Odd Time Obsessed Artists

a very partial list

Bela Fleck and the Flecktones – Humbling flawless country/rock/jazz in every meter.

Bitches Brew – My band from back in the day…. We had about 8 songs with a range of meters that we wrote naturally. Michelle Daniels – vocals, Dan Gustafson – drums, Steve Coyne & James Carter – guitars and Betsey Stephens (moi) – bass.

Boullt, Lindsey – An amazing musical shredder and composer from San Francisco with an impressive roster – check him out.

Brubeck - Dave Brubeck and his quartet – Paul Desmond (sax), Eugene Wright (bass) and Joe Morello (drums), thank you for reincarnating all at once.. and before me… in time to acquire your newly released For All Time box set. Ahh kindred spirits Thank you for experiments in time.

Dillinger Escape Plan –ahhhh what it would be like to sit in on one of their writing sessions. Safely, I can bet they don't chart their songs out prior to band rehearsal. Their music hints of a writing system that is an invention all of their own…. check these Jersey Boys out you will never be the same.

Dream Theater – The pinnacle of contemporary prog.

Drums and Tuba - This is a one of a kind trio (and guitar) from Nawlins, with their own sound and rhythms they reinvent Rn'R.

Dunav - I'm in love, dances in 13, 11, 9, 7, 5 and even 25! and they even have names for certain dances/meters, how very cool. This site is your connection to the Balkan Folk Music World. It has free music downloads and lots of infor - a must for your odd time music collection.

fred – you’ve gotta check this band out! This is true communal music from the early 70s. They are fun, free, amazing musicians playing and composing prog/ rock/jazz/fusion music and do not take their selves too seriously.

Gentle Giant - This band has one of the most diehard followings. Yes, I have heard of people heading to their sixth decade that would drop everything to follow them on tour if they were to reform. Now, what other 70s British prog band can you say that about?

Graves, Randy - Anybody who plays and teaches compound signatures on the didjeridu is way cool in my book. Check out Randy's instructional and solo work and you don't have to be a didjeridu player to benefit. In addition, his former band "Didginus" is worth your ears' attention, they have interesting instrumentation and like to compose with odd meters (they even have a song in 22/8).

Huun-Huur-Tu - Throat singers from Tuva - true nature musicians, and guess what, they sing in odd meters too, why because its natural.

Lamb of God - Some people get mad at me for playing them, finding it blasphemous. I think that they are missing the point. Its about counting here (and not your sins). LofG are pure American Metal with some serious chops. They started off with more mixed meters in their songs but through time they have preferred the more straight ahead approach.

Levy, Hank - Odd meter big band composer and professor who had and was a/head of time. Yes, but does it swing? a favorite question of his. He always made sure the answer was yes. He taught at Towson State College, MD, wrote for Stan Kenton and Don Ellis and authored the textbook "A Time Revolution", dealing with the exotic meter concept. He writes in big band and jazz ensemble style with lots of cool licks, my favorite is "Chain Reaction" in 13/8.

Mahavishnu Orchestra - aka John McLaughlin - What’s an Odd Time Radio Station with out them? They truly enhance the obsession.

Mars Volta, The - They are so creatively amazing, I swear everytime I hear them, I want to play with them. But I gotta get on with my Spanish lessons so I can understand them.

Matheos, Jim – ArchMatheos, Fates Warning, O.S.I. and two solo albums my original love. Thank you Mr. Matheos for bring my obsession out. When I first heard Fates Warning in ’85 I was absolutely hooked. It was my mission in life to write in odd meters. Yes strange mission, but we all have ‘em…

Meshuggah – These guys are crazy ….. hence the name. You name a meter and they have played it. Not to mention mixed meters, meters over meters, meters under meters, meters besides meters, meters inside of meters… They were just born this way… out of the womb suckling time changes… What star system are these cats from anyways? – I want to go – or do I? me scary....

Moondog - The Viking of Sixth Avenue a.k.a. Louis Hardin 1916-1999 This blind performer/composer is in a category of his own: couplets, canons, the trimba, dragons teeth and Viking ware and experience not to be missed.

Odd Nerdrum - Odd is one of my favorite artists and no, not just because of his name. He is Norwegian figurative painter who has developed his own genre/style and has dubbed it "Kitsch". His art has the ability to take me to parallel universes where I swear I am having or had a parallel life/past parallel lives. His is a modern time Master. I am sure is he were a music composer he would write in ODD time.

Opeth – Does music get any better than this? Growls from the bowels, tempo changes, classical influenced guitar, a voice that changes your ethereal vibration, double bass, odd meters, hummm…. I don’t think so.

Ozric Tentacles - Wicked cool instrumental British new age, prog. Although, most of their songs are in FOUR, sometimes they go to NINE and others and usually stay in one meter and rarely mix them, but when they do it is pretty cool.

Pain of Salvation - Theatery prog grooves with insane meters. Oh the drama......

Patton, Mike - Check him out in his many incarnations: Mr Bungle, Fantomas and Tomahawk to name a few.

Porcupine Tree - Progressive pop rock from England, fantastic bass, writing and of course odd rhythms here and there and sometimes everywhere.

Radiohead - SuperBritPopRock has some cool odd time nuggets in their mix.

Say Bok Gwai - Cantocore at its finest – What? You don’t know what Cantocore is? Hello…. its Chinese American Hardcore sung primarily in Cantonese… This guitar and drums duo from the Bay Area ROCKS. SBG are quite original and are creative with meter use and song length. Songs range from 31 seconds to a little over 4 mins but most stay around 2. Something new for the ear.

Soundgarden - These Maestros are back!

Sting - Yes, the one and only. His artistry keeps growing along with his meter use. After all of his "experimentation" he is still a Pop Star.

Stravinsky - no official website - Ahh to be in this genius's mind, just for a moment to get just one glimpse as to what the diddleedang he was thinking during the writing of "Rite of Spring", just one moment that is all. I credit him for a large part of my OT obsession. In college conducting, I had to conduct a part of "Rite". It was amazing. From then on I was obsessed with conducting patterns in odd meters, thank you Igor.

Symphony X - Holy Smokes Mr. Romeo can I please just have 1% of your chops? Do you ever let your guitar rest? Do you ever stop dreaming and breathing phrygian, fives and whys??? Now, would you expect just 4s from these chops? Hell no…

Tool – Bless these beings for being born. How cool to have these heavy odd meter songs on the radio and mainstream consciousness. Innocent listeners tapping their feet to 5/4 and 11/8 ….if they only knew… Thanks Tool!

Venetian Snares - I don't think that they know what 4/4 is... cool electronica from Winnepeg songs about their cats, pompoms, shitholes, meatholes, calvade cades...

Zappa – THE Emperor of the ODD. What is there to say but..... Didja Get Any Onya?

Zonder, Mark - One of my all time favorite drummers, his internal clock is like no other drummer I have witnessed. The way in which he expresses meters is simply amazing. Hear him on Fates Warning, Slavior and various other projects.

Updated 9-1-2011