5 posts tagged “music”
This, I think, is my favorite music video of all time (thanks, Ally!)
1) I'm in a webcomic! A photo webcomic, to be precise. I don't appear for about a month, but if anyone who reads this was in the photo shoot that took place at Ashley, James & Eira's apartment, this is what it was for. Anyhow, it's called Hilarity Ensues, and you should check it out. It updates every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and since we're far ahead on shooting the strips, you know it won't bog down and disappear anytime soon.
2) Remember that cheesy, cheesy song, "Torn," by Natalie Imbruglia? I respect her so much more now:
my first impressions: i'm two songs in and it's looking good. "the island" starts off with a nice beat, not something that i remember the decemberists doing before. i'm looking for another song like "july, july!" or "a cautionary tale" that you can really sing along to, though. that's what i like best about the decemberists -- when they're not doing the droning-very-literary-but-can-we-get-something-catchy-here? kind of thing. i guess i'll edit this post when i find that song on this cd. there'd better be at least one, or i'll be quite grouchy...
you know, one of the things i like about the decemberists is that they're so very much a west coast band. so obviously influenced by their surroundings, by the move west, by the japanese internment camps even. they have a real sense of history that i appreciate, especially knowing portland's history as a shanghai town and the end of the oregon trail and so on.
eta: is it just me, or does this album feel very autumnal? in any case, i think "o, valencia" has got to be the big catchy winner, with "the island" coming in a close second. i really like the story of the crane wife and the way it works into the album's whole concept. uh, i'm gonna be an unrepentant portland hipster and give this a thumbs up.
last night i saw danny schmidt play for the second time. as before, he was excellent. to give you some background, about a year ago my ex-boyfriend leigh was really excited about this guy. since he knew i liked folk music, he specifically im'd me and told me to check him out. i did, somewhat begrudgingly, and discovered that i actually pretty much liked his music -- the lyrics were great. very enjoyable.
and then leigh got him to come and play reed's chapel.
it was electric -- i cried. no, really. and i've never done that for a musical performer before; but he was just excellent at what he was doing and so earnest and true that i couldn't help it. the space is very intimate and i was about ten feet from him, up on stage, from where i sat in the first pew. he has a big and craggy voice that filled the room.
anyway, i was thrilled when he came back to play o-week this year, and i hope that reed becomes a regular stop on his tour. i hope anyone reading this checks him out, too (some music is on his homepage, and all the lyrics). this guy is worth spending two minutes to listen to, and if he ever comes to your town, go.
Esmee by the river, a face like a memory
Patient and pissed like a black man’s song
I carved you a poem from rosewood and ebony
And threw it to the river to carry along
What albums are in heavy rotation for you right now?
Afro Celt Sound System -- "Further In Flight," which is vol. 3 of a 3-volume set;
Chakra Suite, by Steven Halpern,
and
Beethoven piano sonatas, as played by Daniel Barenboim.
mostly because i've been reading and writing a lot and haven't wanted to screw with a good thing by trying to listen to anything with lyrics. Bill Frisell's Good Dog, Happy Man is also one of these cds. they let me focus entirely on my work, but if i need to zone out for a second, give me a point to focus on.
