the insanely beautiful

Lindsey Buckingham, of Fleetwood Mac fame, released a solo album...

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 13:19:30 -0400

Lindsey Buckingham, of Fleetwood Mac fame, released a solo album in 2006 called Under the Skin. His first release in 14 years surprised critics, who either berated or praised the effort; It seemed there was no middle ground. Today’s track is Someone’s Gotta Change Your Mind, which is easily the best song on the album.

Bo Diddley, Rock ’n’ Roll Pioneer, Dies at 79

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 13:38:40 -0400

Bo Diddley, Rock ’n’ Roll Pioneer, Dies at 79: I featured a Bo Diddley song on May 7. Today’s probably a good day to listen again.

gobbeldigook video

Thu, 29 May 2008 17:37:10 -0400

gobbeldigook video: Sigur Rós has released a new video for their upcoming album með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust. They are my favorite band; I’m ecstatic!

Mogwai has a talent for the ethereal, shown Hunted by a Freak...

Wed, 21 May 2008 13:26:10 -0400

Mogwai has a talent for the ethereal, shown Hunted by a Freak from their album, Happy Songs for Happy People.

Portishead’s Silence from their 2008 album Third. Without...

Tue, 13 May 2008 14:29:33 -0400

Portishead’s Silence from their 2008 album Third. Without a (real) release since 1997, Portishead was expected to be gone forever. But this year they put out a new record which has shaped up nicely, having grown in maturity and depth. This is as dark as Portishead gets, in a wonderful way.

The sad story of Nick Drake is untold by his music, which, while...

Mon, 12 May 2008 14:57:18 -0400

The sad story of Nick Drake is untold by his music, which, while generally described as melancholic, is rather sanguine and quaint. Melodies communicating simultaneously love and pain, lyrics responding to faint hope; Nick Drake’s short life and shorter career was ultimately summed up by the work he left behind.

Mississippi-born Bo Diddley, born in 1928, was one of the...

Wed, 07 May 2008 16:53:47 -0400

Mississippi-born Bo Diddley, born in 1928, was one of the originators of the rock and roll sound. That is to say, before rock and roll was a household term–while it still referred to “rocking” and “rolling” in dancing. As “The Originator”, he invented the “Bo Diddley Beat”, similar to hambone, also described as rumba-like. However you describe it, the effect is immediate in the eponymously titled “Bo Diddley”. Fun, flirtatious, catchy. This sort of music simply doesn’t get the credit it deserves. Enjoy.

Virtually unknown on radio, Beirut rock it non-traditionally,...

Mon, 05 May 2008 14:22:55 -0400

Virtually unknown on radio, Beirut rock it non-traditionally, using instruments such as an accordion, trumpet, and ukulele. Cliquot shows the different elements of folk and Eastern European influence.

Mista Mista by the Fugees… really speaks for itself.

Fri, 02 May 2008 23:02:25 -0400

Mista Mista by the Fugees… really speaks for itself.

Love Your Abuser by Lymbyc System has a chill quality to it,...

Thu, 01 May 2008 13:00:24 -0400

Love Your Abuser by Lymbyc System has a chill quality to it, while still evoking bittersweet nostalgia. Best with coffee and cigarettes. If you don’t smoke, you’ll want to.

In 2007, Sigur Rós created a film about themselves and their...

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:37:48 -0400

In 2007, Sigur Rós created a film about themselves and their attachment to their home country, Iceland. The film excelled in showing the common beauties of the land, and the closeness of the people within its communities. The band recorded several pieces of music live in different locations for the film, including today’s track Heysátan. That the music was recorded live should bear testament to the sound of the band and their incredible capabilities. Watching the band play this song in the bitter cold was an experience that could only be trumped perhaps by actually being there.

Adrian Belew’s Men In Helicopters V4.0 from his solo album...

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:59:08 -0400

Adrian Belew’s Men In Helicopters V4.0 from his solo album Side Three. This track is heavily drawn from Beatles influence, though it’s unique enough to call his own. It’s brilliant.

Orbital, famous for songs like “The Box” and...

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 14:10:09 -0400

Orbital, famous for songs like “The Box” and “Halcyon & on & on”, is easily my favorite electronic group. Funny Break (One is Enough) is a track from their 2001 double-album “The Altogether” showcasing their ability to bring together the analog and digital in a way that makes similar groups jealous.

“I Wish My Baby Was Born” written and performed by...

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 17:10:38 -0400

“I Wish My Baby Was Born” written and performed by Tim Eriksen, Riley Baugus and Tim O’Brien. This bluegrass tune helped set the mood in the 2003 film Cold Mountain, which was set during the Amercian civil war. If you haven’t seen it, be prepared it’s heavy. Really heavy.

Edgar Meyer is a bassist—a classical bassist—whom also loves to...

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 13:58:14 -0400

Edgar Meyer is a bassist—a classical bassist—whom also loves to play bluegrass. He’s recorded with the likes of Yo Yo Ma, toured with the best of the best, and he’s finally putting out some recordings of his own. His eponymously titled 2006 album, in which he’s the master of each instrument including mandolin, piano, and many others, is a collision of classical stylings, bluegrass sensibilities and audacious experimentalism.

Today’s track is “Roundabout”.

In 2000, just before they broke up, the Smashing Pumpkins sent a...

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 11:44:10 -0400

In 2000, just before they broke up, the Smashing Pumpkins sent a big “fuck you” to the record industry by releasing Machina II/The Friends & Enemies of Modern Music without restrictions. While only 25 copies were printed, the songs were immediately ripped and released onto the internet by the fans without fear of retribution.

Today’s song is Satur9, a variation of Saturnine, a song that embodies the abused spirit of rock. Lo-fi and unhappy, this recording sets the blood to boil.

Pass By from B. Fleischmann’s 2003 Welcome Tourist is a...

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 12:55:24 -0400

Pass By from B. Fleischmann’s 2003 Welcome Tourist is a great sampling of the ambient moods Fleischmann creates. Listening to an entire album front to back is an experience not to be missed, so grab a pair of headphones, find a comfortable chair and close your eyes. You’ll feel better in an hour.

American Dollar just popped onto my radar today while listening...

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 16:48:18 -0400

American Dollar just popped onto my radar today while listening to SomaFM’s Digitalis. The track played was Twelve Days Awake, a masterful composition of atmospheric guitars, pianos, and others, layered on one at a time until you hit the crescendo.

This track, Rudiments of a Spiritual Life, is a bit less ethereal though all the more evocative. The backing electronic beat sums up a rainy day theme, morose yet inspired.