Music

Since the radio show, I've had very little use for my Mp3 player, hence, that section is gone. Here's the lastest from my CD case in the car. Some never left, other's are new.

Liz Phair - Whitechocolatespaceegg
I didn't care for this album the first couple of times I heard it. Yes, there were some great songs like "Polyester Bride" and "Baby Got Going", but, still, I passed over a lot of the songs. I've made my piece with many of them. It's much better once I spent more time with it. Kinda like people.

Baka Beyond - Journey Between
Ooooh. I'm all new age-y 'n shit! Celtic-African-Wiccan music that calms almost anybody down. Especially children screaming in the back seat.

The Best of Ann Peebles
I bought this based on the strength of the Hi-Times collection and it stayed in the CD player for about two weeks straight. The woman kicks ass and, for my money, kicks Aretha's ass, too. The main difference is the emotional grittiness of the songs. Where many of Aretha's songs have a sunshiny quality, Ann Peebles goes the other direction. Especailly "Feel Like Breaking Up Somebody's Home" and "I Didn't Take Your Man (You Gave Him To Me)." There's a triumphant sneer to her

Little Plastic Castles - Ani DiFranco
I appropriated this from my wife, much like she appropriated my slippers years ago. You just don't hear that many songs that rock out in waltz time. The sound (at least for the first few songs) is fresh, clean and hook-y. The lyrics sound like Elvis Costello in his hey-day. Avoid the 8minute+ "Pulse", though.

The Mills Brothers - Volume 2
The difficult art of swinging close harmony that sounds like a 4yr old could do it. They can't.

Tom Waits - Blood Money
A friend said after listening to this album - "Don't listen to it when it's raining. It's too depressing." Waits continues make me wish that I could be his son. No offense, Dad!

Hillbilly Boogie - Various (Never Left The Case!)
Nothing beats Country Swing for morning music. Sunshine and rhythm just come popping out all over the place. This a nice little collection to jump start the crankiest of cowboys.

Louis Prima - Say It With A Slap
The compilation (and I have a bunch) contains "The Bee Song" which is, of course, my theme song. It's the mid-Prima period of post-Dixieland and pre-Las Vegas. Damn, that man could wail.

Elvis Costello - Trust
When Grandpa when was younger, he argued for days on end and with great seriousness about what the best Elvis album was. Gramps vigorously defended Imperial Bedroom while Gramps' friend, Grumpus, lobbied for Trust. Gramps still thinks Grumpus is an idiot, but Trust is still a damn fine album.]

Tom Waits - Heartattack And Vine
"Paws his inside pea coat pocket for a welcome twenty-five "cents
"And the last bent butt from a package of Kents
"As he dreams of a waitress with Maxwell House eyes
"And marmalade thighs with scrambled yellow hair"
Tell me this man is not a genius.

Phil Harris - My Kind Of Country
In 5th grade, I found a stack of 78's in the basement. Once I'd worked out what they actually were, I started listening to them. There was one record by Phil Harris that had "The Preacher and the Bear" backed by "Where Will It Get You In The End". I've been a fan ever since.

Liz Phair - Liz Phair
See the Full Review.

Forest For The Trees - Forest For The Trees
Weird techno-hip-hop-aural thing with bagpipes.

Elvis Costello - When I Was Cruel
This is Elvis almost as he was and a little more grown up. But not that much. "Maybe Jesus wants you for his sunbeam" ranks with one of the better lines he (or any other songwriter) has come up with. I didn't really care for the album the first few times through. I must say, it's really grown on me.

The Bobs - I Brow Club
My kids love The Bobs. Me? I like The Bobs but I was listening to them in the 80's and, honestly, I feel kind of stupid still listening to them 20 years later. That's not to say that it's not a great album. I have to skip over "Bongwater Day", though. I'm not ready to explain what that means.

Steve Reich - City Life
More minimalist classical music I can only listen to when my wife isn't in the car. My father-in-law gave me this. The first track builds and swells and makes me swoon. The text is, "How small a thought it takes to fill a whole life."

Dean Friedman - Dean Friedman/"Well, Well", Said The Rocking Chair
Probably the only song Americans would know is Ariel. And that's a shame. Dean Friedman is an outstanding singer/songwriter. The lyric depth that he packs into a song is astounding. I have kept some of these songs in my head for 2+ decades. For the past decade, I'd scour the used record stores looking for anything I could find by him and usually came out with nothing. Why? Because people who've bought his albums don't give them up. Order directly from him! Now! Stop reading this, dammit.

Liz Phair - Whip Smart
Guilt, guilt, guilt. I can't really say what I don't like about this album. I just never really hit me, but I keep it in my car out of sheer pretension, occasionally listening to the title track which blows me away each time.

Andrew Bird - Bowl of Fire
I got this CD when I worked at Rykodisc and it's amazing. Not very classifiable, since it spans several different genres from country-swing to Brecht to New Orleans blues. He's backed on most songs by The Squirrel Nut Zippers, which gives somewhat of a flavor...if you know who The Squirrel Nut Zippers are.