Archive for the ‘music’ Category

I’ve been meaning to do a music post for some time but the prospect became too daunting. You see, I wanted to with about my all-time favorite albums. The ones that you can listen to straight through without skipping a track. And let’s be honest, for every band you love and album they put out, there is the inevitable song or two that just never really grips you. So I’ve decided to do this in installments. I’m calling it Awesome Albums, and in each post, I’ll tell you a little about an album I love every song on and I will also embed a player where you can check out one of them.

So what better way to start tan with my favorite album of all time. That’s right: all time. It is The Cure‘s Disintegration, released in 1989. I would even call it their opus. It’s fantastic. Moody and ethereal. Charged and subtle. Little nuances of noise creep in the background, so slight you nearly don’t hear them at all. It makes me think of stars falling form the sky, and perhaps that is because when I first fell in love with it I was star gazing for two long nights in a forest clearing in Oregon back in 1997. Prior to that year I hadn’t given the album a good listen. Maybe it was serendipitous that it eluded me as it had for if I had not had those two stargazing nights than perhaps I would not have become so enamored with it as I had. Oregon is a prime place to watch stars. The air isn’t obscured by pollution the way it is here, outside Chicago. Here, you can hardly see the stars at all. It was such on odd experience to lay in that forest clearing and even though the ground was chilly and slightly damp, I didn’t care; I was mesmerized by the sky. I didn;t even realize that one could see so many stars in the sky. Maybe I just thought there weren’t so many visible at all, from anywhere on the planet. I suppose I hadn’t ever given it any significant thought because I had become to accustomed to the absence of stars. But seeing them….I was transfixed.

That may sound as though I’ve gone off and a tangent–and that may partly true–but that experience is undeniably tied to my love for this album. Strangely bleak and hopeful in the same moment, The Cure‘s Disintegration has the capacity to transpose me into another place. Whether it is back in that forest clearing in Oregon or to another construct within my mind is inconsequential. But that it does, is what’s important.

I love all kinds of music mostly but overall I am more inclined toward melancholy tunes. The Cure’s discography is filled with this kind of stuff. Disintegration may have more of it than their other albums. Even the faster songs, such as the titular “Disintegration” and “Fascination Street” are somehow soft. Each track is full of haunting melodic tones with a tinge of cacophony and often–though not always–riddled with non-sequitur lyrics. They’re poetic. From the titular song:

Now that I know that I’m breaking to pieces // I’ll pull out my heart // And I’ll feed it to anyone // Crying for sympathy // Crocodiles cry for the love of the crowd // And the three cheers from everyone // Dropping through sky // Through the glass of the roof // Through the roof of your mouth // Through the mouth of your eye // Through the eye of the needle // It’s easier for me to get closer to heaven // Than ever feel whole again

by Robert Smith from The Cure’s official site

“Love Song” is probably the most well-known of the album’s tracks. It’s a great song but it’s far from my favorite. There’s lots of other great treats on this disc. I offer up “The Same Deep Water as You” as a sample. It begins with a rainstorm and molds into a beautiful instrumental segment before the lyrics come in. Though it is from 1989, it doesn’t sound that way to me. There’s a timelessness there. This is an album that go on without coming off as dated. I can’t say that about a lot of albums, not even any of the other The Cure’s. So take a listen and see if you agree.

In the very first season of South Park there is an episode called “Mecha-Streisand” in which an evil giant Barbra Streisand comes and brings destruction to the town and it’s up to Robert Smith of The Cure to save the day. And he does, of course. And as he is leaving and walking toward that proverbial sunset, Kyle yells to him “‘Disintegration’ is the best album ever!” I couldn’t agree more.

In the spring of 2010, Disintegration will be re-released in as a 21st Anniversary remastered, 3-CD Deluxe Edition. (It will also be available on a single disc and a double vinyl.) There’s also to be other remastered releases in 2010, so I’ll have to keep on eye on that too.

It is HOT in Chicagoland and that means summer time is here! Music for the summer goes two ways for me:pumpy and upbeat or chill and relaxing.

So, I’ve made a summer mix of some tunes I like to listen to when the weather is hot and the sun is blazing. Mostly, the list is comprised of the fun, faster-paced songs. But there’s a few chill tunes in there as well! A lot of these songs have been with me for many, many years. Others are somewhat new. But they all feel like summer to me. Take a listen and maybe you’ll find something you like!

Music! I love it. My iPod is ridiculous. And I don’t even have all my music on it. So I thought I would start a little feature and on occasion share a bit of what’s grabbing me at the moment. My tastes are broad. There is hardly a genre I do not like. Though, admittedly, rap and country probably fall at the bottom. Though there are some likable tracks out there, certainly. Generally I sway toward more singer-songwriter type of stuff. I like the lull and the emotion and softness of it. This is probably due to my days of aspring authorship; I would build soundtracks that would help me to develop my stories and plots and characters. As a child and then a teenager, I was a huge movie aficionado. And I saw the world through the lens of a camera. (I still do sometimes.) Point is, music is a kind of breathing to me. The escape it can give you. The relief. The motivation. The clarity. The epiphanies it can provide. So here’s a sampling of what’s been in my frequent rotation, and I’ve even supplied a player for you so you can hear these wonderful songs! To visit any of these artists’ websites, click the link in the player.

1. Dave Matthews Band “Seven”
This is a track from their recent release (just this past Tuesday actually), Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King. This is their first album without Leroi Moore, saxophonist, who tragically died nearly a year ago. I’m a pretty big DMB fan. (In fact, I am so bummed because this will be the first summer in about four or five years that I will be unable to see them play live. I’m too broke dammit! That and the venue they are playing at here sucks. The past two years they were playing at this new stadium that is so awesome. I have no idea why they won’t pay there this year! Not that y’all care. Anyway…) Usually, it takes a few listens of a new album of any band or artist before it starts to pull me in, but with this newest album I was sucked in immediately. It has a rich and melodic flavor and a saucy layered sound. I chose this track to highlight the album because it’s just so damn catchy! It really pumps me up and makes me want to move. And there’s a great jam portion as the bridge. Also of note, it’s embedded with Dave’s suggestive and wise lyrics. Always a plus. His lyrics always please me. “Mama told me ‘Boy someday that girl’s gonna steal your mind and then you’ll know,’ I never knew but I do now.”

2. Brian Bond “Keep Your Eyes on Me”
This is the guy on the verge of being discovered, I think. He hasn’t had any real studio release I am aware of until his upcoming one Fire & Gold. But he’s got a whole ton of demos and tracks available for free download on his site. Worth checking out. A sweet, strumming guitar and smooth, sexy lyrics anchor this lovely tune. “I ask what do you feel for me. Well I know you’re confused but please tell me. What the hell am I supposed to do when I can’t stop thinking about you?”

3. Twin Sister “Nectarine”
Also under the radar. And they have a 4-track EP available for free download on their website. A soft and prickly acoustic guitar and gentle harmony bring a nice flavor to this song. It’s almost reminiscent of folk but it has a touch of pop. “But I won’t stay where I dream for long through your rising in the morning.”

4. Duncan Sheik “Wishful Thinking”
I’ve been a fan since his first album. He’s a bit adult contemporary but he’s far from some shit like Michael Bolton, I assure you! I’ve been listening to this track because I just got it! I never even realized I didn’t have it. It was on the soundtrack for Great Expectations. I enjoy his voice and he has a pretty wide vocal range, low and high. (Though this isn’t really the song where you could hear that.) “Oh yeah, fooled again. Don’t know how and I don’t know when.Not much else to blame, but wishful thinking.”

5. Doves “Compulsion”
On the whole, I find their newest album Kingdom of Rust rather lackluster. However there are three tracks I kind of dig. And this is one. I wasn’t too familiar with Doves until sometime last year but since them I have collected a few albums. They’ve got some good tracks…and some I could care less about. Though, I find that to be true for most artists. You just can’t like everything! “Compulsion” has a sort of funky, retro vibe to it. A pulsing beat and a touch of old school synth-pop sound. “We laid up there, in stars. Woke up in the storm. Am I yours? I’m unsure.”

6. Ben Lee “Song For the Divine Mother of the Universe”
I find Ben Lee is be vastly under appreciated. Sure, sometimes songs are corny or his lyrics too strange or abstract. But I like him. He writes some catchy tunes. Some upbeat, some slow…and some that fall somewhere in between, such as this one. This is the last track from his newest release The Rebirth of Venus. It’s a lovely–if slightly tautological–hymn. He’s even accompanied by a chorus of sorts. I think it’s pretty; maybe you will too. “And what went wrong will soon be right. Oh mother, please hold me tight.”

7. Jimmy Eat World “Here It Goes”
You know, I was never much a Jimmy Eat World fan. But I guess that’s because never really bothered to give them a good listen. But I am so glad I did. A couple months ago I was basically inundating myself JEW. They have quite an awesome selection of great tracks. I chose this one because it is fun and fast and makes you want to move. It’s a perfect summer song! This is off their most recent album Chase This Light. “And it’s not the only good track on there. Waiting for attention, I’m not. Cut it to the left and I rock. Need an invitation, I don’t. Slide it to the right and I roll.”

8. Iron & Wine “Boy with a Coin”
I’ve gotten to Iron & Wine over the past year. They have smooth melodies coupled with peculiar and frankly, perplexing lyrics. But their sound is both soothing and haunting. This might be one of their more well-known songs but I’m not sure. I don’t really keep up on what’s on the radio or what singles are released. I just like what I like. This album (The Shepherd’s Dog) got a few solid tracks on it but I’ve probably listened to this one more than the others. “A girl with a bird she found in the snow, Then flew up her gown and that’s how she knows, That God made her eyes for crying at birth, Then left the ground to circle the Earth.”

9. Depeche Mode “In Sympathy”
Oh, Depeche Mode, how I adore you so. Well, I must! One of the domains this site runs on is named after my favorite DM album! But I a bad fan because I haven’t given their latest release, Sounds of the Universe, a decent listen. I’ve gone through it only twice and wasn’t paying much attention when I did. But I’ll get back to it eventually. This track perked up my ears though. It’s got that classic DM sound, the infusion of that wonderful synthetic beat and the gentle harmony of Dave Gahan and Martin Gore. “I’m watching your serenity. The way your soul transcends. Their tedious obscenities. Your patience never ends.”

10. Death Cab for Cutie “Grapevine Fires”
They are band that I like and don’t at the same time. I think there are fewer songs of theirs I don’t like than I do. But then ones I do, I really do! This song is so lovely. Soft, kind of chilling and just plain pretty. This is off their newest album Narrow Stairs. “And we watched the plumes paint the sky gray as she laughed and danced through the field of graves. There I knew it would be alright, That everything would be alright.”

11. Denison Witmer “Life Before Aesthetics”
I stumbled onto this artist probably about two years ago when I heard a song of his “California Brown and Blue” and I wanted to hear more of him. This song, off his latest album Carry the Weight, is a little folksy and a little poppy. It’s got a nice, jangly beat and his vocals are crisp and sweet. If you’ve never heard of Denison Witmer, give him a chance. You just might be taken by him the way I have. “I’m not telling you it’s right, but waking through the night I felt it happen.”

12. Third Eye Blind “Red Star”
3EB is very cool. I can’t help it. I liked them in my teens and I like them now. I wish we would get a new album but at least we got the 3-track EP Red Star. This is great song. Very 3EB sounding. You’d think after a decade their sound might be different but it’s not. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing; Metallica changed thier sound and now I can barely tell them apart form fuckin’ Daughtry. What’s that about? “She had the voice of the people, now she’s timid as a mouse. I would kiss you on the mouth in a safe house.”

Wow. This post took me a few hours to compose! Well, to be fair, some time was spent on the player installation, but still! I hope you heard something you enjoyed.

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