Jessibird

I have just discovered The White Stripes and I gotta say their album Icky Thump made a good first impression and it keeps growing on me. Love the humor and energy, love the styles, love the way Jack and Meg White have dug up some old musical “rags and bones” and made them into something new and irresistible.

Their web site: The White Stripes

Very engaging video below the fold, with subtitles in Spanish. Just so you’re warned, there’s a bit of political commentary. Tell me what you think!

Read the rest of this entry »

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my blog's feed. Don't know how a feed works? Take a look at the feed quick start page. Thanks for visiting!

Related posts

• Review: The Mother Hips (0)
• Review: Lucinda Williams (0)
• My musical year in review (0)

Nine Inch Nails: Year Zero

I normally tend to the sunny side of the musical street, but I’ve just been escorted on a trip through the apocalypse - and I loved it.

Diana, you were absolutely right:

Nine Inch Nails‘ Year Zero is wonderful.

I didn’t care for the brief sampling I had of Trent Reznor’s earlier work which to my admittedly innocent and ignorant ears sounded like a self-indulgent brat wailing about self-inflicted misery. To put it mildly, I haven’t been a fan.

But the new album (well, new to me ;-) is like a soundtrack to the end of the world. Like the best science fiction, most of it reflects current reality. It’s frightening the way current reality is frightening, and the feeling is heightened by superb artistry.

Now that I find the content interesting, I’m free to dive into the beauty of the sound. Can “lush” and “industrial” describe the same piece of music? In this case, yes.

As heedless greed and violence destroy us and our planet, it’s good to have a friend to sing it like it is, beautifully.

…

I’m not going to post a video here because I think you have to listen to the whole darn dark thing all together. And now I’m heading over to the NIN web site to check out all their teasers.

I know, I know, I’m so slow to get a clue. But I have to get to know and appreciate things in my own time.

Related posts

• This year’s thanks (0)
• The important kind of freedom (0)
• Rediscovering Buffy Sainte-Marie (0)

I was listening to my new favorite radio station the other day, WFMU, when a song came on that made my ears perk up and my feet start tapping and happy feelings percolate all through me. Quick, check the playlist - it’s Richard X. Heywho?

I didn’t hesitate to buy several albums and I’m assiduously lending them about to spread the joy. He’s insanely talented, playing almost all the instruments on his albums (except that his wife Nancy plays the bass), and writing purely good songs. Haven’t heard a clunker yet on the four albums I’ve acquired.

They call this stuff “power pop.” Folks, some of the lyrics are kinda sad, but this is happy music. I happen to think we can’t have too much of that, ever.

The videos below the fold aren’t from this decade but they’re worth checking out. Give ‘em a try!

Can’t Keep Me From Talkin

Richard X. Heyman

Read the rest of this entry »

Related posts

• No related posts.