I am finally back to my rich blog-scribing tradition after a long break of intense work, holidaying, and procrastination. To make more bite-sized the mountainous prospect of updating this blog after my long period of taking short vacations (the subject of a later post, which is the whole point), allow me to write about something short and sweet. Ah, I feel less oppressed already… I’m not writing a five-page travelogue, I’m just writing yet another paean to Radiohead’s latest album In Rainbows. I could just copy-and-paste one of the thousands of other love-fests frolicking on the web, but none of them are my style so I’ll give it my own shot. Besides, now there is a dandy Amazon pay-me widget I can imbed in my post, so go buy it now! I’ll wait while you download the MP3s.
You’re back? Good shit, huh?? Now you’re listening to it as you read the rest of this post, hopefully drinking a glass of Syrah (note to my legion of Aussie fans, it’s called “Shiraz” here in Australia and good on you). You’re sipping Syrah|Shiraz even if you don’t like it, because I do like it, and I should not be drinking alone at 6:07AM. (Kidding!) (continued »)
I am listening constantly to Icky Thump by the White Stripes while driving, usually with a huge grin on my face. I sort of fell out of love with the Stripes (albeit my crush on Meg remained) with their last album, whatever it was called. The one with Wild Orchid. Not my thing. Then I saw the video for the title track on this new album, and even though it still was not the sound I loved from their first albums (White Blood Cells
and Elephant
), it intrigued me a tiny bit, and then later when Kat and I saw the video from You Don’t Know What Love Is (You Just Do As You’re Told) it interested me a bit more. (Also of interest was the reminder that Kat has a crush on Jack, so that means we can cross-double-date, Jack and Meg, I know you read my blog.)
All the same, I was being curmudgeonly and still did not really intend to get the album. Then Kat surprised me with it after a shopping trip. I popped it into the car a few days later and I instantly loved it. It utterly crackles with an energy that a lot of bands are too cool to put into their work nowadays (the subtext often being, “I could hardly be bothered to get out of bed to record this but here I am”). This album thrills me the same way punk and 70’s power rock does. It’s unashamed, unafraid to be silly, unafraid of distortion and noise and bluesy mess. It’s playful and real. Not for everybody but I’m loving it and it reminds me that I am way overdue to get some Led Zeppelin into my collection.
I used to listen to all the music I own in random rotation as I worked. But after a few months I realized I was burning out on songs that I liked, and I was getting kind of insular. So I started listening to Internet radio through live365.com. And I like it a lot! I can change it based on my mood. I vary among 80s, punk, lo-fi, and alternative. I’m getting exposed to a lot of new music, and there are some 80s nostalgia songs I like but I don’t like enough to buy the album they are on.
