What is it about a song that resonates with our souls? Is it melody, the backbeat, lyrics that somehow reach into us? I'm not sure what it exactly is but when a song is "in tune" with where I am at - I can't not hear it. It may not even be playing on my earphones or speakers and it's presence is felt.
What's in my mind as of late? Sufjan Steven's 2004 album Seven Swans - a masterpiece of laid back acoustic meanderings on life, love, and faith - sort of folky but with a good edge to it all. His newly released 2005 release Illinois is just as deep but with more instrumentation - also well worth the listen - lyrically Stevens truly is a master wordsmith from the profound to the introspective to the tongue in cheek!
I'm also listening to Death Cab For Cutie's Plans (released Aug. 30) - really good! It continues in the direction of their previous album Transatlanticism's dreamy pop with a touch of emo! Vocally both bands remind me of the lead singer (Derri Daugherty) of one my favorite atmospheric alternative bands to come out of the late 80's - The Choir who also have recently released a new album O How The Mighty Have Fallen!
And right now I'm listening to a webjay podcast courtesy of my friend Jer via CBC - a band from T-Bay by the name of The Parkas - very cool! Oh and I should recommend I Witness a local manitoba band - they are in the process of releasing a new CD. There guitar player happens to be my wife's cousin and very good musician! Their latest single "Long Before" (sample on their site) reminds me of REM with a Nickelback edge to them!
Over and out...
4 comments:
Music that resonates with me is the music of my childhood: oldies. It gets under my skin and puts me back into the past, where I was when I used to listen to it. It's a part of me.
Thanks for visiting my (well, one of them) blog and leaving a comment. :)
So true! There are songs that come on the radio that bring a person back to a time and place temporarily. I have to admit I think of the blogger's I visited you probably have the record number of blogs under your belt! Impressive but I'm not sure how you have time to update them all. I have a tough time with two!
...and then there's the rare album or song that has such great lasting power that it blends distant nostalgia with more recent memories because you've kept listening to it right through different life stages. The Joshua Tree is one of those for me, Peter Gabriel's So, and any old Police.
Once again Jer your insightful comments are right on the mark. For me, both U2's Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby are albums so nostalgic...I have a memory of driving down a dusty road in the backcountry of Ethiopia on my way to visit my sister who works with Sudanese refugees with Joshua Tree resonating through some worn out Toyota Landcruiser speakers. Achtung Baby was the soundtrack to a lot of my dates with Wendy.
Smashing Pumpkin's Mellon Collie brings me back to my university stint and the list goes on...
G
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