ErinHanson
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I have just started a new job which involves a somewhat regular trek out to an area 1.5 hours away from my home! This means I’m spending at least 3 hours in the car on a fairly regular basis. Ecological sustainability issues aside, I don’t mind the drive so much— providing I have good tunes, and/or an engaging news program on. It’s a good chance for me to listen to things like albums I haven’t heard in a long time, bands I want to get to know, or news programs where I learn a lot.
However, I’m quickly running out of CDs I can listen to from start-to-finish to provide a good 45-mintues or so of quality music during my drive. Solid albums are key— I don’t want none of this skipping tracks business!
So this is my proposal for you. I want you to spread the good tunes my way.
I thought maybe I could make this into a fun thing... So I ask a themed question every now and then, you respond with your musical recommendations.
So, challenge #1: What is an album, or albums, that you can listen to from start-to-finish? (Or, perhaps, phrased a different way: if you had a 3-hour commute, what albums would you bring with you? No skipping tracks!)
I’ll start, just to get the ball rolling… albums I bring on the trip that I can listen to start-to-finish: -dEUS, “in a bar under the Sea” -dEUS “The Ideal Crash” -Broken Social Scene, self-titled -Dead Man Ray, "Trap" -u2, the Joshua Tree
OK, your turn! :)
It has been ages since one song has made me so excited about a band like "Stand and Deliver" has made me about the Now Time Delegation.
I've hardly been able to find anything about them online, but I dig it. It's like soul and blues but with a spirit so very rock and roll... I was thinking of old Tina Turner, but I'm sure there are better comparisons. It holds the same promise as the Go Team did when I first heard Huddle Formation.
Getting the album pronto... Let's hope it's as wondrous as Stand and Deliver hints.
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so did you find out about them by seeing them or from a friend or something? you mean there are other ways to find out about bands besides the internet!? hahah. i am feeling that rock n roll spirit they've got! how did the rest of the album stack up?
Actually, I think I found out about them by listening to one of those internet radio stations categorized as "Alternative" in iTunes. I find that those are such great ways to learn about new music....
I must have heard "Stand and Deliver" for the first time months ago. I only bring it up now because I was about to throw out an old tattered paper, when I noticed that I had written several song titles and artists in the margins. I had no recollection of writing those down but I figured i might as well download them. The songs varied from slow, sad country/blues ("Death Will Be My Bride" by Brendan Perry) to some ambient stuff reminiscent of the band doves ("Like Starlight into Day" by Hammock) and a trip-hoppy sitar-fused song ("River of Everchanging forms" by Dust Galaxy). I must have heard all these by listening to radio stations and just wrote down the songs that piqued my interest. But it was "Stand and Deliver" that made the most impression on me.
I'm still getting into the album, but I do recommend it. There's a healthy amount of variation in their styles and influences-- they can do slow and souful, and they sure can rock out. I just really like their style. I'd definitely go see them live. I really like this description of them: http://www.intheredrecords.com/pages/nowtime.html
Have you had a chance to listen to it yet??
No, I only listened to the song you've put here. When I get some more time, perhaps I'll check it out. The sitar stuff sounds cool. I have never thought of using the itunes radio stations to seek out new music...in fact, i never realize those are even there. i think i'll give it a spin later and see what i find. (exciting, given that i finally have a real, legit internet connection!).
I use iTunes to play my music. Sometimes I'm looking for a specific song to play, and I type its title or album or whatever in the search field. Usually I only have to type a single word, or even just a few letters, to get the song I want. This leaves a few other songs in that list, which will automatically play afterwards.
Using this method, almost without fail, I discover music that I didn't even remember I had. Or I pleasantly rediscover music. This is usually because it will play songs out of context. For example, my friend made me a very mellow compilation CD. I don't usually play it because I associate it with being very, very quiet. But today, completely unrelated, I wanted to hear "Orange Bird" by the Sound Team. I typed in "Orange," leaving a playlist consisting of:
Orange Bird by the Sound Team Orange Skies by Alexi Murdoch Tell All your Friends by Projet Orange
After the Sound Team finished, Alexi Murdoch's "Orange Skies" began, and I thought to myself, "Hmm, what is this song? I quite like it. How did I acquire it?" To my surprise it was on my friend's mixed CD. Outside of the larger context of this CD, I listened to this song with a completely open mind. Sometimes I need that to truly appreciate a song.
So sometimes it's fun to just pick a word, any word, type it in the search bar, and voila: a nice new random playlist.
Right now I want to hear Nouvelle Vague's cover of "The Killing Moon." So here I go... typing in "Moon"...
Passion - Blackalicious Midnight Moonlight - The Be Good Tanyas The Moon - Glen Hasnard & Marketa Irglova Blue Moon Rising - Gomez Honey & the Moon - Joseph Arthur Bushfire - Midnight Oil Drums of Heaven - Midnight Oil The Killing Moon - Nouvelle vague Cartoon Moon - Rudy Trouve Goodnight Mooon- Shivaree
Now that's a nice and varied playlist I would have never picked out for myself.
Hmm... I wonder what i'd get if i typed in "banana..."
(Bananaman by Glen Hansard, and Bananapeel Blues by KMD, apparently.)
What fun!
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For commuting, though, I'm more partial to loading up on news, commentary and interview podcasts such as "On the Media," "Left, Right & Center," "Fresh Air," and so on. I find that podcasts tend to be more thoroughly engaging than music for long commutes. I punctuate with music, but haven't found that tunes alone could stand up to the grind of a multi-hour commute on a daily basis.