Making: Focusing on Friendship Star blocks this week. With the hope of maybe possibly finishing those before I die…
Reading: I’m sorta lazily reading a magical mystery “Storm Front” by Jim Butcher while I am also devouring the trade paperbacks of the Runaways comics (just in time to read the new ones being written by Joss Whedon!)… I’ve read a lot of great books recently, I wanted a little breather while I am still running over them in my mind…
Watching: Summer season finales (The Closer, yay; Rescue Me, starting to bore me; Saving Grace, so much better than people realize; Damages, I don’t love it that much) and obsessing over Season 1 of Friday Night Lights (yeah NOW I’m obsessing. Before? That was nothing!) before the season 2 premiere on October 5. Now I actually have a happy reason to be home on Friday nights. Yay!
Listening: Lots of new stuff on my plate, but also really on a “The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter” kick today. He’s bringing all sorts of other folk to mind (first song Bob Dylan, “Right Moves” makes me think of Bob Seger [especially the chorus!], some songs Bruce Springsteen, some Leonard Cohen)… Rollicking, good humored, meandering… I’m enjoying it.
Daily Archives: September 13, 2007
Album: Kanye West “Graduation”
I really like this, I think there are some quality songs I will be listening to for a while… BUT. But.
Ou est the joy, Kanye? The thing I really, really loved about his previous albums was the FUN. The sense that he was smiling the entire time he was rapping. When I saw him in concert, I thought “damn this kid is HAPPY.” I mean, maybe not as crazily silly-ily happy as, say, Lupe Fiasco, but still. There was a real joie de vivre about the whole thing.
On this record, even on the songs with positive, peppy lyrics, I feel like he’s got this “I am very purposeful” look on his face. A “hey, this is serious, I’m not joking around” tone. Like he’s just not having as much fun. 🙁 I know he feels like he’s got something to prove; there’s the “who will sell more” battle with 50, and the reviews that all say “he gives his best stuff away! his albums aren’t as good as the stuff he does for other people!” … but maybe he needs to not care about that, you know.
I still like it, I’m still listening. But I don’t LOVE it the way I did the previous two.
In Concert: Midlake
I’ve talked about this band a few times (here, here…) Really enjoyable show. Dense, thick, layered, atmospheric sound, with layered vocals on top. On some songs all five dudes were singing at once! Smooooooth, seductive and sometimes shimmery. Loved all the stuff from the current album, and the new song, think they’ve really found their groove with multiple vocals and a ’70s feel; didn’t like the ‘older’ stuff as much.
The vocals have a very CSNY feel, but with more piano, more atmosphere in the background. T. was reminded of the Eagles, but I don’t think there’s as much twang, and Midlake’s harmonies are much better (as were CSNY’s as well). These guys do NOT sound like they are from Texas…