First of all... what's in my CD changer right now.
The Cardigans - First Band on the Moon
The Dixie Chicks - Home
Natalie Merchant - Tigerlily
So, anyway, it's pretty obvious then that I have been in a fairly feminine, reflective mood this week.
The Cardigans are so honest and somewhat nihilistic with really smart lyrics, but with this fantastically light punk happy lounge jazz sound, so it feels like one giant femininely sarcastic oxymoron. My favorites are "Been It", "Happy Meal II", "Losers", and their fantastic remake of Black Sabbath's "Iron Man". Well, I just like the whole thing. If you've given up on the world and become easy going and passive you'll love it. Highly recommended for jaded romantics turn satirical cold fish. Wonderfully hopeless, if there is such a thing. And just in case you're wondering, those are all compliments.
The Dixie Chicks are really pretty great. Their music is usual fun, and this one is too, but differently. They're much more bluegrass than country, and it's great. In fact, this is definitely a bluegrass album all the way. There are a lot of sadly sweet songs, including of course the "Landslide" remake and "Traveling Soldier", though I personally prefer "A Home" and "Top of the World". As usual, there are lots of poignant references to Southern poverty and marital abuse, always tucked in neatly so they are more interesting than irritating. Most of all, it is the constant changes in voice intonation that make this album both beautiful and unusual among the folk, country, and bluegrass genres. Sometimes eerie, sometimes playfully hokie, just a nice album.
Natalie Merchant has a cool voice that's always enjoyable to listen to. This album is good. It's really nothing absolutely spectacular, but has a number of songs that just kind of feel like home, allowing you to reflect on the words if you feel like it but equally able to ignore if you just want background music. She picks up the pace once in a while to keep it interesting. I have had this album for a while, so maybe it's newness has just worn off and I've comfortable with it. I remember thinking how wonderful it was when I first got it. Even if I don't find it amazing anymore, it is still wonderful.
Anyway, the combo of all three is comforting, sarcastic, intelligent, rich, often deep, sweet, and ultimately feminine in the truest unhyped, unflowery sense of the word.
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....Now, for what's in my MP3 playlist.
Well, I still haven't copied the thousands of songs back onto the PC yet from when we did the big reformat, so they're just sitting in the CDs on the table. I did download a lot of Cardigans fairly recently and set up a large playlist consisting of songs from a lot of different albums. I think some of my favorites are "Erase and Rewind" and "Celia Inside". Though they don't have the typical Cardigans sound to them, I have to say it is also refreshing to hear the less jaded love references in "For What It's Worth" which, along with "Communication", expresses what I've been feeling quite a little bit lately. The idea of love as a dirty four-letter word that you don't want to think about but feel nonetheless is something I know too well. Obviously, though, I am on a Cardigans kick lately. Nina Persson's version of "Desafinado" is also nice to hear.
I also actually put on Ben's gigasmo Radiohead playlist earlier today. Please don't get me wrong: I like Radiohead, quite a bit actually. But having heard it non-stop day in and day out for probably about 2 months could probably wear on the most loyal Radiohead fan, with of course the exception of Ben, who now seems to play it mostly in his room where I don't hear it so often. I wonder if he really hears it at all or just eventually tunes it out. Anyway, having not really heard it too much in the last few weeks, it was nice to bring it out again for a change. It's really great music, and so much easier to appreciate when your mind isn't surrounded by it 24/7.
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...and in my car.
My tape player went out a few weeks ago, which is just lovely considering I finally got a CD/MP3 player with car adapter and all. The abundance of irony in my life never ceases to amaze me. Anyway, while trying to realize that I can no longer listen to Tracy Chapman at will, I managed to stumble across a jazz station that actually gets good reception in Manhattan. Who knew?! It's definitely a nice change. I love V100 and 101.5, but they can get kind of old and wear on my nerves from time to time. All the same, unless I'm singing to work out lyrics and music of my own, I like to hear music playing while I drive, and 91.9 simply doesn't always play the kind of music I want to hear often enough, though they are a fantastic alternative to the mainstream music on other stations. And surprisingly, I haven't been able to find a bluegrass station around here, even on AM, just an overabundance of horrid country. But anyway, yeah. A jazz station. I'm pretty thrilled. For the curious, it's 91.3 FM.
Anyway, I guess that's about it in the life of Erika and music. More next week.