Rhodesian Poet

I categorize my tunes as "psychedelic folk-rock avant-garde electronic ambient experimental". I compose rock songs, artsy electronic songs, folk songs, trippy psychedelic songs, instrumentals of just piano or guitar and various combinations of all these sonic forms. These tracks of mine appear to be a cross between the styles of Brian Eno, Pink Floyd, Talking Heads, Beck, The The (Matt Johnson), late 1960s psychedelic rock/folk, non-cheesy/non-sentimental new age, industrial, 1980s British alternative rock, 1990s U2, Kraftwerk, a hopeful anti-bleak version of Radiohead, contemporary electronica, late 1970s David Bowie, post-punk, John Fahey, 1980s New Wave pop, noise rock and a positive incarnation of Depeche Mode.

What does my music sound like to you?

Here are what I see as the biggest influences on what I've put together as a songwriter/musician:

Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Jeff Buckley, The The (Matt Johnson), 80s/90s Brit Alt Rock, Marc Bolan, U2, George Harrison, Trip Hop, Jeff Beck, Billy Joel, Elvis Presley, The Who, Enya, Woodstock style, David Bowie, Keith Green, Jimi Hendrix, Atmospheric Music, Van Halen, Elton John, The Kinks, Nirvana, Donovan, many Windham Hill artists, Tori Amos, Stevie Wonder, late 60s/70s/80s Classic Rock, Brian Eno, James Brown, T-Rex, Rush, Patty Griffin, Van Halen, The Verve, Inxs, Tchaikovsky, Sarah McLaughlin, Richie Havens, Collective Soul, John Lennon, Parliament, Beethoven, The Cranberries, Sting, PFR, Bob Dylan, Fat Boy Slim, Stone Temple Pilots, The Waiting, Kelley Stoltz, Guns N' Roses, Of Montreal, Coldplay, Pscyhedelic/Hippie Rock from late 60s, The Doors, Franz Schubert (piano, especially his impromptu compositions) and movie soundtracks--"The Mission," "A Beautiful Mind", "Amistad", "Braveheart", "Gladiator", "The Firm", "Dances With Wolves" and "The Ghost and the Darkness."

I continue to write new material and edit old material. I love feedback, so feel free to comment on this SoundCloud site or by emailing me at rhodeaj@gmail.com.

I am seeking a record label to sign with, so if you have any suggestions or connections that might help me achieve this, please let me know. I don't perform live or tour, so my marketing strategy is focused on direct networking and word-of-mouth.

On the music recordings, I play guitar, piano, drums, harmonica, keyboard, sing, mix/edit the tracks and write the lyrics. All of the song images (except for the album covers) were designed by me. I also have <a href="http://redbubble.com/people/rhodesianpoet" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">art</a> online that I have created.

I've written a few paragraphs at the bottom of a different SoundCloud web <a href="http://soundcloud.com/rhodesianpoet/sets/earthly-transcendence-1/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">page</a> explaining how, in my mid-twenties, I began making these tunes after abandoning all former childhood creative activities in my teenage and young adult years. I'm grateful that I persevered during the past fifteen years or so, during which I committed myself to learning or relearning how to play instruments, compose songs, sing, craft poetry/lyrics and record at home. My level of respect for professional musicians and artists grew exponentially as I realized just how hard this work can be. Along the path of this personal musical evolution, I experienced a lot of encouragement and inspiration from countless friends, family, favorite musicians/artists, books, concerts and documentaries.

Many other creative projects keep me engaged. On my main site, I describe them this way: ‘I enjoy writing about politics, religion and philosophy. I craft poetry and fiction, along with composing music and creating artsy photography.’ A half dozen links are included there. Check it out if interested: en.gravatar.com/rhodeaj.

Thank you for visiting this site! Enjoy the music!

Sincerely,

Andy Rhodes (Rhodesian Poet)

Rhodesian Poet’s tracks

• Sidewinder by Rhodesian Poet
• Open Round by Rhodesian Poet
• In The Hallway by Rhodesian Poet
• Why It Went Away by Rhodesian Poet
• Swift Bunny Rabbit by Rhodesian Poet
• Sunlight Awareness by Rhodesian Poet
• Eleven Twelve by Rhodesian Poet
• Soap Effect by Rhodesian Poet
• Falling Into by Rhodesian Poet
• Thanks All Around by Rhodesian Poet