Listening: May 08

Above? Lyrics from Vampire Weekend’s “Walcott.” So cheeky.

I finally set aside In Rainbows because a healthy music diet should have a steady flow of new dishes.

Also, it was time to update the sidebar of my home page with recent favorites (a last.fm list isn’t enough as I don’t use iTunes that much).

I figured an archive of these selections might be nice to capture in an entry. So here goes:

Madonna "Hard Candy" — A guilty pleasure. Madonna’s latest strays away from fame angst and religion mumbling (largely), moving directly on to the dance floor. I thought Justin Timberlake’s last album was one of the best of the year, so his presence here is quite welcome (no matter how calculated.) At times songs feel like old-Prince, old-Madonna, 70’s disco (is that cowbell?) and something else. An appearance by Kanye just adds to the sweet ride.
FAVORITE TRACKS: HEARTBEAT, MILES AWAY, BEAT GOES ON, DANCE 2NIGHT, VOICES

Vampire Weekend — Some albums take a while to really sink into the brain. This is not one of those albums. The hooks sink in immediately. It’s poppy, bright and brings some different instrumentation to the traditional indie-rock mix. I have no idea what these vampire kids are talking about in their lyrics (and I’m still not sure how they feel about the bears in Provincetown), but they usually rhyme and that’s enough for me.
FAVORITE TRACKS: CAPE COD KWASSA KWASSA, OXFORD COMMA, I STAND CORRECTED

Bon Iver "For Emma, Forever Ago" — To balance out all the sunny stuff, I like to have a little mellow available. When the view out the window is overcast, this is currently what I’m playing. Mind you, it works on a sunny days to boot—adding a bit of urgency the day’s soundtrack.
FAVORITE TRACKS: RE: STACKS, FLUME, SKINNY LOVE, LUMP SUM

The Breeders "Mountain Battles" — You’re thinking, oh Chris, you’ve been brainwashed by listening to this album over and over (while editing the release party video). You may be right, but it still occupies a slot in my CD player and I give it a spin, often. Every single track has a decided vibe, with little details that creep out of the corners and tease playfully. It’s always genuine, and a little weird in the good way.
FAVORITE TRACKS: NIGHT OF JOY, WE’RE GONNA RISE, GERMAN STUDIES, ISTANBUL, WALK IT OFF, REGALAME ESTA NOCHE, NO WAY, MOUNTAIN BATTLES

Related: I’m looking forward to heading back to St. Louis this weekend, to catch The Breeders on tour.

Also enjoying these albums: Goldfrapp “Seventh Tree”, The Black Keys “Attack & Release”, Coconut Records “Nighttiming” – next on the list, delve into Portishead’s “3”.

7 responses to “Listening: May 08”

  1. Greg Abbott Avatar
  2. daragh Avatar

    I recommend M83’s “Saturdays = Youth”. Crack for the ears.

  3. chuck Avatar

    the madonna on the list surprises me 🙂

  4. kevin Avatar

    good choices chris! i’ll second that M83 and you should check out Frightened Rabbit’s The Midnight Organ Fight. i think you’ll dig.

  5. Rachel Avatar

    heh, i always thought that vamp wknd lyric was “woke up, fuck the women from wellesley, fuck the bezanin provincetown…”
    i guess that’s why i’m not a songwriter.

  6. Guy Avatar

    Thanks for sharing some of what you’re listening to. @Rachel, go to songmeanings.net and check out the lively discussions on vampire weekends lyrics, you aren’t the only one confused.

  7. Shashikiran Mullur Avatar

    I’ve been gazing at the layout of this post.
    I’m not in a design career, but I always come and look at how the last ten days went for you. Thanks for the inspiration to open my eyes and look.