What We're Listening To: Better Late Than Never Edition
Last week's "What We're Listening To" never seemed to manifest itself, and this week's is going to be posted just around midnight on Tuesday. As they say, better late than never. This week, we provide 10-second reviews below the fold: Kris Delmhorst, Once Motion Picture Soundtrack, Iggy Pop, Autorock, Destroyer and Lou Reed.
Kris Delmhorst—Strange Conversation 
I associate all music with the time in my life when I first discovered it, and Kris Delmhorst is linked to the spring I spent at St. Andrews. It's a place I miss daily, and though "Strange Conversation" was released after that spring, it's still a terrific album. The songs are all based on poems or poets, and title track, which is about Virgil, is my favorite (yep, that's me coming out as a Classics nerd). "Songs for a Hurricane" is a better album overall (and one of my absolute favorites), but I love "Strange Conversation" for its lyrics and literariness. -Amy
Once—Motion Picture Soudtrack
This is the soundtrack from the low-budget musical starring Glen Hansard of the popular Irish rock group "The Frames." The album was nominated for a grammy and the movie won best song at the academy awards this year. If you watch this film, you will probably buy the album. -Ben
Iggy Pop—Lust For Life
I've been bouncing to the tracks "Lust for Life" and "The Passenger" for years, but never listened to this David Bowie-Iggy Pop collaboration in its entirety until the last couple weeks. It's rockin. Nuff said. -Ben
Destroyer—Trouble in Dreams
Dan Bejar is crazy. The co-frontman of The New Pornographers has his madness watered down (or perhaps distilled?) in his work with that Canadian super-group. However, on his solo project, Destroyer, his insanity runs free. Half-sung lyrics breathing stream-of-consciousness monologues are combined with jangly pop structures and intricate instrumentation to produce some really incredible stuff. And I do mean "incredible." I often wonder what Dan is smoking, and where I can get some. -Michael
Autorock—The Assquake LP
This past week, I joined a new gym and I started rock climbing. To innagurate this new workout routine, I needed some fresh muscle-pumping beats. The remedy: DC's own Autorock, who assembles a steady stream of mash-ups ala Girl Talk. Download his entire mix from his My Space page: http://www.myspace.com/autorockdc, get in your hottest gym attire, and start sweating. -Robert
Lou Reed—Transformer
This CD single-handedly got me through the summer of '06, and I'm revisiting it in light of Lou's April 22nd show at the 9:30 Club. You probably know "Take A Walk on the Wild Side," but "Hangin' Round," "Satellite of Love," Andy's Chest and, well, pretty much everything else on the CD are just as good. Plus it was produced by David Bowie, so it has sexual ambiguity stamped all over it. -Zack
5 comments:
Ahh! "Once" was going to be my entry for next week! I watched the movie tonight and bought the soundtrack before it was even over.
It is such a cute movie, despite making me want to cry. It also reminded me how much I hate Dublin airport.
No one would see Once with me! I mean No one! If only I had known that you and ben were into it...
And ben, way for us to both highlight bowie collaborations in the same week.
<3 Kris Delmhorst...
Lust for Life= ALL TIME CLASSIC
One of my favorite lyrics ever is from the song Neighborhood Threat, "did ya see his eyes, did ya see his crazy eyes?" Brilliant.
i haven't heard the new destroyer yet. i'm sure it's good though following up that last one will be a tall order. as a vancouver boy i'm obligated to like it regardless. dan's the best. (and he left new york to come back to the 'couve just as carl did the opposite. just what is so fuckin great about williamsburg that the whole world loses all our cool people to it?)
also, zack: i don't think lou reed ever needed any help in the sexual ambiguity department, even if it was from bowie. it doesn't hurt to have him around though.
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