new world of music that has had a long-lasting effect on my whole outlook of music and sound.