Old School: Galaxie 500

Have you ever yearned for a certain sound? Maybe you've listened to a few bands and longed to discover a single band whose sound encompasses them all. I discovered the album Today by Galaxie 500 recently, and it's crazy how much they sound like several of my favorite bands all at once. First, there's the guitar. It's vintage Neil Young, "Powderfinger" Neil Young. The kind of guitar that soothes and makes you wonder "how can something so sloppy sound so great?" Many of their songs have a Velvet Underground softness to them, and the vocals are generally pretty dreamy-sounding. The lyrics seem to be penned by a bunch of suburban weirdos like The Modern Lovers or The Feelies. There are songs about parking lots and getting away from society to be a tugboat captain.
Whenever I listen to this album, I conjure up countless images. Some of them involve young people in plaid shirts making out. Others involve young people driving around in old cars. All of them have a sort of summery haze. It's a wonder when music can do this-when sounds can come together to create a sort of cinematic experience. I wish more bands could accomplish this feat.