What We're Listening To: The Legendary Edition

Afternoon, everybody! I've got some good news. Our long national nightmare is over! "What's that?" you say. "No more Bush administration? The economy's fixed? Britney's stopped singing and making us feel vaguely uncomfortable, going around talking about her weird, scary life and eating nothing but cheese grits, while dressed up like some demented Dickensian street urchin/S&M ringmaster, and burning through our very souls with those sad, sad broken doll eyes of hers?" No, silly! After a month-long hiatus, What We're Listening To is finally back in full force. (And we've gotten rid of those atrocious Fisher Price headphones! What was I thinking with those?!) Join us as we give you the skinny on the music all of us have been enjoying while holed up in our caves, praying for warmth. On the menu this week, we've got The Legends, John Legend, Rilo Kiley, Arpeggio, Paris Combo, and Plants and Animals. Enjoy it all below the fold...

The Legends—Up Against The Legends

My newest favorite album. In this 2004 release, The Legends combine Psychocandy-drums with Strokesean guitar riffs and shoe-gazing, ethereal vocals to great effect. It's fuzz-box jangle-pop at its best. And to add a touch of queer intrigue, the track "Everything You Say" appears to start off with the words "My baby's got a weight on his shoulder." With only one song clocking in over 3 minutes, this 12-track album is a short 30-minutes of pure bliss. Check out "Call It Ours" and "The Kids Just Wanna Have Fun." Where have these guys been all my life? - Michael

John Legend—"Used To Love U"

When Get Lifted debuted in 2004, I listened to it non-stop! His sound was soulful, refreshing, and smooth. His new song with Andre 3000 is catchy, but his solo work really showcases what he's capable of. I also wouldn't mind having his baby. - Allison


John Legend—"P.D.A."

Unlike Allison, I don't want to make a baby with John Legend. But I will make love to his music. Ok, maybe half a baby. But only if I play his song "P.D.A." in the background. - Ben



Rilo Kiley—"Portions For Foxes"

I'll admit it. I have a huge crush on Jenny Lewis. I'm not sure if it's her freckles, her legs, or her voice, but put it all together, and the result is an intoxicating, incendiary mix of indie rock & hauntingly seductive lyrics. Perhaps that's why "Portions for Foxes" has been on loop for me recently. Lewis sings, "the talkin' leads to touchin', and the touchin' leads to sex, and then there is no mystery left," glorifying the relief that reprehensible actions can bring to the fragmented, smug individual. I'm also a sucker for the heavy breathing toward the end of the song; call me crazy, but it's almost like a drug. - Maggie

Arpeggio—Love and Desire

If you’re a vinyl aficionado, you can look for this album under the title Let the Music Play, but on CD, it’s named after Arpeggio’s best song. C’mon, give real disco a try. I’ll even release you from the obligation to listen to all the songs if you’ll give “Love and Desire” a whirl. The other songs are good (including a disco cover of Del Shannon’s oldie “Runaway”), but “Love and Desire” is a classic. When Jessica Williams’ hummingbird vocals start flitting all over the place, just try not bouncing along. I dare ya! - Philip

Paris Combo—Attraction

Back in high school when I could kinda sorta speak French, I discovered the wonderfully fucked up, Francophonic, alternative-jazz group, Paris Combo. Their sound is hard to describe - maybe a No Doubt/Diana Krall bastard child spending Junior year in France. Especially after seeing them twice in Montreal, where a dude played trumpet and piano at the same time and then played the trumpet underwater, I was in love. Their 2001 album, Attraction, is quirky, dramatic, and demands attention. They throw in a lot of English phrases so you can kind of decipher what they're singin about, which is usually something deranged. "Mais Que Fait La Nasa?" is indeed about our space program, while "Porquoi Les Vaches?" poses the essential question of our time - "Why The Cows?" Indeed. - Corey

Plants and Animals—Parc Avenue

I love this album, because there's nothing simple about it. Much like the music of fellow Montrealers, Arcade Fire, every song on here goes off in like four different directions, and yet the band is still somehow able to mix all th0se different styles and influences (Britpop, Indie, Southern Rock, Chanson, Bluegrass, Choral, etc.) into one cohesive and moving piece. I'd say it's kind of like the Fleet Foxes album, which came out around the same time, but with a little less of that Appalachian mountain music thing and much, much better. It's a bit wittier, a bit more adventurous, and a bit more sophisticated. Perfect for folks like me with musical ADD. - Rocky