Ah, a fresh year. So many of us are caught between past and present. I've got a bit of both in my recent playlists:
Introducing... The Beatles
Musicheads focus so much effort and ink on their later catalogue, and to that I say, "BAH!" Every so often I just freak out and have to hear their early stuff. I spent a childhood of cleaning my room and pretending I could play guitar / sing to this album. Apparently that habit didn't break. It is a nice lift during these darker, colder months.
As an aside: We set this to "repeat" on New Year's Eve. Remember when "repeat" meant pulling the springarm up and away so the needle would assume another album dropped?
A mess of Springsteen
Setting the sound to shuffle on one artist is kind of a common theme at the household. After the holiday music (Ives, natch) we lined up Springsteen. His work still rings. Must be the economy.
As an aside: Once upon a time I saw a Bruce Springsteen cover band in New York City. That was actually a lot of fun, probably more fun than seeing the real deal in an arena.
[No Image, this is a playlist.] Thankful for a Tankful Vol. 5 (personal mix)
A musically-inclined colleague sets up a killer playlist, and this latest volume is an assassin. He lined up 24 (!) songs that alternately rip and cajole. It starts out strong with "Never Had a Problem" by Andre Williams, rollicks from there and didn't blow out. There are some odd picks (examples: "I Ran" as done by Love is All and "Spinning Wheel" by Moog Machine) that actually work, and some straight up cranked up pieces, like "Ante Up" by M.O.P.
As an aside: Personally speaking I was very, very pleased to find "Big Bright Green Pleasure Machine" by Simon & Garfunkel. I know, I know. But just listen to it. Classic guitar, some cutting lyrics, and the boys when their voices were so, so young.
What are you listening to lately? Drop in your asides, it is good to hear the vaguely related story behind the story.
________________
Julia Schrenkler
Interactive Producer
Minnesota Public Radio
American Public Media
Objects in Mirror
recommend this
email
print
link to this page
Comments: 19
Thanks for the S&G tip; I thought we had all their albums (and I do mean albums; I'm referring to days long past) but don't remember owning that one. Off to check out that personal playlist now...
Man, Frick, but you can list it. Eagles of Death Metal, those rockin' scamps. I love their stuff. Just lining up some Fleet Foxes now... Thanks for the moldie mentions, too. Is that Entwistle song the one that goes "Disco Here Disco There"?
> "Glory Bound" by The Wailin' Jennys
> "Easy" by Anoushka Shankar & Karsh Kale featuring Norah Jones
> "Duchess" by Genesis
I've been listening to Eddi Reader a lot lately, both her Robert Burns adventures and her own stuff
also Cuilidh, by Julie Fowlis. You can hear the sea, lives of the people, and the landscape of the Outer Hebrides in her work
and still a winter state of mind
Gretchen Peters: Northern Lights
and
Matt & Shannon Heaton: Fine Winter's Night
Shells M. a friend of mine keeps typing the lyrics to Rick Springfield's "Don't Talk To Strangers" not sure if you should thank me for that "help" or not.
Heyyyyyyyyy Meg! Welcome! That's quite the list excerpt. Love the Genesis tossed in the mix.
You're quite a writer, Kerry. I'm bookmarking your blog entries for later tonight.
Jeffery, you play classical pieces? Do you play Mendelssohn? He was influenced by Bach if my poor memory is correct.
Some other great random finds of late:
Oedipus - Humbility. Alt-prog that isn't entirely derivative of many others.
Strap the Button..wow..these guys KNOW HOW TO DO SPACEROCK! And all their music is available to Download For Free
Mason Proper I enjoy their 2008 album "Olly Oxen Free"..but I revisited their debut album "There's a Moth in Your Chest" again today..damn..I'm going to have buy it soon as I think it's clearly their superior work.
Malajube.."Trompe-l'œil" I keep going back to and thoroughly enjoying. It also helps their 1st LP since that 2005 disc is going to drop in less than 1 month. The title being "Labyrinthes."
Asobi Seksu heard their new one "Hush" today for the 1st time. Solid, although I'm hardly one to compare or evaluate them since I have only known a few of their songs previously.
The Stiletto Formal = "Fiesta, Fiesta, Fiesta, Fiesta!" is still an addiction. One reason why it finished #5 on my 2008 Albums of the Year Rankings List The energy and melodies continually work for me.
Akphaezya..I dig Unexpect, and these guys are more accessible. More refined, melodic circus metal.
Wolf Parade I love 2008's"At Mount Zoomer"..addictive as hell.
The Reign of Kindo infectious proggy jazz-pop. Their drummer is exceptional on the high-hat especially.
Distrails .."Virginia Creeper" = awesome EP! 1 of the best EPs of 2008. Incredible falsetto vocals and piano. They could get a lot bigger if the right audience heard them.