I was just considering this as I was looking in my iPod for something to listen to:
One of the fun things about writing about what I'm listening to every day is that it challenges me to listen to new music instead of relying on old favorites. It's simultaneously really fun and really terrible. I love finding gems on my iPod or rediscovering old favorites. But, there are albums I come to over and over again for comfort. They are like musical security blankets, and I need them to be productive or to make it through a particularly difficult day.
I try to do my best of finding new things and leaning on the old. And, I want to expose my admittedly small readership to music you might not have heard before. This doesn't work if I listen to the same things all the time, right?
I do my best to mix the best of old and new.
Showing posts with label Black Frances. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Black Frances. Show all posts
Friday, May 18, 2007
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Tuesday's music roundup
I was expecting to have to go to a workshop this afternoon, but I was pleasantly surprised to learn it was cancelled. Sadly, the person presenting the workshop was really sick, but I was glad to have the day to hunker down and get a lot of work done.
Today, I listened to:
Fight for your mind by Ben Harper
Bridge by Blues Traveler
My better self by Dar Williams
Bleed like me by Garbage
Fight for your mind has my favorite Ben Harper song: By my side. I love how smokey and full of longing his voice is on that song. It's not a sexual longing, though, so much as a desperate need for companionship and solidarity. It might be brash and ballsy to compare him to Marvin Gaye, but I'm going to. His lyrics are alternately whimsical, full of longing, and politically charged (depending on the song). And his voice is smooth like caramel. Fight for your mind has a lot of reggae influence that Harper loses in some of his later work. I often wonder if commercial success changed his sound to appeal to a more mainstream palate.
Today, I listened to:
Fight for your mind by Ben Harper
Bridge by Blues Traveler
My better self by Dar Williams
Bleed like me by Garbage
Fight for your mind has my favorite Ben Harper song: By my side. I love how smokey and full of longing his voice is on that song. It's not a sexual longing, though, so much as a desperate need for companionship and solidarity. It might be brash and ballsy to compare him to Marvin Gaye, but I'm going to. His lyrics are alternately whimsical, full of longing, and politically charged (depending on the song). And his voice is smooth like caramel. Fight for your mind has a lot of reggae influence that Harper loses in some of his later work. I often wonder if commercial success changed his sound to appeal to a more mainstream palate.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Monday's music roundup
I spent most of the day brushing up on my HTML skillz in anticipation of a workshop I'll be attending on Wed. It is for this reason that I have pathetically little to show in the way of music listening.
10K Maniacs--MTV Unplugged
Counting Crows--New Amsterdam
Both discs are similarly mellow and, though I'd never thought of it before, the two groups are disarmingly similar. The Maniacs do have an activist leaning that the Crows don't, though. But both bands have lyrical depth and their lead vocalists both have rich, vibrant voices.
My favorite arrangement of "Rain King" is the slowed down version that smacks of the melancholy. I much prefer it to the more up-tempo version featured on August and Everything After. I always thought, lyrically, that that song lent itself to a slower arrangement, and the up-tempo version seemed untrue to the spirit of the song.
10K Maniacs--MTV Unplugged
Counting Crows--New Amsterdam
Both discs are similarly mellow and, though I'd never thought of it before, the two groups are disarmingly similar. The Maniacs do have an activist leaning that the Crows don't, though. But both bands have lyrical depth and their lead vocalists both have rich, vibrant voices.
My favorite arrangement of "Rain King" is the slowed down version that smacks of the melancholy. I much prefer it to the more up-tempo version featured on August and Everything After. I always thought, lyrically, that that song lent itself to a slower arrangement, and the up-tempo version seemed untrue to the spirit of the song.
Friday, May 11, 2007
Friday's music recap
I attended the viewing of a webinar in the middle of the day about the relevancy of libraries in a digital age, so I didn't get much album-listening done today.
Today I listened to:
1. A beautiful lie by 30 seconds to Mars
2. Knuckle down by Ani Difranco
3. Maybe you should drive by BNL
For me, what's interesting about Difranco is that, as she's aged, she's become easier to listen to. She's clearly still politically-minded and she still does the spoken-word thing, so she's still authentic. But, to me, she's not as raw and a smidge more polished. I'm guessing that it turns a lot of people off, though, which is sad. Because she's still lyrically sharp.
BNL (Barenaked Ladies) is always lyrically nimble, but I love the understated-ness of Maybe you should drive. I think it might be my favorite BNL album, actually. Maybe you should drive has an undercurrent of sadness or, more accurately, of melancholy. Unlike Barenaked Ladies Are Me, though, they don't beat you over the head with it. It's always there, that twinge of regret, even on the upbeat-verging-on-bouncy track "A." Sometimes, though (like with You will be waiting), it's right in front of your face, clouding your vising like glasses with an outdated prescription.
Enjoy your weekend, y'all.
Today I listened to:
1. A beautiful lie by 30 seconds to Mars
2. Knuckle down by Ani Difranco
3. Maybe you should drive by BNL
For me, what's interesting about Difranco is that, as she's aged, she's become easier to listen to. She's clearly still politically-minded and she still does the spoken-word thing, so she's still authentic. But, to me, she's not as raw and a smidge more polished. I'm guessing that it turns a lot of people off, though, which is sad. Because she's still lyrically sharp.
BNL (Barenaked Ladies) is always lyrically nimble, but I love the understated-ness of Maybe you should drive. I think it might be my favorite BNL album, actually. Maybe you should drive has an undercurrent of sadness or, more accurately, of melancholy. Unlike Barenaked Ladies Are Me, though, they don't beat you over the head with it. It's always there, that twinge of regret, even on the upbeat-verging-on-bouncy track "A." Sometimes, though (like with You will be waiting), it's right in front of your face, clouding your vising like glasses with an outdated prescription.
Enjoy your weekend, y'all.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Thursday's music recap
He was a scary bear. He was a hairy bear.
Oh, er, um...hi there.
Today's music recap is compilation-themed.
Today I listened to:
1.School House Rock! Rocks
2.Q:Best of 86/06
3.Modern rocks:1986-1987 (Discs 1&2)
The first two discs were covers. The second disc is a disc of covers put out by Q magazine and is really fun.
Highlights:
(from the School House Rock disc)
No more kings performed by Pavement
The energy blues performed by Biz Markie
(from the Q disc)
What you waiting for? performed by Franz Ferdinand
I bet that you look good on the dance floor performed by Sugababes
Oh, er, um...hi there.
Today's music recap is compilation-themed.
Today I listened to:
1.School House Rock! Rocks
2.Q:Best of 86/06
3.Modern rocks:1986-1987 (Discs 1&2)
The first two discs were covers. The second disc is a disc of covers put out by Q magazine and is really fun.
Highlights:
(from the School House Rock disc)
No more kings performed by Pavement
The energy blues performed by Biz Markie
(from the Q disc)
What you waiting for? performed by Franz Ferdinand
I bet that you look good on the dance floor performed by Sugababes
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Wednesday's music recap
Today I listened to:
(What's the story) Morning glory? by Oasis
Feels like home by Norah Jones
We were dead before the ship even sank by Modest Mouse
Haughty melodic by Mike Doughty
Three observations:
1.Oasis can write a catchy pop song like nobody's business. There are some great tunes on ...Morning glory?
2. I'd never listened to Feels like home before today. Nora's previous album Come away with me, in my opinion, was a nearly perfect jazz/pop album. You can understand, then, why I was nervous to listen to the follow-up album. It was pretty good. Not as great as the previous one, but not terrible. I was shocked when I heard Dolly Parton's voice on the track "Creepin' in" but I think it was my favorite song on the album. I got bored near the end, though, which is the kiss of death for an album (in my opinion). If you can't produce 13 compelling tracks, cut down the number of tracks on the album, I say. If I get to track 9 or 10 and I'm bored, woe be unto you.
3. Mike Doughty writes ridiculously good songs. I want to write, produce, and direct a movie so that he can write the soundtrack.
(What's the story) Morning glory? by Oasis
Feels like home by Norah Jones
We were dead before the ship even sank by Modest Mouse
Haughty melodic by Mike Doughty
Three observations:
1.Oasis can write a catchy pop song like nobody's business. There are some great tunes on ...Morning glory?
2. I'd never listened to Feels like home before today. Nora's previous album Come away with me, in my opinion, was a nearly perfect jazz/pop album. You can understand, then, why I was nervous to listen to the follow-up album. It was pretty good. Not as great as the previous one, but not terrible. I was shocked when I heard Dolly Parton's voice on the track "Creepin' in" but I think it was my favorite song on the album. I got bored near the end, though, which is the kiss of death for an album (in my opinion). If you can't produce 13 compelling tracks, cut down the number of tracks on the album, I say. If I get to track 9 or 10 and I'm bored, woe be unto you.
3. Mike Doughty writes ridiculously good songs. I want to write, produce, and direct a movie so that he can write the soundtrack.
Tuesday's music recap
I used to listen to podcasts at work, but the project I'm working on now isn't compatible with podcast-listening. So, now I'm listening to fewer podcasts and more music. I suspect that, as my projects change, I'll go back and forth between podcasts and music.
Yesterday, Black Frances played:
Sarah McLachlan's Afterglow
Regina Spektor's Begin to hope
R.E.M.'s Green
Pearl Jam's Vs.
I have only listened to Afterglow and Begin to Hope a few times. It was interesting listening to them again. Both had gems of songs that I loved uncovering. And I was reminded how much I love Sarah McLachlan's voice. It's alternately sweet and husky, soaring and smoky. I love when singers have depth of range. And Regina Spektor has both range and quirky-ness. She is doing what Nelly McKay did and I prefer it to McKay's work.
Yesterday, Black Frances played:
Sarah McLachlan's Afterglow
Regina Spektor's Begin to hope
R.E.M.'s Green
Pearl Jam's Vs.
I have only listened to Afterglow and Begin to Hope a few times. It was interesting listening to them again. Both had gems of songs that I loved uncovering. And I was reminded how much I love Sarah McLachlan's voice. It's alternately sweet and husky, soaring and smoky. I love when singers have depth of range. And Regina Spektor has both range and quirky-ness. She is doing what Nelly McKay did and I prefer it to McKay's work.
Friday, March 2, 2007
More podcasts
Since my last update, I added:
Speaking of faith
The splendid table
Filmschool
Intelligence squared
On the media
The sound of Young America
The Diane Rehm show
I love my iPod, Frances. It's a black iPod and I call it Frances. Get it? Black Frances? Anyway, my only big complaint with Frances is that when I download podcasts to him, I have no idea what the podcasts are about. In iTunes, the podcasts have descriptions, but not on my iPod. Right now, there's an episode of 'The sound of Young America" with an interview with Brendon Small. But I don't know which one, which sucks because I really wanted to listen to it.
UPDATE: Jesse Thorn, America's Radio Sweetheart, let me know that for 'The sound of Young America' podcasts, the subject of the show appears where the song title does for music. And lo, he was right. Jesse Thorn, awesometastic? You decide...
Speaking of faith
The splendid table
Filmschool
Intelligence squared
On the media
The sound of Young America
The Diane Rehm show
I love my iPod, Frances. It's a black iPod and I call it Frances. Get it? Black Frances? Anyway, my only big complaint with Frances is that when I download podcasts to him, I have no idea what the podcasts are about. In iTunes, the podcasts have descriptions, but not on my iPod. Right now, there's an episode of 'The sound of Young America" with an interview with Brendon Small. But I don't know which one, which sucks because I really wanted to listen to it.
UPDATE: Jesse Thorn, America's Radio Sweetheart, let me know that for 'The sound of Young America' podcasts, the subject of the show appears where the song title does for music. And lo, he was right. Jesse Thorn, awesometastic? You decide...
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Fun with Black Frances
One of the fun things about The Dude working from home during the winter is that he is always hard at work putting our music collection on iTunes and, therefore, on our iPods.
At Whatsamatta U., I'm allowed to listen to music while I work (I couldn't at my previous POW), so I'm always flipping through Black Frances to find something to listen to. And, admittedly, I get tired of listening to the same five things. So, I've started listening to stuff that I've never heard before.
So far I've liked:
Aimee Mann's Bachelor No. 2
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah's self-titled disc
Radiohead's OK Computer
Cat Power's The Greatest
The most remarkable out of all of these is the Radiohead disc. I have had a strong distaste for them for quite some time. This is amusing because The Dude loves them with the passion of a thousand firey suns. So imagine my surprise when it turns out that they aren't as bad as I'd previously thought.
*sigh*...I hate it when he's right :)
At Whatsamatta U., I'm allowed to listen to music while I work (I couldn't at my previous POW), so I'm always flipping through Black Frances to find something to listen to. And, admittedly, I get tired of listening to the same five things. So, I've started listening to stuff that I've never heard before.
So far I've liked:
Aimee Mann's Bachelor No. 2
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah's self-titled disc
Radiohead's OK Computer
Cat Power's The Greatest
The most remarkable out of all of these is the Radiohead disc. I have had a strong distaste for them for quite some time. This is amusing because The Dude loves them with the passion of a thousand firey suns. So imagine my surprise when it turns out that they aren't as bad as I'd previously thought.
*sigh*...I hate it when he's right :)
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