Seven years ago, Arthur "Ace" Enders was on top of the indie rock world.
Now Enders says he plans to quit making music due to financial constraints. This seems to be a theme, as in a recent article from the Alternative Press many other artists also expressed their concerns over the costs of touring and making music versus profits.
Although Enders' career unfortunately seems to be waning, the Hammonston, New Jersey native's work originally took the local music scene by storm. In 2003, Enders released an album with his band at the time, The Early November, called "The Room's Too Cold," which has become a classic in the indie and alternative community.
The group's second release, "The Mother, The Mechanic, and The Path," in 2006 was also well-received by music critics.
It was in 2003 that Enders, who goes by his nickname "Ace," decided that the music his band was making just was not enough for him. He began making music via a side project which he humorously called I Can Make a Mess Like Nobody's Business. Although his debut under this name was supposed to be his only release, this past year he had a change of a heart.
In 2010, ICMAMLNB released "The World We Know" and toured the northeastern part of the U.S. in an attempt to spread his undying love for music. The music is endearing, personal and features a certain element of affinity which is lacking in the music of The Early November.
More than any musician in the scene today, Enders' voice is empathetic and spine tingling. The music is surprisingly inspirational and undoubtedly heartfelt, something that has not been easy in an age of uncreative remixing and lyrics with no valuable content.
One particular song, "Stop Smoking Because It's Not Good For You," is a song with an overabundance of emotion. According to Enders, the title of the song is open to interpretation as he himself has no idea what the real title would be. The song is about love, a broken heart and crushed dreams, something that is easily relatable to a majority of listeners.
Enders's music is an actual reflection of his life and the problems he is actually facing to this day. One such problem has even put his career in jeopardy.
Enders' music will transcend time and his honest, sincere smile will continue to delight fans long after his last album.
John Lopiano can be reached at john.lopiano@student.shu.edu.
