I don’t even know how to approach this one. Last night Pitchfork reported that Trish Keenan, singer for electro-experimental group Broadcast, had been hospitalized with pneumonia due to complications from H1 N1. Today Rolling Stone reports that she has passed.
This is a definite blow to the indie community and to me personally. I’ve talked a bit about Broadcast in the past but probably understated how much I really love this band. They were first introduced to me by MSP in the early 00s and I was instantly taken in by their mysterious, atmospheric and beautiful brand of pop. They graced our town with a show around that time, which remains one of the greatest live music experiences of my life. Sometime after, the bulk of the band left and Trish continued on with guitarist James Cargill. The duo scaled down their sound accordingly, delivering a blend of both what was and what still could be in music.
Trish’s distinct, low-key presence was the centerpiece at all times, the pattern bringing these musical fibers together. Melancholy without being depressed or bitter, mysterious without trite ambiguity, her voice provided form out of chaos, a believable melody from the atonal, even dissonant music she created with her band mates. Without her, Broadcast would have been interesting but not intriguing, enjoyable but not essential.
I can’t listen to certain Broadcast songs, especially the entire Noise Made by People album, without being carted back in time to dark, chilly nights, dusty hardwood floors and moths throwing shadows on the walls as I first listened to this band. That nostalgia is now bittersweet, but ever worth the ache.
Thank you, Trish. You will be missed!!
Enjoy Echo's Answer from The Noise Made by People.
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