Before: Who?
After: He's got a voice of a pro. At track 7 of 11, though, his pro voice is prosaically propelling me to a sleep probably prone to producing dreams of progressive prosciutto at prom. And no, that profound alliteration actually has nothing to do with Albert.
I'm trying to think of a setting where this music would enrich the moment. Maybe at a hipster dinner party? Maybe while it's my time to sleep during my inevitable trans-American road trip someday?
Blues is just not on my list of music genres that awakens my creativity. However, I am glad I was able to listen to this album because Berty K was actually just inducted (posthumously) into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in May of this year!
Saturday, September 21, 2013
Sunday, September 15, 2013
492: Eurythmics, "Touch"
Before: OOH! They sing that crazy spunky song about lady independence with some gnarly 80's beats! I think my mom was into them... and was Annie Lennox part of them? (Update: Yes, she was.) Annie is so cool. I think this album will be a spicy thunderstorm of voices and sounds. BRING IT.
After: Annie, you did not disappoint me for one moment. You expressed a plethora of moods and emotions, seeking the more rough ones than the smooth, refined feelings that so much music seems to focus on. You sang a song about LENTILS and RICE. You communicated that no, you didn't want anybody near you for that moment, and made it sound strong and impressive. Your words and emotions and sounds provided the perfect platform for a vibrant discussion about anything cool.
When I was feeling like I was veering from normality at times in my life, I'd try to redirect myself with phrases pasted on my walls like "When in doubt, _." The Eurythmics obviously deserve a spot on that list. (Sidenote: I suppose that if you have a suggestion for solving minor crises like those, you can comment and offer up your compass of choice.)
One of my favorite listening experiences thus far.
After: Annie, you did not disappoint me for one moment. You expressed a plethora of moods and emotions, seeking the more rough ones than the smooth, refined feelings that so much music seems to focus on. You sang a song about LENTILS and RICE. You communicated that no, you didn't want anybody near you for that moment, and made it sound strong and impressive. Your words and emotions and sounds provided the perfect platform for a vibrant discussion about anything cool.
When I was feeling like I was veering from normality at times in my life, I'd try to redirect myself with phrases pasted on my walls like "When in doubt, _." The Eurythmics obviously deserve a spot on that list. (Sidenote: I suppose that if you have a suggestion for solving minor crises like those, you can comment and offer up your compass of choice.)
One of my favorite listening experiences thus far.
Saturday, September 14, 2013
493: Wilco, "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot"
Before: I heard them briefly play before the tired and tattered dog Bob Dylan took the stage at the Americana fest this summer. I was taken by surprise at how much their sound jived with me. I think of a richly hearty whole grain bread when I remember them; they were substantially loaded with nuts and seeds and unrefined grains. Still don't know much about them, though.
After: Unfortunately, I was underwhelmed. I expected the soundtrack to my time coloring in some funky pictures would be, well, colorful. But it wasn't. Maybe the lyrics really mean something when completely heard, but I had no such bomb of intrigue. Like their album cover, the music was a worn tan color, like the tired shade you find in picture books from the 70's. There were some hooks that got my attention for a moment, but by the next song, I was disinterested again.
I really do like Wilco. I even procrastinated listening to this album to a night when I was completely free of other duties. But that worn, tired tan color is best how I describe it. I'll definitely listen to their music in the future. But this time, Wilco, you fed me stone soup without the community to make it anything more than such. Let's hope #492 will reinvigorate me with some sustaining sounds.
After: Unfortunately, I was underwhelmed. I expected the soundtrack to my time coloring in some funky pictures would be, well, colorful. But it wasn't. Maybe the lyrics really mean something when completely heard, but I had no such bomb of intrigue. Like their album cover, the music was a worn tan color, like the tired shade you find in picture books from the 70's. There were some hooks that got my attention for a moment, but by the next song, I was disinterested again.
I really do like Wilco. I even procrastinated listening to this album to a night when I was completely free of other duties. But that worn, tired tan color is best how I describe it. I'll definitely listen to their music in the future. But this time, Wilco, you fed me stone soup without the community to make it anything more than such. Let's hope #492 will reinvigorate me with some sustaining sounds.
Sunday, September 1, 2013
494: MGMT, "Oracular Spectacular"
Before: THEY WENT TO MY SCHOOL! THEY WENT TO MY SCHOOL! MGMT STARTED AT MY SCHOOL!!!!!!!!! (still haven't gotten over how proud I am of Wes..)
I've listened to this album before. That is, the songs in a mishmoshed shuffle. I'm looking forward to analyzing it a bit more by really thinking about what they're saying and the sounds they create.
After: Their lyrics are something else. They are interwoven with references and bits of language that remind me of an English major's poetry thesis. The supporting musical chords and electronic soundscape conjures up thick clouds of blue and cylinders of cucumber green. Most of it rolls past my capacity for true audible enjoyment, but the parts that stick, stick. In "Time to Pretend", that bubbling noise is very foreign to my listening history and sounds so good. "Kids", my other favorite track, combines complementary sounds and words that mix to create a real, whole song.
Listening to this album is like going diving in a fishbowl that has a mini Las Vegas in it. The neon lights are trying to outcompete one another; there's the feeling of being underwater; there's a glitzy kitsch to it that is real but fake.
In sum, MGMT is genius.
;)
I love that I don't understand a major percentage of this album. There's so much room for me to grow as a listener and analyzer!
I've listened to this album before. That is, the songs in a mishmoshed shuffle. I'm looking forward to analyzing it a bit more by really thinking about what they're saying and the sounds they create.
After: Their lyrics are something else. They are interwoven with references and bits of language that remind me of an English major's poetry thesis. The supporting musical chords and electronic soundscape conjures up thick clouds of blue and cylinders of cucumber green. Most of it rolls past my capacity for true audible enjoyment, but the parts that stick, stick. In "Time to Pretend", that bubbling noise is very foreign to my listening history and sounds so good. "Kids", my other favorite track, combines complementary sounds and words that mix to create a real, whole song.
Listening to this album is like going diving in a fishbowl that has a mini Las Vegas in it. The neon lights are trying to outcompete one another; there's the feeling of being underwater; there's a glitzy kitsch to it that is real but fake.
In sum, MGMT is genius.
;)
I love that I don't understand a major percentage of this album. There's so much room for me to grow as a listener and analyzer!
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