Category Archives: Tunes

À la Super Eggplant, currently, I am…

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Eating: Enough food to feed a third world country and that’s what I’m eating for every meal. Just STARVING lately but presumably due to STRESS.

Making: Absofuckinglutely nothing. Made a little progress on Ame’s friendship star beginning of last week. Since then: nuttin’, honey.

Reading: Dad’s and my March challenge short stories “The Complete Stories” by David Malouf which are breathtakingly good. Best short stories I’ve EVER read? I’m thinking so.

Watching: LOST which is fucking rocking my world. And other shows that really aren’t as good: Jericho (OK, not great); New Amsterdam (really kinda bad but the dude is so watchable, what can a lonely girl do?); How I Met Your Mother (I do not call last night’s episode returning with a bang, sorry kids) and some DVDs to help me out during the 2008 CD Reorganization Project, I’ll try to pop in and tell you about them before I take off. Have had many plans to go to U2 3D over the past few weeks. All have fallen through. I hope it’s still playing when I get home!

Listening: Obsessively to Jesse Malin “Glitter in the Gutter” which is in CONSTANT rotation, I just can’t stop playing it. Bon Iver “For Emma, Forever Ago” and Matt Costa “Unfamiliar Faces” are close seconds. Also getting to know the new Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks. A bit rougher/less produced than Malin but pretty damn good. Have been introducing other slackers to Nada Surf “Get Lucky”, The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir (self titled) (FUN!), Mike Doughty “Golden Delicious” and Missy Higgins “On a Clear Night”. Going to see The Raveonettes tonight although I haven’t gotten through the entire new album yet; everytime I start listening something else gets in the fucking way!

and p.s. thanks to Fuel/Friends and the LaBlogotheque Concert à Emporter of Stephen Malkmus, this morning I am listening to Reckoning (yes, that’s R.E.M. to you young’uns) which has not been listened to full on…in many years. So many good songs on this album.

December Album Reviews

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Absolutely Love & Adore:

Sea Wolf “Leaves in the River” – So awesome. Love the lyrics, and the mood, and the harmonies. Just lovelovelove.

Bat for Lashes “Fur and Gold” – Eccentric and layered. Worried it’d be too Tori Amos for me but the music behind the voice (almost Berlin-like or Cocteau Twins. lordie this brings me back in time) is so much more enjoyable (to me) that the comparison falls away fast (phew).

The Avett Brothers “Emotionalism” – A little bit country, a little bit folk rocky. Lots of enthusiasm and fun.

Lupe Fiasco “The Cool” – This kid is a blast. Love how he’s mixing in lots of sung vocals as well.

Random Singles:

  • “Skinny Love” Bon Iver (break my heart much, would ya)
  • “In the Sun” Donna De Lory (cover of Joseph Arthur, so many people have covered this now, it’s almost unbelievable)
  • “Work That” Mary J. Blige
  • “Just Fine” Mary J. Blige
  • “Apologize” OneRepublic & Timbaland (LOVELOVELOVE)
  • “Raining in Baltimore” Brandi Carlile (cover of Counting Crows)
  • “Thou Shalt Always Kill” Dan le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip (so much fun!)
  • “Paperweight” Joshua Radin & Schuyler Fisk
  • “Endless Shovel” Rogue Wave

Other Albums I Liked:

  • Augie March “Moo, You Bloody Choir” – Aussie rock.
  • Brother Ali “The Undisputed Truth” – Really enjoy…to a point. It’s a LONG album and I start to forget who I’m listening to…
  • The Foxboro Hot Tubs “Stop Drop and Roll” – Whether or not this is actually Green Day, I think it’s a LOT of fun.
  • Simple Kid “2” – sounds like a combination of Beck and Elliott Smith.
  • Nick Light “The World Forgetting by the World Forgot” – kinda Matt Nathanson-y. Not sure he’s made himself distinctive enough to really break out. I’ll be interested to see.
  • UGK “Underground Kingz” – I’m not sure I’ve ever made it all the way through (what’s up with rap albums having like 38.5 songs?), but I like it in select doses.
  • Juno soundtrack – Love (LOVE!) a lot of this but can’t listen to it in one go, gets monotonous. Taken in doses, however, the sweetness and the romance bring you right back to the mood of the movie, which is AWESOME.
  • Hard-Fi “Stars of CCTV” – Really liked their new one (first to me); just catching up on the back catalog.
  • The White Stripes “Conquest” EP – Sort of a “protest against the press” album to me, if you dig into the lyrics. Just as good as their recent album, just shorter!
  • Jay-Z “American Gangster” – I don’t buy ALL his albums but I think this one is a solid “entire album” listen. Love all the movie references and the tough guy talk.

Not really for me / but maybe for you!:

Radiohead “In Rainbows” – I stopped being a Radiohead fan such a long time ago (sorry, I’m just not THAT COOL); you should be surprised I even gave this a chance. I do find this album “LISTENABLE” and honestly that’s a compliment given what I thought of the previous couple. And there are a couple songs I actually LIKE (“House of Cards” would be one), but I don’t enjoy enough of it and I often “fast forward” when random songs from it come on up shuffle. It’s just not really my thing.

Siobhan Donaghy “Revolution in Me” – I bought this hoping to get a pop diva fix. It’s got some nice songs, but I don’t find myself looking for it on the Pod.

Shamefully have either not listened to at all, or not all the way through, or so few times that I can’t legitimately offer an opinion:

  • Mavis Staples “We’ll Never Turn Back” (loved the samples I listened to on iTunes but just haven’t gotten around to it)
  • Dyme Dec “Space Music” (although I have listened to the one song “Let It Be” a bunch, which features speeded-up Beatles and is AWESOME!! I’ve told you about it before.)

In Concert: Matt Nathanson

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So apparently Monday night shows at House of Blues start at 6:45 p.m. If your “goal” is one of the openers, hey, you can be home by 9! Nuts!

This dude has seriously the best stage banter I think I’ve ever seen/heard at a show. Lots of fun, totally charming. And looks about 22 causing us old folk some bizarre conversation since 90% of his references are 80s. Turns out he’s 35 (or something, this discovery was made late last night and I cannot be bothered to look it up again); Never would have guessed!

I loved the songs and the banter and the energy he throws into the crowd and my god the brilliant covers. (He rocked Don’t Stop Believing.) But seriously? House of Blues? You’re kind-of sucky. If you are even an inch below the balcony overhang, the acoustics are COMPLETE CRAP. We did not stay for Lifehouse because frankly, how are they billed as the main band when Matt Nathanson is also taking the stage? How? (Smooches to you, funny boy!)

In Concert…Over the Weekend.

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Doug Hoekstra: The female vocalist (whose name I never caught; it was one word, started with S? Shaz?) has a really nice tone to her voice. Great harmonizer, she makes his voice sound a lot fuller.

Peter Mulvey: Given Amanda’s huge crush on him, this is the third time I’ve seen him and that’s probably just the first three in a long list. A deep, deep voice. Sassy sense of humor. Really connects with the audience.

The Spares: Wow! They were great. Very twangy, definitely on the country side of country/folk. The lead singer has a just absolutely crystal clear voice. Lovely. Great harmonies. Best “Wayfarin’ Stranger” I think I’ve ever heard (and I’m not a lover of that tune).

Carrie Newcomer: Songs sounded pretty. But I guess I prefer my activism with a (heavy) dose of humor and sarcasm and a (LOT) lighter dose of contemplative, meditative “let’s all be good to each other”-ness. You know I’m not somewhere I want to be when people are yelling “Amen” at the end of songs…

New to Me. New to you?

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Thanks (I think) to the most recent issue of Paste, I’ve been digging the blog over at Three Imaginary Girls. It was this post that really won me over. I also need to check out the band Crystal Stilts after reading about them there (sorry, can’t find the post!).

In case you’re wondering, here are the other music blogs I read (pretty much) daily:
I Am Fuel, You Are Friends (esp love her Monday roundups!)
Everybody Cares, Everybody Understands (lots of mixes and youtube links)
Large-Hearted Boy (Shorties)
Said the Gramophone (stuff I’ve never heard of)

And I found this blog via Large-Hearted Boy’s end of year music roundup lists, although it is not just a music blog: Andrew Taylor Recommends.

Best of February

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I know the rest of you complain about it, but February is my favorite month, even when it’s one day longer than usual…

The best movie I saw in February was probably There Will Be Blood, but I actually liked Cloverfield better. And honestly, why is no one going to see it? Monsters! Mayhem! New York mashed up! So much to enjoy there.

The best book I read in February was The Good Soldier Svejk by Jaroslav Hasek, a rollicking tale of a misfit, fumbling soldier’s sojourns. But I did LOVE both the sci fi/fantasy books I read this month as well (here and here).

The best gig I went to in February was a tie between Jason Isbell and Griffin House, both of whom havewho has serious stage mojo and far more rockingness than you can hear on theirhis studio albums. Isbell was fiery and intense and rocking out; House was sassy and sarcastic and living it up. [I’m an idiot, Griffin House was in March! Doh!]

My favorite tunes in February were Bon Iver “For Emma, Forever Ago” (never found a copy of the 2007 release, could barely hold my breath waiting for this one and it was soooo worth it, absolutely gorgeous heartaching music); Missy Higgins “On a Clear Night” (husky and gorgeous); Nada Surf “Lucky” (awesome and rockin’ and leading off w/ my favorite single from last year); and Clare Bowditch & the Feeding Set “The Moon Looked On”. Also loving some previews of new tunes by the Counting Crows (featured on Fuel/Friends). Enjoying, but still getting to know, The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir, new Mike Doughty “Golden Delicious” (“I wrote a song about your hips!” Yay! first heard in 06, finally on an album!). Bought a few others but haven’t listened enough to have an opinion — hopefully soon!

Random personal highlights: French movie night resurrected (and thanks for chili, Carla, and the Tarte Tatin, Jess!); long weekend in Vegas visiting Monica and Charlie (and Buddy and Ella!); annual milestone passed successfully; meeting Baby J for the first time (Curious George #1 recipient).

Lowlights? Not really a “lowlight” per se, but man I have been eating like crappyassola for at least a month. Gotta get back on track before my pants don’t fit! Not that I regret having sour cherry pie for breakfast and molten chocolate cake for lunch on the same day. Not at all!!

Best of January

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The best movie I saw in January was Atonement, which was both really beautifully costumed and filmed AND the most faithful screen adaptation I think I’ve ever seen of a book. Lovely.

The best book I read in January was a tie between You Must Be This Happy to Enter, by Elizabeth Crane (short stories), who I’ve read and enjoyed before but this time I felt took the bar even higher, and Native Guard, by Natasha Trethewey (poetry), an xmas gift from my pops, really beautiful and entrancing poems about her personal history as well as civil war history.

The best gig I went to in January was Bon Iver. It was the only gig I went to in January but it was really, really good (and I’m going to see him again in April! And you know I only go see the same artist again that soon if I LOVED it).

My favorite tunes in January were Cat Power “Jukebox”, Matt Costa “Unfamiliar Faces” (quirky and fun!), and an old album Chris Bell “I Am the Cosmos”, which I picked up in San Fran. Bell (now deceased I believe) was in Big Star, who I started listening to last summer thanks to Rob Sheffield (yes I am a loser and didn’t know about that band back in the day). Also enjoying tunes from Zoey Deschanel and M.Ward (as “She & Him“), Crowded House offspring Liam Finn‘s debut I’ll Be Lightning, and another San Fran purchase Tracy Johnson (which to me is good old-fashioned female-vocaled pop music!).

Random personal highlights: Brunch in Chicago with Carrieoke and Cathy!!!; dinner with Cinnamon; rainy weekend in San Fran visiting Ms Silvia.

Lowlights? A month and a half later, I don’t remember any so they must not have been that bad!!Oh, I know! Four to six hour flight delays in both directions. Airports = hell on earth.

In Concert: Griffin House

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When I saw him in November, it was at Old Town, which while a lovely place to see people with great acoustics has a bit of a formal tone, it being a music school and all. This time he played Schuba’s, a casual hole in the wall, ready-for-raucousness joint, and the difference between this night and that one was how comfortable and casual he seemed on stage, how much fun he seemed to be having. Bouncing around the stage, yelling at people to dance, making sassy comments, more stage banter and more relaxed. Both nights the sound was equally good, the songs were wonderful and I loved it. This time, HE was having more fun.

Sassy, smart, sweet, and, as I may have mentioned, h-o-t hot.

By the way, Steph, so sorry you weren’t there, he played two new songs. One: “Colleen” (“a song written to make you blush!”) all sexy-sassy and another “Run to Me”. Wow. Can’t wait for the next album to come out!!!

MK commented he had a Springsteen vibe going on. The feel of the show reminded me of Bob Schneider. Either way, awesome.

In Concert: Sara Bareilles / James Blunt

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Bought the tickets mainly for Sara (the opener): she introduced herself and pronounced her name Bare-el-ess. Good to know since I was putting some random French pronunciation on it! 🙂 Her album is nice, pretty, kinda calm. In person she has a MUCH bigger voice / she can really fill up an auditorium (and we were at the Riviera so not a v. small area!) / seems like on the album they mixed her kinda bland and quiet compared to her actual voice. I described her to someone as a “less husky (and perhaps less sultry?) version of Rachael Yamagata” / not as electronic-based as Beth Orton or Dido, not as ballad-y as Sarah McLachlan. Sounds like she hasn’t gotten much support from her record company, but she’s certainly got a great voice.
James Blunt sounded good, all the songs sounded really pretty, but the cheesiness does get to you after a bit. Also he’s quite comically awkward on stage, I think maybe it’s the soldier in him? His “rockin’ out” moves really cracked me up. Still – he played almost the entire first album with doses of the second, everything sounded pretty, and the crowd was SOOO into it (and it wasn’t all 12 year old girls either; one of the most mixed crowds generation-wise I’ve ever seen at a late show, groups of 50 to 60 years olds in attendance as well).