What We're Listening To: Back To Tuesday Edition

Hey, hey! So this afternoon my roommate sent me a link to just about the cutest thing I have ever seen in my entire life. I could die! So if you're in need of a Tuesday Upper before we start, may I humbly submit this for your consideration...

Alright. Now that that's out of the way and we're all in a good mood, let me officially welcome you to this week's extra-spooky edition What We're Listening To! Well, OK. I guess it's not all that spooky. It's just the usual rundown of the music we here at TNG have been really digging on for the past week... but maybe if you read it in the dark? Anyway, on the menu this week we've got: Ministry, Kate Nash, The System, Pearl Jam, Jimi Hendrix, Cranes, Michael Jackson, Mirah and Ray LaMontagne. It all awaits you below the fold...



Ministry—"Everyday Is Halloween"

Ministry is a band with more incarnations than the number of wigs I own. And though I love the lyric, "I'm chewing on glass," from "Stigmata," my favorite incarnation is the semi-goth and uber-danceable period of 1981-1986. During those years, the band released some outstanding tracks: "Effigy," "I Wanted To Tell Her," "Nature of Love," "All Day," "Revenge," and "Work for Love," but my all time favorite (and so seasonably appropriate) is "Everyday is Halloween." I absolutely adore Halloween and sincerely wish everyday were Halloween. I think everyone is more relaxed, uninhibited, and outgoing when dressed in a costume. Yay Halloween! - Summer Camp

Kate Nash—"Merry Happy"

This London based singer could possibly be Jenny Lewis' doppelganger, and unlike many UK artists, Nash does not lose her accent while singing. Her album, Made of Bricks, is a cheeky little number peppered with toe-tapping, head-bopping songs, perfect for walking down the street or masochistically listening to on repeat after a break-up. With lyrics like "don't tell me that you didn't try and check out my bum / 'cause I know that you did / 'cause your friend told me that you liked it" and sassy beats, it's hard to resist this new British lady. - Maggie

The System—Don't Disturb This Groove

Lead singer Mic Murphy ain’t debonair like Fred Astaire, but his baby don’t care. Just come as you are, superstar, and groove to the heartbeat of the city. If you like smooth R&B and funk delivered with a heavy dose of the best layered ‘80s synths around, The System’ll blow your mind. Their albums contains some of the most exciting synth-based pop ever recorded. Oh, and this was what David Frank was up to before he co-wrote “Genie in a Bottle” and helped deliver Christina Aguilera to the masses. - Philip

Pearl Jam—"Daughter"

I still like Pearl Jam and I don't care who knows. - Allison





Jimi Hendrix—"Voodoo Child (Slight Return)"

Getting a tattoo is not a decision to be taken lightly. I believe that marking your body in such a way can be a beautiful and profoundly spiritual act, but it can also be foolish, depending on the intent and discernment of the individual. For years, I've thought about the possibility, wanting to make the right decision. I decided on a fleur de lis, because it represents my cultural heritage and grounds my identity in many ways, but I've held back because I was unsure of an appropriate inscription. I figured that eventually the words would hit me like lightning, and I would know. On Saturday afternoon, while running, I listened to The Jimi Hendrix Experience (album), and when the last song, "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" pumped through my earphones, I knew. - Ben

Cranes—Cranes

The Portsmouth, England band are a bit of an acquired taste, mostly because the lead singer Alison Shaw sounds like she's, at most, six years old. (Joanna Newsom would be a reference point). At its worst, it can be cloyingly twee, and at its best, mysterious and haunting. Fortunately, the music that her brother Jim Shaw constructs plays to that voice's strengths. Poised between glitchy, blippy electronica with hints of Eno and Aphex Twin, and dreamy, pastoral folk rock, Cranes have largely abandoned the dark, Joy Division compositions for sunnier pastures. The best tracks on their latest, independently released album are mesmerizing and fragile like A. Shaw's vocals, like the drifting "Feather" and and floating "Invisible." - Craig

Michael Jackson—"Thriller"

Gettin' all festive for Halloween, I'm gonna go with the classic "Thriller," sung by America's favorite child molester. I rocked out to it while I carved my pumpkin. - Jon




Mirah—Advisory Committee

A lot of times I go to live shows out of simple curiosity and end up leaving somewhat disappointed and tired from standing on my feet. On Saturday, I was feeling pretty grumpy from some poor Friday night choices that led to a bad hangover, a lost phone, and more important, the misery of not knowing what texts I had sent out pre-passing out. Given my state, I wasn't sure if listening to Mirah was the right thing to do. However, I knew that if I missed the opportunity, I would probably get even grouchier; so, without an address book to get me a concert companion, I trotted straight from the Verizon store to the Black Cat. All I'll say is that if you've never seen Mirah live, you're missing out; that lady put on the best live show I've seen in a long time, and even had me giggling like a smitten loner with her between-songs banter. - Stephanie

Ray LaMontagne—Gossip in the Grain

I think I officially have the autumn blues. I'm sick of the cold. I'm sick of the gray. I'm sick of looking out my window and seeing things die, and the thought of Obama losing or snowflakes falling from the sky tomorrow morning is just… Well, frankly, it's just too much to bear. Therefore, I'm extremely happy to have scored a copy of the new Ray LaMontagne album, Gossip in the Grain. That whole melancholy laced with cautious optimism thing he does is so comforting at times like these. It's all about really simple, solid songwriting and his voice is just so undeniably gorgeous throughout I can't stop letting it make me feel better. Now, my biggest issue with LaMontagne in the past has been the fact that he kind of wears his influences (Otis Redding, Bill Withers, Simon & Garfunkel, Nick Drake, etc.) on his sleeve to the point that, sometimes, it sounds like he's doing covers. With this new album, however, it feels like he's finally integrated all of these different points of view into one that's totally his own and absolutely lovely. And he sings it all with so much warmth! I mean dude just wants to be your friend, buy his lady a flowing gown and ride bikes with Meg White. Who doesn't want that? Truly, Gossip in the Grain is the musical equivalent of slipping into a warm bath or a plate of the best mac and cheese ever. And isn't that all you ever really want when you've got the autumn blues? - Rocky