So, I love the webcomic Kawaii Not, but this comic is all too appropriate for my project.
Seriously, when is the last time you hugged your CDs?
They miss you.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Coincidence...
...or Chopper 4???
But seriously...
I've been listening to Pandora occasionally at work, and while it often surprises me with songs I haven't heard in ages, since I've started my 5 CDs a Week project, there have been several occasions where Pandora's played a song that was on one of the CDs on my listening list for that week's post. Often it's been something on a CD I haven't even begun listening to! Now, I know I've said before that I think Pandora is in cahoots with the music collection on my computer, but to be in cahoots with the CDs I'm picking at random is a bit, okay maybe a lot, weird. Am I being watched on some small camera by Pandora's algorithm? Who knows? If this keeps happening I'm going to get a little freaked out...okay more freaked out than I am already!
But seriously...
I've been listening to Pandora occasionally at work, and while it often surprises me with songs I haven't heard in ages, since I've started my 5 CDs a Week project, there have been several occasions where Pandora's played a song that was on one of the CDs on my listening list for that week's post. Often it's been something on a CD I haven't even begun listening to! Now, I know I've said before that I think Pandora is in cahoots with the music collection on my computer, but to be in cahoots with the CDs I'm picking at random is a bit, okay maybe a lot, weird. Am I being watched on some small camera by Pandora's algorithm? Who knows? If this keeps happening I'm going to get a little freaked out...okay more freaked out than I am already!
5 CDs a Week, week 5
This week's list:
1. Matt Pond PA, Winter Songs
2. Pat McGee Band, Shine
3. Jamiroquai, Emergency on Planet Earth
4. Maroon 5, Songs About Jane
5. Rooney, Rooney
This seemed the be the week of the busted jewel cases. A couple of the cases had the bottom latch broken off, so as soon as I opened them up, the top of the case just came right off. I know I have a handful of cases that are like that, and I wish I knew exactly how that happened. I thought it interesting that I got multiple cases like that in one week. On top of that, I still haven't had to replace the batteries in the portable player. I'll admit, I didn't use it a lot this week, but I did use it multiple days, and the batteries are still kickin'. Good job, portable!
And now, the music!
Emergency on Planet Earth, the other half of the double-disc set I picked up in college, is probably my least favorite of Jamiroquai's albums, but that doesn't mean that I don't still really like it. I think when I listen to it I get the vibe that I should be watching some episodes of The Cosby Show. There's just something to the early 90s funkiness of it that makes me thing that the Coz would be a fan of listening to the album while wearing a crazy sweater and enjoying a Jell-O Pudding Pop (Lord I miss those things, especially the swirl!). It's got some great songs, my favorite of which is "Blow Your Mind", but when I compare it to the other Jamiroquai albums I own, it doesn't quite match up. I'm still happy that I got it when I did, and I do listen to songs from it periodically, but it's rare for me to listen to the whole album.
I remember when I first heard Rooney back in 2003 or 2004, my initial thought after listening to their first single, "Blue Side", was, "Oh my God, they're the unholy love child of Weezer and the Beach Boys!" Listening to the entire album only amplified those feelings. They nail the sound of California rock, and the lyrics to the songs all deal with relationships in a way that reminds me ever so slightly of Pinkerton. I used to listen to this on the portable all the time on my commute to the studio back in the days of my internship. Back when I was taking the train every day pre-iPod, I brought along with me a small case with five or six CDs, so I'd cycle through a group every week or so, but I'd usually wind up listening to the same CD multiple times in that period. I have really strong memories of smiling while listening to this CD as I watched Philadelphia go by on the train, and I always thought it was great for sunny days. The music is super poppy and just perfect for a day when the sun is out in force.
Perfect for a day when you want to curl up with a blanket on a cold day is Matt Pond PA's Winter Songs, a collection of original and cover songs that really could be the soundtrack to the days when there's a chill in the air and some snow on the ground. The EP has covers of songs by Lindsey Buckingham, Neil Young, and even Neutral Milk Hotel. I love that they covered "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea"--it's one of my favorite Neutral Milk Hotel songs, and what the band did with it was fantastic. I think that was one of the reasons I bought the CD in the first place.
I remember listening to Songs About Jane when I first got it and thinking, "Eh, it's alright." It wasn't one of the albums that I fell in love with right out of the gate. It took a few spins in the CD player for me to get into it at all, and slowly I began to think that it was a little bit better than my first impressions let on. Of course, there were a few radio hits from the album -- "Harder to Breathe" and "This Love" became pretty popular in 2004, and, from the tales I've heard, were actually the last two songs added to the album. I think my favorite of the album became "Sunday Morning", which I know I added to a mix CD or two I made for friends, because I loved the upbeat vibe of it, and it made me want to dance around. When I was listening to the album at work, I found myself singing along to the songs under my breath--something that happened a few times this week. Again, I'm amazed by how, while it may have been a while between times I've listened to an album, I can still recall and start singing along with 85-90% of the songs I hear. It's funny how much recall for music is in your head, only to be brought out at the time when the song triggers the memory.
I saved the best story for last. I was happy when I pulled out Pat McGee's Shine, because the couple autographs on the cover reminded me of the day that I got those autographs. First, a little backstory: The first time I heard the Pat McGee Band was in 2000 while I was DJing on 92 WICB, and "Runaway" was on my playlist for one of my shows. One of the other DJs was in the room at the time and said he thought the band was going to go somewhere. I thought so too--there's a good mix of solid Southern rock and great harmonies in the songs on the album, and "Runaway" was just the right poppy tune to put out first. I thought my friend Meg would be into the band too, so as a way to celebrate her birthday I bought tickets for the Pat McGee Band's concert at the TLA. We got down there in time to hear the opener, a little band out of Richmond called Carbon Leaf (which you'll see plenty about in the future, *wink*), and we quickly fell in love with their sound. When Pat and Band got on, though, the crowd was bigger, and we wound up getting a decent place to stand and watch everything only a few rows of people back from the stage. They played a lot of songs off the album, and some from earlier ones I didn't know--seemed like there was a lot of people in the crowd who must've gone to see them a lot. Anyway, after the set the band came out to play an encore, and, to my delight, they decided to play "Rebecca", the second track on the album, which was also my favorite song. In the middle of the song the band started jamming out, and Pat and the sax player left the stage. Meg and I weren't quite sure where they went but figured they were heading into the crowd. What we weren't expecting was for them to go out into the crowd...right behind us! We turned around, and there they were. Suddenly everyone who was in front of us facing the stage were now behind us and trying to rush the performers. We didn't want to get pushed into Pat while he played, clearly, so we had to go along with the people around us who were jumping up and down. Somehow I managed to hook my arms onto the shoulders on a couple people around us and tried to jump in time with them so I wouldn't get knocked over. I'm pretty sure that I must've jumped on someone's foot. Meg got knocked in the head with somebody's arm. Even still, after they went back up on stage, Meg and I looked at each other and said, "THAT was cool!" It definitely made the night memorable, and following the show we were able to get some autographs from the band members hanging out in the vestibule--not such a bad way to end a good night!
That wraps up another week. I wanted to thank everyone who's been reading so far. I've gotten a lot of positive support over the past five weeks, which is great because it keeps me going. I hope it's been enjoyable to read so far, and I'm excited to see what happens in the coming weeks. Until next week, happy listening!
Total battery sets used: Still 4! Awesome!
1. Matt Pond PA, Winter Songs
2. Pat McGee Band, Shine
3. Jamiroquai, Emergency on Planet Earth
4. Maroon 5, Songs About Jane
5. Rooney, Rooney
This seemed the be the week of the busted jewel cases. A couple of the cases had the bottom latch broken off, so as soon as I opened them up, the top of the case just came right off. I know I have a handful of cases that are like that, and I wish I knew exactly how that happened. I thought it interesting that I got multiple cases like that in one week. On top of that, I still haven't had to replace the batteries in the portable player. I'll admit, I didn't use it a lot this week, but I did use it multiple days, and the batteries are still kickin'. Good job, portable!
And now, the music!
Emergency on Planet Earth, the other half of the double-disc set I picked up in college, is probably my least favorite of Jamiroquai's albums, but that doesn't mean that I don't still really like it. I think when I listen to it I get the vibe that I should be watching some episodes of The Cosby Show. There's just something to the early 90s funkiness of it that makes me thing that the Coz would be a fan of listening to the album while wearing a crazy sweater and enjoying a Jell-O Pudding Pop (Lord I miss those things, especially the swirl!). It's got some great songs, my favorite of which is "Blow Your Mind", but when I compare it to the other Jamiroquai albums I own, it doesn't quite match up. I'm still happy that I got it when I did, and I do listen to songs from it periodically, but it's rare for me to listen to the whole album.
I remember when I first heard Rooney back in 2003 or 2004, my initial thought after listening to their first single, "Blue Side", was, "Oh my God, they're the unholy love child of Weezer and the Beach Boys!" Listening to the entire album only amplified those feelings. They nail the sound of California rock, and the lyrics to the songs all deal with relationships in a way that reminds me ever so slightly of Pinkerton. I used to listen to this on the portable all the time on my commute to the studio back in the days of my internship. Back when I was taking the train every day pre-iPod, I brought along with me a small case with five or six CDs, so I'd cycle through a group every week or so, but I'd usually wind up listening to the same CD multiple times in that period. I have really strong memories of smiling while listening to this CD as I watched Philadelphia go by on the train, and I always thought it was great for sunny days. The music is super poppy and just perfect for a day when the sun is out in force.
Perfect for a day when you want to curl up with a blanket on a cold day is Matt Pond PA's Winter Songs, a collection of original and cover songs that really could be the soundtrack to the days when there's a chill in the air and some snow on the ground. The EP has covers of songs by Lindsey Buckingham, Neil Young, and even Neutral Milk Hotel. I love that they covered "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea"--it's one of my favorite Neutral Milk Hotel songs, and what the band did with it was fantastic. I think that was one of the reasons I bought the CD in the first place.
I remember listening to Songs About Jane when I first got it and thinking, "Eh, it's alright." It wasn't one of the albums that I fell in love with right out of the gate. It took a few spins in the CD player for me to get into it at all, and slowly I began to think that it was a little bit better than my first impressions let on. Of course, there were a few radio hits from the album -- "Harder to Breathe" and "This Love" became pretty popular in 2004, and, from the tales I've heard, were actually the last two songs added to the album. I think my favorite of the album became "Sunday Morning", which I know I added to a mix CD or two I made for friends, because I loved the upbeat vibe of it, and it made me want to dance around. When I was listening to the album at work, I found myself singing along to the songs under my breath--something that happened a few times this week. Again, I'm amazed by how, while it may have been a while between times I've listened to an album, I can still recall and start singing along with 85-90% of the songs I hear. It's funny how much recall for music is in your head, only to be brought out at the time when the song triggers the memory.
I saved the best story for last. I was happy when I pulled out Pat McGee's Shine, because the couple autographs on the cover reminded me of the day that I got those autographs. First, a little backstory: The first time I heard the Pat McGee Band was in 2000 while I was DJing on 92 WICB, and "Runaway" was on my playlist for one of my shows. One of the other DJs was in the room at the time and said he thought the band was going to go somewhere. I thought so too--there's a good mix of solid Southern rock and great harmonies in the songs on the album, and "Runaway" was just the right poppy tune to put out first. I thought my friend Meg would be into the band too, so as a way to celebrate her birthday I bought tickets for the Pat McGee Band's concert at the TLA. We got down there in time to hear the opener, a little band out of Richmond called Carbon Leaf (which you'll see plenty about in the future, *wink*), and we quickly fell in love with their sound. When Pat and Band got on, though, the crowd was bigger, and we wound up getting a decent place to stand and watch everything only a few rows of people back from the stage. They played a lot of songs off the album, and some from earlier ones I didn't know--seemed like there was a lot of people in the crowd who must've gone to see them a lot. Anyway, after the set the band came out to play an encore, and, to my delight, they decided to play "Rebecca", the second track on the album, which was also my favorite song. In the middle of the song the band started jamming out, and Pat and the sax player left the stage. Meg and I weren't quite sure where they went but figured they were heading into the crowd. What we weren't expecting was for them to go out into the crowd...right behind us! We turned around, and there they were. Suddenly everyone who was in front of us facing the stage were now behind us and trying to rush the performers. We didn't want to get pushed into Pat while he played, clearly, so we had to go along with the people around us who were jumping up and down. Somehow I managed to hook my arms onto the shoulders on a couple people around us and tried to jump in time with them so I wouldn't get knocked over. I'm pretty sure that I must've jumped on someone's foot. Meg got knocked in the head with somebody's arm. Even still, after they went back up on stage, Meg and I looked at each other and said, "THAT was cool!" It definitely made the night memorable, and following the show we were able to get some autographs from the band members hanging out in the vestibule--not such a bad way to end a good night!
That wraps up another week. I wanted to thank everyone who's been reading so far. I've gotten a lot of positive support over the past five weeks, which is great because it keeps me going. I hope it's been enjoyable to read so far, and I'm excited to see what happens in the coming weeks. Until next week, happy listening!
Total battery sets used: Still 4! Awesome!
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
5 CDs a Week, week 4
CDs of the Week, in no particular order:
1. Fathead, Boundless
2. Moxy Fruvous, Live Noise
3. "Barney's Get Psyched Mix: How I Met Your Corona, August 12,2008" by Christine Wilson
4. Santana, Supernatural
5. "Priceless Jazz Collection: Louis Armstrong"
I was grabbing CDs as I needed this week, so of course, I had to pick a couple last night to make sure I got through the week--I'm such a slacker! The one thing that I was incredibly surprised about this week's listening was that I did not have to change the batteries in my portable player once. I was using it every day for my walks to work, and by the time I got home tonight, it was still going strong. Good job, rechargeable batteries!
On to the music!
I first got into Fathead around my sophomore year in college. Being up in Ithaca, I'm sure, contributed to my love of their mix of progressive rock, jazz, and rap with a twist of socially conscious lyrics. On top of that, their track "I'd Rather Be" wound up on Y100's Philly File CD. Boundless was their third studio album, but it was the one that came out just after I got into the band, so I swooped down and picked that up pretty quickly. I think my favorite track on the album is "Trees", mostly for the long jazzy instrumental middle with gradually increasing sound effects of the city--cars driving by, people on the street, and the gentle wind that seems to blow along the trees on the sides of the street. Some of their other tracks have catchy lyrical hooks that you'll find yourself randomly singing along to after a listen or two. "I'd Rather Be" will probably get stuck in my head for the next week, guaranteed.
"Barney's Get Psyched Mix: How I Met Your Corona..." was a mix put together by my sister Christine for my sister Sharon's birthday. The inspiration for the mix was, of course, How I Met Your Mother's "Get Psyched" mix by character Barney Stinson, with the goal of having a mix that was "all-rise". Chris managed to look up all the tracks used on the mix made for the show. On it, you'll find such great pump-you-up songs like "The Humpty Dance" by Digital Underground, Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'", and The Scorpion's "Rock You Like a Hurricane". I was listening to this on my walk into work today, and there was some so utterly awesome about going the pace I was going and hearing Joe Esposito belt out "You're the best, AROUND! Nothin's gonna ever keep you down!" The best part of these mixes, I should add, is that Chris doctors the photos on the cover of the mixes, routinely taking the faces of friends and family and superimposing them on the faces of characters in the pictures for the shows or movies she used. It's sheer brilliance at every turn, and I'm glad I got a copy!
I got the Louis Armstrong CD when I was still in high school. I remember this because I know that I was using songs from the CD on mixtapes I made for a trip Meg and I took up to New England to see her extended family and visit colleges. I used to listed to WPRB out of Princeton on the weekends, Sundays to be exact, and I would sit in my room and listen to the jazz show. I can't remember the name of the DJ that was there, but he had the voice of someone you knew knew jazz. He had just the right mix of age and rasp in is voice to keep you interested without worrying here or there, "What did he just say?" I listened to him a lot while I sat and wrote in my purple notebook or just looked out the window of my room to the porch outside and the yard beyond that. I knew that it might be a wise decision to actually purchase a jazz CD, and somehow I knew that I should start with a classic voice--Louis Armstrong. It's a great CD, full of his notable songs--"La Vie En Rose" and "What a Wonderful World", as well as duets with Bing Crosby and Ella Fitzgerald. A few years ago I thought I had scratched it up, maybe because of how some of the songs transferred to my computer--really, I'm not quite sure why I thought it was scratched up, because as I listened to it today at work, it seemed to be playing smoothly. Maybe it was a fluke and I should check it again, or maybe my thoughts of a scratch were mistaken. Either way, it was nice to be reminded of all the great songs on the CD once more.
Here's the thought process I've imagined when Carlos Santana thought about making Supernatural: Hmm, it's about time I made a multi-platinum album. What's the best way to do that? Oh! I know! I'll collaborate with every artist in the Top 40! The best of the bunch make the album, I'll get lots of radio play because even if people don't know, or remember me that well, they'll definitely know the people I'm playing with, and they'll be sure to buy the album! I'll admit, there are a lot of good songs on the album, but it feels like a majority of them are featuring a big name or two from 1998. If he didn't have the collaborations, would the album stand on its own? Probably, but I doubt it would be platinum 15 times over. The one thing I will say about listening to it this time around was that I didn't realize before that Cee-Lo was on one of the tracks. I didn't know much of him prior to his days in Gnarls Barkley, but it was cool to go back to something I've listened to what seems like ages ago and feel like I've discovered another layer, if only because I'm paying better attention this time around. I think that's going to happen more than a few times as I go through this project.
I can't remember exactly when I got Moxy Fruvous' Live Noise, but it's been an album I always love listening to. I think I first remember listening to Fruvous with Meg in her car, either in her car or on a trip, and I really dug their sound. It was a shame that I didn't get into them before they broke up, because I know from stories of a few friends that they put on an awesome show. Many of my college friends were also into the band, and that only encouraged my love. There is one good story I'm reminded of every time I listen to this album, and it's a little bittersweet.
One of the songs on the album, "Fly", is about that point in time when you realize that the person you're with, someone you truly care about and love, just isn't right for you anymore. A couple weeks after I graduated from college, Bill came down for a visit before he was to start working at a summer camp. It was a little strange that he came down, since we had broken up over a year before, but he wanted to get out and do something before working all summer, and I said, "Sure, come on down for a visit!" One of the days he was here we went to see A Mighty Wind at the movie theater (a great movie in itself, if you haven't seen it yet). He happened to have Live Noise on in his car, and on our way back to my parents' house, "Fly" came on. Without much talking, we both listened quietly to the song at first, and then started belting out the chorus, "Hold on tight. Let's get it just right. We'll take our last flight, you and I." To me, that moment was perfect. I felt like it summed us up. We didn't have to talk about us, what went on in the past between us, or what was going to happen next for either one of us. We were there, together, in that moment, and it almost felt like that was our goodbye. I didn't know when or if I'd see him again, and I knew, I knew, that I wouldn't have a moment quite like that with him again, possibly ever. It's hard to let that first love go, but to have that moment when you know you can and you'll be okay, you'll really be okay, is beyond words.
Oddly enough, I'm not as tired as I was last week when I was writing about everything, but I think it's because I was a little jazzed up with all the political talk today. Current events and elections seem to really get my blood pumping. But that's for another entry for another time. I'm just happy I've been sticking to my deadlines! Until next week, happy listening!
Battery tally: Still 4 sets! Woohoo!
1. Fathead, Boundless
2. Moxy Fruvous, Live Noise
3. "Barney's Get Psyched Mix: How I Met Your Corona, August 12,2008" by Christine Wilson
4. Santana, Supernatural
5. "Priceless Jazz Collection: Louis Armstrong"
I was grabbing CDs as I needed this week, so of course, I had to pick a couple last night to make sure I got through the week--I'm such a slacker! The one thing that I was incredibly surprised about this week's listening was that I did not have to change the batteries in my portable player once. I was using it every day for my walks to work, and by the time I got home tonight, it was still going strong. Good job, rechargeable batteries!
On to the music!
I first got into Fathead around my sophomore year in college. Being up in Ithaca, I'm sure, contributed to my love of their mix of progressive rock, jazz, and rap with a twist of socially conscious lyrics. On top of that, their track "I'd Rather Be" wound up on Y100's Philly File CD. Boundless was their third studio album, but it was the one that came out just after I got into the band, so I swooped down and picked that up pretty quickly. I think my favorite track on the album is "Trees", mostly for the long jazzy instrumental middle with gradually increasing sound effects of the city--cars driving by, people on the street, and the gentle wind that seems to blow along the trees on the sides of the street. Some of their other tracks have catchy lyrical hooks that you'll find yourself randomly singing along to after a listen or two. "I'd Rather Be" will probably get stuck in my head for the next week, guaranteed.
"Barney's Get Psyched Mix: How I Met Your Corona..." was a mix put together by my sister Christine for my sister Sharon's birthday. The inspiration for the mix was, of course, How I Met Your Mother's "Get Psyched" mix by character Barney Stinson, with the goal of having a mix that was "all-rise". Chris managed to look up all the tracks used on the mix made for the show. On it, you'll find such great pump-you-up songs like "The Humpty Dance" by Digital Underground, Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'", and The Scorpion's "Rock You Like a Hurricane". I was listening to this on my walk into work today, and there was some so utterly awesome about going the pace I was going and hearing Joe Esposito belt out "You're the best, AROUND! Nothin's gonna ever keep you down!" The best part of these mixes, I should add, is that Chris doctors the photos on the cover of the mixes, routinely taking the faces of friends and family and superimposing them on the faces of characters in the pictures for the shows or movies she used. It's sheer brilliance at every turn, and I'm glad I got a copy!
I got the Louis Armstrong CD when I was still in high school. I remember this because I know that I was using songs from the CD on mixtapes I made for a trip Meg and I took up to New England to see her extended family and visit colleges. I used to listed to WPRB out of Princeton on the weekends, Sundays to be exact, and I would sit in my room and listen to the jazz show. I can't remember the name of the DJ that was there, but he had the voice of someone you knew knew jazz. He had just the right mix of age and rasp in is voice to keep you interested without worrying here or there, "What did he just say?" I listened to him a lot while I sat and wrote in my purple notebook or just looked out the window of my room to the porch outside and the yard beyond that. I knew that it might be a wise decision to actually purchase a jazz CD, and somehow I knew that I should start with a classic voice--Louis Armstrong. It's a great CD, full of his notable songs--"La Vie En Rose" and "What a Wonderful World", as well as duets with Bing Crosby and Ella Fitzgerald. A few years ago I thought I had scratched it up, maybe because of how some of the songs transferred to my computer--really, I'm not quite sure why I thought it was scratched up, because as I listened to it today at work, it seemed to be playing smoothly. Maybe it was a fluke and I should check it again, or maybe my thoughts of a scratch were mistaken. Either way, it was nice to be reminded of all the great songs on the CD once more.
Here's the thought process I've imagined when Carlos Santana thought about making Supernatural: Hmm, it's about time I made a multi-platinum album. What's the best way to do that? Oh! I know! I'll collaborate with every artist in the Top 40! The best of the bunch make the album, I'll get lots of radio play because even if people don't know, or remember me that well, they'll definitely know the people I'm playing with, and they'll be sure to buy the album! I'll admit, there are a lot of good songs on the album, but it feels like a majority of them are featuring a big name or two from 1998. If he didn't have the collaborations, would the album stand on its own? Probably, but I doubt it would be platinum 15 times over. The one thing I will say about listening to it this time around was that I didn't realize before that Cee-Lo was on one of the tracks. I didn't know much of him prior to his days in Gnarls Barkley, but it was cool to go back to something I've listened to what seems like ages ago and feel like I've discovered another layer, if only because I'm paying better attention this time around. I think that's going to happen more than a few times as I go through this project.
I can't remember exactly when I got Moxy Fruvous' Live Noise, but it's been an album I always love listening to. I think I first remember listening to Fruvous with Meg in her car, either in her car or on a trip, and I really dug their sound. It was a shame that I didn't get into them before they broke up, because I know from stories of a few friends that they put on an awesome show. Many of my college friends were also into the band, and that only encouraged my love. There is one good story I'm reminded of every time I listen to this album, and it's a little bittersweet.
One of the songs on the album, "Fly", is about that point in time when you realize that the person you're with, someone you truly care about and love, just isn't right for you anymore. A couple weeks after I graduated from college, Bill came down for a visit before he was to start working at a summer camp. It was a little strange that he came down, since we had broken up over a year before, but he wanted to get out and do something before working all summer, and I said, "Sure, come on down for a visit!" One of the days he was here we went to see A Mighty Wind at the movie theater (a great movie in itself, if you haven't seen it yet). He happened to have Live Noise on in his car, and on our way back to my parents' house, "Fly" came on. Without much talking, we both listened quietly to the song at first, and then started belting out the chorus, "Hold on tight. Let's get it just right. We'll take our last flight, you and I." To me, that moment was perfect. I felt like it summed us up. We didn't have to talk about us, what went on in the past between us, or what was going to happen next for either one of us. We were there, together, in that moment, and it almost felt like that was our goodbye. I didn't know when or if I'd see him again, and I knew, I knew, that I wouldn't have a moment quite like that with him again, possibly ever. It's hard to let that first love go, but to have that moment when you know you can and you'll be okay, you'll really be okay, is beyond words.
Oddly enough, I'm not as tired as I was last week when I was writing about everything, but I think it's because I was a little jazzed up with all the political talk today. Current events and elections seem to really get my blood pumping. But that's for another entry for another time. I'm just happy I've been sticking to my deadlines! Until next week, happy listening!
Battery tally: Still 4 sets! Woohoo!
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
5 CDs a Week, week 3
CDs of the week, in no particular order:
1. Travis, The Invisible Band
2. Beck, Odelay
3. The Decemberists, The Crane Wife
4. Rilo Kiley, More Adventurous
5. Modjo, "Chillin'" single
I tried something a little different this week with the picking--I let O pick the last CD. Now, the way I've been picking is basically reaching in the drawer with most of my CDs while looking away and grabbing one at a time, or going to a pile in another room and closing my eyes and picking one. This time I thought it might be interesting to see what Oliver picked out. His approach was to look through and find one that he thought "would have a good story," so he picked out Beck's Odelay. Funny thing is, I don't really thing I have a story for it. Nothing too memorable, anyway. That's not to say that it wasn't a fantastic album. With "The New Pollution", "Where It's At", and "Devil's Haircut", that's a fact that's hard to deny. Plus there are a lot of other great tracks on the album. But I have no real memories, no crazy stories associated with it. I loved listening to it again (and again), but I thought it almost weird that there was nothing that I felt like I HAD to write about Odelay. I guess that, in itself, is a story. We make all sorts of associations with songs, albums, sounds and smells and tastes with some time in the past, but then there are things that just don't really do much to jog a memory. Is that a bad thing? I don't necessarily think so. There are still memories to be created, and even though a album came out 14 years ago, that doesn't mean it couldn't create new memories. Also, holy cow! Odelay came out 14 years ago?!?!? I had just finished my first year of high school! I think I need a minute to get over how old I'm feeling right now...
...Okay, that's better. Onward we go!
The Crane Wife was an album I picked up at Repo Records on South Street one summer weekend, I believe while I was hanging out with the lovely Heather when she graced the city of Brotherly Love with her presence one weekend. Both of us being music connoisseurs (albeit maybe with slightly different tastes), we HAD to stop in any record store we came across on our journey up and down the street where all the hippest meet. I don't even think I was going to get anything, but I happened upon the CD in the racks, and it was shortly after it was released, so with every purchase they were giving out posters promoting The Crane Wife. Who's going to pass up a free poster, right? It just sweetened the pot for me. I made the purchase and then had to deal with carrying the poster around for the rest of the afternoon without it getting wrinkled or torn. There's a downside to everything. The CD itself is, in my opinion, some of their better material. It's definitely better-produced than their previous works, and I feel that they better explored the melding of old-world sea shanty-esque stories with modern music. My favorites are probably "Sons & Daughters", "O, Valencia", and "The Perfect Crime". Listening to it a few times this past week reminded me how much I enjoyed listening to it in the first place as well as how many songs on the album I really like. Sometimes, that kind of reminder is needed, and appreciated. Oh, and the poster? Still never put it up on the wall, but I do still have it!
Another South Street buy was Rilo Kiley's More Adventurous. No, I didn't get it at the same time as The Crane Wife, but I remember being in a small record store looking through shelf upon shelf of CDs and finding that. I can't remember exactly why I wanted to get it--I don't know what song it was that I had heard and the reasons I wanted to get it, but I was happy I picked it up. The song I keep finding myself belting out is "Does He Love You?"--it's catchy enough on the first listen to find youself singing it afterward. Also, I couldn't believe that two of the band members were one of the girls from Troop Beverly Hills and the guy who played Pinsky in Salute Your Shorts.
I picked up Travis' The Invisible Band not on South Street, but on Haight Street in San Francisco. I wandered over to Amoeba Records with Jonah one of the days I was there and grabbed a few CDs--their used CD section is stellar. There were a few songs on The Invisible Band I was familiar with, most notably "Sing" and "Slide", and overall I think this whole album is pretty solid. The video for "Sing" was pretty memorable for me, watching a room full of upper crusters getting into a food fight, complete with a monkey dancing around! That's my kind of dinner party!
Sometime when I was home from a break in college my freshman year, I was up late watching MTV (maybe MTV 2, when either one of them were still playing videos), and I saw the video for French duo Modjo's "Lady (Hear Me Tonight)". I loved the sound of it, and I hadn't heard of the group before, so I thought I'd check out Best Buy next time I was there to look for their album. But lo, they didn't have it. Weeks later, no dice. A year might have passed, and while I wasn't obsessed with it, I still checked whenever I went into a CD store, just in case I could find it. Fast forward to the summer of 2001, and Becky and I took a day trip to New York City just to walk around and enjoy ourselves when we strolled into an HMV store, and I thought about checking, just one more time, to see if they might have anything by Modjo, and BINGO! They had CD singles for both "Lady" and "Chillin'", another song that I had heard by then. I was so giddy and bouncing around about the find. Those songs are so great to put on when you want to dance a little or need a little pump-you-up music. Both singles also have acoustic loungy versions of the songs, you know, for those moments you want to chill out instead of dance.
This post is going up a little later than I normally plan for, and I'm a bit tired tonight, so hopefully there aren't too many typos on the original posting--I'll make any edits in the morning when I'm more awake and my eyes are refreshed. Until next week, happy listening!
Battery Tally: Only one set this week. Total for project: 4 sets.
1. Travis, The Invisible Band
2. Beck, Odelay
3. The Decemberists, The Crane Wife
4. Rilo Kiley, More Adventurous
5. Modjo, "Chillin'" single
I tried something a little different this week with the picking--I let O pick the last CD. Now, the way I've been picking is basically reaching in the drawer with most of my CDs while looking away and grabbing one at a time, or going to a pile in another room and closing my eyes and picking one. This time I thought it might be interesting to see what Oliver picked out. His approach was to look through and find one that he thought "would have a good story," so he picked out Beck's Odelay. Funny thing is, I don't really thing I have a story for it. Nothing too memorable, anyway. That's not to say that it wasn't a fantastic album. With "The New Pollution", "Where It's At", and "Devil's Haircut", that's a fact that's hard to deny. Plus there are a lot of other great tracks on the album. But I have no real memories, no crazy stories associated with it. I loved listening to it again (and again), but I thought it almost weird that there was nothing that I felt like I HAD to write about Odelay. I guess that, in itself, is a story. We make all sorts of associations with songs, albums, sounds and smells and tastes with some time in the past, but then there are things that just don't really do much to jog a memory. Is that a bad thing? I don't necessarily think so. There are still memories to be created, and even though a album came out 14 years ago, that doesn't mean it couldn't create new memories. Also, holy cow! Odelay came out 14 years ago?!?!? I had just finished my first year of high school! I think I need a minute to get over how old I'm feeling right now...
...Okay, that's better. Onward we go!
The Crane Wife was an album I picked up at Repo Records on South Street one summer weekend, I believe while I was hanging out with the lovely Heather when she graced the city of Brotherly Love with her presence one weekend. Both of us being music connoisseurs (albeit maybe with slightly different tastes), we HAD to stop in any record store we came across on our journey up and down the street where all the hippest meet. I don't even think I was going to get anything, but I happened upon the CD in the racks, and it was shortly after it was released, so with every purchase they were giving out posters promoting The Crane Wife. Who's going to pass up a free poster, right? It just sweetened the pot for me. I made the purchase and then had to deal with carrying the poster around for the rest of the afternoon without it getting wrinkled or torn. There's a downside to everything. The CD itself is, in my opinion, some of their better material. It's definitely better-produced than their previous works, and I feel that they better explored the melding of old-world sea shanty-esque stories with modern music. My favorites are probably "Sons & Daughters", "O, Valencia", and "The Perfect Crime". Listening to it a few times this past week reminded me how much I enjoyed listening to it in the first place as well as how many songs on the album I really like. Sometimes, that kind of reminder is needed, and appreciated. Oh, and the poster? Still never put it up on the wall, but I do still have it!
Another South Street buy was Rilo Kiley's More Adventurous. No, I didn't get it at the same time as The Crane Wife, but I remember being in a small record store looking through shelf upon shelf of CDs and finding that. I can't remember exactly why I wanted to get it--I don't know what song it was that I had heard and the reasons I wanted to get it, but I was happy I picked it up. The song I keep finding myself belting out is "Does He Love You?"--it's catchy enough on the first listen to find youself singing it afterward. Also, I couldn't believe that two of the band members were one of the girls from Troop Beverly Hills and the guy who played Pinsky in Salute Your Shorts.
I picked up Travis' The Invisible Band not on South Street, but on Haight Street in San Francisco. I wandered over to Amoeba Records with Jonah one of the days I was there and grabbed a few CDs--their used CD section is stellar. There were a few songs on The Invisible Band I was familiar with, most notably "Sing" and "Slide", and overall I think this whole album is pretty solid. The video for "Sing" was pretty memorable for me, watching a room full of upper crusters getting into a food fight, complete with a monkey dancing around! That's my kind of dinner party!
Sometime when I was home from a break in college my freshman year, I was up late watching MTV (maybe MTV 2, when either one of them were still playing videos), and I saw the video for French duo Modjo's "Lady (Hear Me Tonight)". I loved the sound of it, and I hadn't heard of the group before, so I thought I'd check out Best Buy next time I was there to look for their album. But lo, they didn't have it. Weeks later, no dice. A year might have passed, and while I wasn't obsessed with it, I still checked whenever I went into a CD store, just in case I could find it. Fast forward to the summer of 2001, and Becky and I took a day trip to New York City just to walk around and enjoy ourselves when we strolled into an HMV store, and I thought about checking, just one more time, to see if they might have anything by Modjo, and BINGO! They had CD singles for both "Lady" and "Chillin'", another song that I had heard by then. I was so giddy and bouncing around about the find. Those songs are so great to put on when you want to dance a little or need a little pump-you-up music. Both singles also have acoustic loungy versions of the songs, you know, for those moments you want to chill out instead of dance.
This post is going up a little later than I normally plan for, and I'm a bit tired tonight, so hopefully there aren't too many typos on the original posting--I'll make any edits in the morning when I'm more awake and my eyes are refreshed. Until next week, happy listening!
Battery Tally: Only one set this week. Total for project: 4 sets.
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