hitting the airwaves
December 19, 2009
Some of the music I have been listening to lately and like to mention.
Jackson Browne – For Everyman
I don’t know why I downloaded this album. I put it on during my train ride from Brussels to Dordrecht on my trip back home. The Netherlands was covered in snow and it just fit perfectly (even though Jackson was the prodigious son of the Golden State in the 70’s). This record includes ‘These Days’. Nico might have recorded the definite version, but I’m sure liking this one. Jackson has a great voice and I love his melancholic lyrics. Time to dig through his catalogue.
Nick Cave – The Boatman’s Call
What a great winter record. I remember I borrowed this one from the library in ’97 during the Christmas holiday. It’s very minimalistic, yet exudes a warm feeling. ‘Into My Arms’ has to be one of the most beautiful love songs of all time.
Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago
Last year, Iver was all the rage. I heard some songs but never cared much about them. High pitched vocals, sparse arrangements, mundane strumming. Next! But reading all these ‘best of the decade’ lists, I gave him another try. I stand corrected. Hauntingly beautiful.
Passion Pit – Manners
Listening to this record makes me feel old. I don’t know what teenagers like these days, and I don’t care either. But Passion Pit is one of those rare bands that are popular with a young crowd and get a lot of critical claim from the ‘revered’ indie media (like Paste Magazine) that I follow. So, I thought I’d check out to see if I could connect with the 17 year olds. Ain’t happening. It sounds like the musical equivalent of one of those Japanse watch-me-jump-300ft high-cartoons they showed in the mid 90’s: chaotic, non-linear, in your face. It just makes me itchy. However there is one song that needs to be singled out, cause it provides good vibrations: ‘Little Secrets’.
