Music on heavy rotation

As it is baseball season, I am not in control of the TV in the evening. The wife is. But I still listen to my music out in the living room. Nothing a proper headphone amp and extension cable can’t handle. So I listen to my iTunes playlists while on the couch. Music instead of the play-by-play. Much better.

What I have found in the last few months is a few gems. Albums that stick with me and I look forward to queuing them up again. They are -fun-. Not to be consumed due to the marketing hype. But to be enjoyed. Whole albums, not shuffled tracks, randomly put together.

The Odd Couple by Gnarles Barkley
What a collection of tracks, all a small piece of the greater whole. Sure its highly processed sound, but it is fun! A good system can show the layers this odd couple has put down mesh together. Good foot stomping music.

Age of the Understatement by The Last Shadow Puppets
Another fun album. This new band has a bit of a British pop sound to them, but as they move from song to song, you find yourself pulled along. I always seem to get a song or two stuck in my head when I’m out walking.

Piece by Piece by Katie Melua
A wonderful voice that I found in a used bin. A wonderful British artist that has brought to life a set of pearls, music that moves you. It’s all about the voice. Doesn’t hurt she is writing more of her songs as she matures. Paraphrasing what my friend Z once said, a young artist can’t sing about relationship angst unless they are old enough to vote. No worries with this lady.

Fear of a Blank Planet by Porcupine Tree
The concept album taken to new heights by a veteran British rock band. They do rock. This is not a album of singles, but of six tracks that all meld together. Driving guitars, quiet ballads with hints of Pink Floyd. The themes help drown out the world and remind me that it’s not all about the mall.

Goldberg Variations by Bach
What is this? Mike is putting classical piano music with a bunch of modern day rock & pop. eh? Another album that must be listened to from beginning to end, otherwise its precise meter & pacing is rendered moot. It is an example of the wide range of music in my library. But it still fits the bill of music that seems to yield something new at each listen.

A good sign that these albums just work? Turn off the bloody TV, lower the lights, curl up with the spouse, close your eyes and press play. Then sing and air drum your way through an hour of aural bliss. It helps if you turn the volume up to drown out the singing - your spouse will thank you. :)

-Mike