i [heart] music

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Tuesday, August 19th, 2008

i [heart] music

there’s a word for me and my incessant new music discovery process: obsessive. it’s true. for me, music isn’t just a background pleasantry or something to play in the car. music is a powerful medium that i find deeply connective and stirring.

with that said, i’ve noticed here in the last several months that i’ve had an unusually ferocious appetite for new music (even for me). my quick count for the months of june through august is almost 70 albums. man, i feel obsessive (and poor…) just putting that in print… i’ve discovered some really great and some really not so great albums. for quite a few of them, i’ve wanted to write reviews but just haven’t had the time (sidenote: my brain runs in overtime and at any given time, there’s at least 9 or 10 blogs that i want to write that i just don’t have time for…). so, instead of trying to write 400 reviews, i thought i would just make a list and then highlight a few of my favorites. also, i find a lot of helpful music recommendations on several blogs i read, so maybe my list will jump start your own discovery process.
(these aren’t in order of favorites, but rather, in order of date added to my itunes library: most recent additions first)
  1. janelle monae: metropolis: the chase suite: bjork meets gnarls barkley meets andre 3000
  2. family force 5: dance or die: this is the most unlikely album i would like, but if you can go into realizing that it’s supposed to be over-the-top and just ridiculous, you can actually like it.
  3. ten shekel shirt: jubilee
  4. enter the worship circle: second, third & fourth circles: the most real and raw worship i’ve come across. this is the way i like worship music.
  5. third day: revelation: i was prepared for a colossal waste of time, but this is actually a really good record. (i may write a full review of this.)
  6. the myriad: with arrows, with poise
  7. dr. dog: fate
  8. jon foreman: fall, winter, spring and summer ep’s: incredible lyrics, incredible arrangements. (you may also see a full review of these.)
  9. umbrella tree: the church and the hospital: really weird…really good.
  10. sixpence none the richer: my dear machine ep
  11. robby hecht: late last night
  12. joshua james: the sun is always brighter
  13. john legend: live from philadelphia: admittedly, i’m not a huge fan of his second album, but john legend makes r&b soul accessible with his smooth live vocals and piano.
  14. conor oberst: conor oberst
  15. the bravery: the sun and the moon
  16. black kids: partie traumatic
  17. flobots: fight with tools
  18. one day as a lion: one day as a lion
  19. colin meloy: colin meloy sings live!: can’t stop listening to his unique voice…
  20. scarlett johansson: anywhere i lay my head
  21. charlotte sometimes: waves & the both of us
  22. beck: modern guilt
  23. coldplay: viva la vida or death and all his friends: goes without saying.
  24. katie herzig: apple tree
  25. superchic[k]: rock what you got: another surprisingly good album. superchick somehow pulls off music that a 15-year old skater girl can listen to and also a 28-year old indie music fan.
  26. the watson twins: fire songs
  27. gavin rossdale: wanderlust: reviewed his awhile back…still listening to it.
  28. leeland: opposite way
  29. elvis costello: momofoku
  30. jakob dylan: seeing things: a great solo entry into the folk acoustic scene with his signature raspy voice and accessible lyrics.
alright, there you have it. check these people out and go pick up some of these albums.
(for all the real nerds like myself, if you want to see my full album list, click here for a pdf.)