Friday, October 12, 2012
Someone keeps saying I should post widgets again
Pretty sure this isn't going to work on our computers at work, but at least now I will be able to say I tried. This was something I put together over the summer; I also have a fall playlist going up soon.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Now I have to post playlists for myself at work...boo
They took away my Grooveshark. This is why I have been alarming absent lately. Who knew working hours were when I was most musically productive?
Friday, March 4, 2011
What do you do when your favorite artist pulls a 180?
So I've decided that I can't find the words to adequately describe my experience at the Sufjan Stevens concert I went to in November. Suffice to say, it was a life-completing experience, and I can pretty much die now and be satisfied. But something I ran across on Pitchfork reminded me about how I wasn't sure how the concert would go in the days leading up to it.
This was primarily because Sufjan's latest album, Age of Adz, was a complete reversal from his recent work. To be fair, the electronic, eclectic sound wasn't completely out of left field-You Are the Blood off of the Dark Was the Night compilation now sounds more in line with Sujfan-but it certainly felt like a jolt after his All Delighted People EP, released just a bit before the full album (The Owl and the Tanager is pretty representative).
Despite some nervousness going in, the concert itself not only was amazing, but it also sold me on Adz. I know that there were people that still haven't come to terms with the directional shift *cough*J*cough*, and apparently Sufjan does too--this interview basically has Sufjan acknowledging that the album was more an experiment in noise than a project in songwriting. One of the best (and I use best lightly...probably more like "most representative") answers was probably in response to those that were thrown off by Adz:
"I can't apologize for the direction I'm going because it feels necessary and obvious. I know it's confusing because I'm something of an aesthetic nightmare, and I kind of suffer from multiple personality disorder. But that's part of me and my character. So, I guess I don't care. It's a big shift, and it may not be for some people. They should stay home. [laughs] Don't listen to the record; don't buy it."
So what does one do when their favorite artist says they're not going to continue with the music that made you love them? Hang on for the ride.
This was primarily because Sufjan's latest album, Age of Adz, was a complete reversal from his recent work. To be fair, the electronic, eclectic sound wasn't completely out of left field-You Are the Blood off of the Dark Was the Night compilation now sounds more in line with Sujfan-but it certainly felt like a jolt after his All Delighted People EP, released just a bit before the full album (The Owl and the Tanager is pretty representative).
Despite some nervousness going in, the concert itself not only was amazing, but it also sold me on Adz. I know that there were people that still haven't come to terms with the directional shift *cough*J*cough*, and apparently Sufjan does too--this interview basically has Sufjan acknowledging that the album was more an experiment in noise than a project in songwriting. One of the best (and I use best lightly...probably more like "most representative") answers was probably in response to those that were thrown off by Adz:
"I can't apologize for the direction I'm going because it feels necessary and obvious. I know it's confusing because I'm something of an aesthetic nightmare, and I kind of suffer from multiple personality disorder. But that's part of me and my character. So, I guess I don't care. It's a big shift, and it may not be for some people. They should stay home. [laughs] Don't listen to the record; don't buy it."
So what does one do when their favorite artist says they're not going to continue with the music that made you love them? Hang on for the ride.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
New Cut Copy Album: Zonoscope
Another quick note to pass on my suggestion that you check out Cut Copy's new album, Zonoscope. A reviewer (for Pitchfork, I think) described it as "sex without the orgasm", which I think personally sends mixed messages about the overall quality of the album and doesn't actually give you a sense of what he thinks about it, but I quite like it. Blink and You'll Miss a Revolution is probably my favorite so far.
For your listening pleasure:
For your listening pleasure:
Monday, February 7, 2011
Playlist catchup
I've fallen into a pattern in which I make a playlist, but don't transfer it over in widget form here. To rectify this slightly, I give you a bajillion playlists all at once:
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Matt and Kim x 2!
So this is going up WAY late, and will probably soon be followed by the Sufjan review. Guess I got carried away with other things! Sorry guys...
October was quite the whirlwind, what with the whole running a marathon thing. But it was also quite the Matt-and-Kim-heavy, too. Monica, Emily and I caught their concert at Webster Hall on October 27th, and their new album Sidewalks came out on November 2nd, which means that a post devoted entirely to them is completely appropriate.
The concert itself lived up to everything I'd hoped it would be--Matt and Kim play energetic music, and definitely ramped it up a few notches for their live show. Before the show started, they played the entirety of Sidewalks, and because of that, they didn't play any material from the new album. But, it turned into a good way to brush up on some of their older songs, including 5K, Silver Tiles (ok, so they redid this on Sidewalks, so I guess that counts?), Good Ol Fashioned Nightmare, and of course, Daylight (for a CRACKED OUT version from my camera, try this. Good idea of how the concert went in general. Except add some circle pits).
Looking at the differences between their last album, Grand, and their latest, Sidewalks, you can tell almost immediately that Sidewalks is more polished--while Grand seems raw and sometimes disjointed in the characteristics of the songs (and is therefore personally the album that's harder to get behind), Sidewalks just feels more cohesive and provides a smoother full-album listen.
The album's first single, Cameras, moves closer to hip hop and gives a bit of a preview of the feel of the album, but I think a few more tracks are necessary to fully appreciate it. Well, technically listening to the entire album is required to fully appreciate it, but I do that so you don't have to (unless you want to!). After Cameras, head to Block After Block, Good for Great, and wrap it up with the new version of Silver Tiles. I love that they redid this song--it helps show their development excellently. The live edition is also excellent because as they explained to the NYC crowd, it's their song for their fans. Although when I went to double check that, Matt apparently also said it's about knocking his brother's teeth out. Same difference. (I also like "Where You're Coming From", but unfortunately YouTube has failed me on that one.)
Anyhow-tons of Matt and Kim made it onto my running playlist because all of their music is so high-energy. So next time you need a pick-me-up, pop on something from Sidewalks or Grand, and just let the music work its magic.
October was quite the whirlwind, what with the whole running a marathon thing. But it was also quite the Matt-and-Kim-heavy, too. Monica, Emily and I caught their concert at Webster Hall on October 27th, and their new album Sidewalks came out on November 2nd, which means that a post devoted entirely to them is completely appropriate.
The concert itself lived up to everything I'd hoped it would be--Matt and Kim play energetic music, and definitely ramped it up a few notches for their live show. Before the show started, they played the entirety of Sidewalks, and because of that, they didn't play any material from the new album. But, it turned into a good way to brush up on some of their older songs, including 5K, Silver Tiles (ok, so they redid this on Sidewalks, so I guess that counts?), Good Ol Fashioned Nightmare, and of course, Daylight (for a CRACKED OUT version from my camera, try this. Good idea of how the concert went in general. Except add some circle pits).
Looking at the differences between their last album, Grand, and their latest, Sidewalks, you can tell almost immediately that Sidewalks is more polished--while Grand seems raw and sometimes disjointed in the characteristics of the songs (and is therefore personally the album that's harder to get behind), Sidewalks just feels more cohesive and provides a smoother full-album listen.
The album's first single, Cameras, moves closer to hip hop and gives a bit of a preview of the feel of the album, but I think a few more tracks are necessary to fully appreciate it. Well, technically listening to the entire album is required to fully appreciate it, but I do that so you don't have to (unless you want to!). After Cameras, head to Block After Block, Good for Great, and wrap it up with the new version of Silver Tiles. I love that they redid this song--it helps show their development excellently. The live edition is also excellent because as they explained to the NYC crowd, it's their song for their fans. Although when I went to double check that, Matt apparently also said it's about knocking his brother's teeth out. Same difference. (I also like "Where You're Coming From", but unfortunately YouTube has failed me on that one.)
Anyhow-tons of Matt and Kim made it onto my running playlist because all of their music is so high-energy. So next time you need a pick-me-up, pop on something from Sidewalks or Grand, and just let the music work its magic.
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