via//chicago

np: "it's all around you" - tortoise

so i've heard Tortoise referred to as "the band for hipsters who are afraid to like jazz", and whatever, that may not be far off the mark. but there's nothing better than dropping some Tortoise on in the middle of the week when you come home from a night out drinking with good friends and you have to work too early in the morning to rock the fuck out. the new album is no exception. not that i'm afraid to like jazz, i'm just too intimidated by it. i own a handful of Miles and 'Trane albums, and i enjoy them immensely, but whenever i step into the jazz section at Tower - i just get blown away. i suppose that's what it would feel like to step into the "rock" section if you've spent your entire life ignoring it. so many choices, so little time. so for now, i choose to mostly ignore jazz - not out of dislike, just that there's so much damn good rock music for me to choose from that i'm never left thirsting for something more. maybe that will change when i get older, but for now... when i need that downtempo "chill" shit, it's all about the Tortoise.