Mesita | The Sifting Pan

Master experimental musician Mesita is based out of Colorado

Mesita – Together:

James Cooley, the one man army behind Mesita, has arisen from the ashes to brandish his latest album The Phoenix, which after countless delays has finally been unleashed upon the world. If you have neglected listening to this sixth and latest album you are truly doing yourself a great disservice. You’ve been missing out on the frustrations and raw passion of a man that is capable of evoking feelings of tranquility at the same table he serves up spite for those who have wronged him in the past. The whole thing is streaming in full on YouTube so there are absolutely zero excuses for not giving The Phoenix a chance.

One of my favorite picks from the new album has to be the the upbeat yet apathetic track Together. I don’t believe there is a single thing about this song I’d have changed. It’s always so hard to hone in on one specific aspect of a Mesita track that stands out, and that’s because usually it is the carefully calculated combination of sounds that breath life into his mixes. Together is no different in that this confection is best served with all its many pieces in tack. If I had to choose a highlight it would be the warm feeling in my tummy every time I hear those guitar noodles about a minute and eighteen seconds in.

Mesita wastes no time putting the people who have crossed in him in their rightful place, and he chooses to do so in manner that refuses to sacrifice aesthetics. Heard Your’re Happy is the very first track off of The Phoenix and is extremely gutsy, beyond gritty, and, at times, even galvanizing. Coming in at just under 7 minutes of play time, this epic tale oscillates between blissful piano induced nirvana and gut-wrenching guitar distortion. It’s as if God and the Devil himself were caught up in a raging arm wrestling match of divine scale and Mestia just happened to be there to soundtrack it all. And for that I thank him.

Mesita – Heard You’re Happy:

If you are interested in learning any more at all about Mestia, and what kind of influences went into the making of The Phoenix, you can check out the interview I did with him back in July of 2014.

Twitter Handle: @mesitamusic
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/mesitamusic
Spotify: Mesita

Mesita, a.k.a James Cooley, in the flesh (photo credit: Samantha Hylla)

Mesita – The Villain:

So waaaaay back in July I had the pleasure of being able to ask Colorado based experimental indie rocker James Cooley a few questions about his outstanding song The Villain, and his upcoming album Infinity Sky Deluxe. It should be known that James prefers to release his music under the moniker of Mesita, and has been doing so since making his debut in 2008.

Now we are more than half a decade later, approaching album number five, and there appear to be no signs of easing up on the output of high quality tunes for Mr. Cooley. It seems Mesita is preparing to unload a massive weight of creativity unto us, which is clearly evident by a heavy hitter like The Villian. It’s a burden I shall graciously accept while blasting this gritty, gutsy, brooding rock single over and over on repeat. You’d be wise to follow suit and indulge in the oh-so satisfying Meista madness.

Without further ado, here are the intelligent and wonderful responses that Mesita was happy to provide for The Sifting Pan:

Can you share with us some of the many inspirations behind creating your single The Villain?

It’s about a few different things. Trying to get out and meet new people, break into the young professional crowd, finding myself slipping into some negative stuff, overcompensating for my flaws, losing parts of who I am in order to please strangers who shouldn’t give a damn about me. To make people jealous sharing some artificial view of what great life I have, all for that warm satisfaction of feeling more important than I really am. False humility. Trying to grow, sometimes your equilibrium gets messed and you lose a few steps in the process, find yourself acting in a way you always fought against. Turning bitter, you gotta get your center of gravity back, be there for people who have been there for you because we’re all struggling.

Is there a special mindset you have going into the writing of your upcoming fifth album ‘Infinity Sky Deluxe’?

I started working on new stuff right after the last album in late October, to go full force into making a minimal electro soul album, strip the whole thing down and just have sparse reverb snaps and warm synth and like a single falsetto vocal track in the center. But getting through Chicago’s coldest winter, I had to sit back and really think about the right direction to go, why I’m making music in the first place. So a lot of soul-searching and resting up mentally. Music’s been my outlet, and loud beats and guitars are what I’ve always loved, so do what you love.

Finally, can you recommend a fresh indie gem that you were quite pleased to have come across recently?

I haven’t been listening too much lately, but that new Black Keys album floored me. I wasn’t expecting it to some reason, but it hit so hard. Dangermouse nailed it. And Hamilton Leithauser’s solo album is fantastic. Just saw A Sunny Day In Glasgow has a new one, so I gotta check that one out too. Ashes Grammar was the jam.

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Mesita released his latest track, Astoria/Fallen, early last month. Truly a hint of the many great things in store for our ears, and hearts, on the new album. I must say this tune is brimming with that fulfilling Mesita sound we all know and love. Varying levels of real emotion spread out over nearly six minutes that culminate into pure tranquility. Give it a good listen and you shall reach a state of peace with your inner demons. Who needs medication or meditation when you have Mesita?

Mesita – Astoria/Fallen: [REMOVED]