Nowadays it takes a lot for me to download an entire album. And once I do, I rarely ever listen to one all the way through. Here is my latest exception: Kathleen Edward’s Failer. The album sounds just like the cover looks: stranded with a beaten-down truck in the middle of nowhere. Sometimes you feel [...]
When I was a kid, I formed an instant connection and adoration for my favorite bands. The first time I heard Led Zeppelin’s “Black Dog” I was like, “What’s that!” I went out and bought their albums one by one and let few other bands in. I was exclusive with my favorite bands for extended [...]
My friend, Jennifer, told me about this weekend’s episode of NPR’s “This American Life” and told me “you have to listen to it.” She gave me the following details: the commentator is this artsy chick who just got dumped and is trying to deal with the break-up. As most people do, she listens to all [...]
I moved back to my hometown a few years ago and teach at the local university. Right down the road from my house is the university pool, where I used to swim as a kid. Back then, U2′s Joshua Tree was really big. So, I remember trying flips off the diving board while hearing “With [...]
A few years ago, I bought a 4 disc Byrds boxed set. Being a mild fan, I figured that the boxed set would suffice. But a few of their early singles, like She Has A Way, I’ll Feel A Whole Lot Better, and She Don’t Care About Time, caught my attention. They all had one thing [...]
This weekend, I picked up a copy of the Flight of the Conchords brand new CD. It’s basically music from their HBO show. It’s been a long time since I’ve bought a novelty CD like this and I highly recommend it. As usual, I’ve tried to intellectually dissect what makes it all work [...]
That’s the actual title of The Clientele’s 2007 album. I agree with the sentiment. This album pretty much took over my internal soundtrack last week. When I listen to it, I hear certain overused adjectives like “exquisite” and “achingly beautiful.” Some of the songs make use of a harp-like guitar, while others add well-placed orchestral [...]
I’m no big fan of the blues. The early stuff is really raw and often repetitive and I can’t relate to it. The one exception for me is Mississippi John Hurt. His music seems to come from some other place: somewhere profoundly simple and sweet. He’s no snake-charmer, he doesn’t pack a pistol in his [...]
A quick look at where my listening priorities are… (Click to see a larger view)
I’ve always thought that if an alien came down to earth and asked about me about what American music was, I would have them watch the Martin Scorsese directed movie, The Last Waltz, covering The Band’s last concert ever, on Thanksgiving Day 1976. The Band’s drummer/singer, Levon Helm (think “The Night They Drove Ole’ Dixie [...]
