pop*eye...Brent Cash

"...the sound of endless summers and good vibrations."

Brent Cash is a singer and songwriter from the Athens, Georgia, area. His musical career started as a drummer for several bands (including the Michael Guthrie Band and Television Buzz), all the while recording his own pop music stylings in his apartment or house on a simple four-track. He released two separate four-track recordings in the 90s, “Muse Rapture” and the impossibly long-titled “The Most Beautiful Girls In The World Have Unpronounceable Last Names,” on his own by distributing cassette tapes to friends and acquaintances.

Cash decided to step up the production levels on his most recent full-length album “How Will I Know If I’m Awake”, recording with Andy Baker (Jucifer, Japancakes, The Mercury Program). The songs range from the beachy atmospheres of “I Think I’m Falling In Love” to the ballad “Love Is Burning Down Tonight,” a duet with Amanda Kapouzos of Tin Cup Prophette that also features a small string orchestra. The album was released in 2008 on the Marina Records label, and garnered largely positive reviews as a throwback to 60s-era sunshine pop.

Brent Cash - How Will I Know If I'm Awake (2008)

From PopMatters:
If the liner notes didn't say this retro-Spector production was recently recorded, I never would have guessed it. A Georgia based singer-songwriter, Brent Cash must have been dreaming up his debut up for a waking life. It sounds so much like a lost early '70s AM radio orchestral pop record that, with a few added record pops and snaps, you could easily slip any track from this album this on an oldies station between Elton John and Billy Joel and no one would be the wiser. With the glint only sun bleached analog gear can provide driving piano, sweet strings, warm bass, jangly guitar, multi-tracked vocals bursting with the joy of love, the hope of a new day, and, occasionally, regret at the loss of time, every song is catchy as SARS in an airport. Just when I was wondering why nobody makes albums like the Moody Blues' Days Of Future PassedHow Will I Know If I'm Awake came along and opened my eyes to the sunshine. Thanks for putting the effort in, Cash.

Although, now that you mention it, I learned many a life changing notion from Richard Linklater's essential Waking Life. One little tidbit is that one of the only things you can't really control in lucid dreams is illumination. If you see a light switch or a lamp in a dream and try to operate either one, they will not work as in real life. Therefore, by the process of elimination, you can figure out if you're awake by flicking the lights on and off wherever you are. From personal experience, I also find it incredibly hard to run in dreams. I always end up moving as fast as a relaxed walk, no matter how motivated I am. Give those a shot.
any more,

FINALLY!!