What music have you listened to lately?

I've heard these albums, with grades:

Hope 7 - Hope 7 (A+ - right up my alley)
LeAnn Rimes - This Woman (B+ - a real comeback! I've ordered it.)
Kenny Chesney - Be As You Are (C - this time, he's one-dimensional)
Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning (C)
Bright Eyes - Digital Ash In A Digital Urn (C-)

Samples from these, with grades:

Emma - Free Me (A - glistening pop from a surprising source - I've ordered it)

Trent Willmon - self-titled (B+ - good neo-traditional country - will order soon if possible)

Dirty Vegas - One (C-, have to agree with most critics here)

Took someone's advice and bought the new Kate Rusby album Underneath the Stars (A or A+ based on samples.)

live takin the stage

tonight it's been Cowboy Junkies, Monolake, Plaid and PJ Harvey...

-- some Jethro Tull (Songs from the Wood), Ella Fitzgerald, Gram Parsons, and Nick Drake.

Addictive artists, to a one.

I love all of what you posted except for Tull. Makes me think I should give them another listen...

-- roommate wouldn't leave the room until he heard at least SOME of Aqualung.

Annually, to this day, he goes out for Halloween as Aqualung.

Therapists have long ago thrown their hands up in despair over his case.

Actually, I admire Ian Anderson more for his ability to surprise me, but that one title song from SONGS FROM THE WOOD is awfully good.

Good choice! And she's a really sweet person to boot.


I've been listening to my iPod on shuffle, but the stand-outs today were:

Kirsty MacColl - Electric Landlady and Tropical Brainstorm

Various - The Hi Records Story (can't get Al Green's Call Me out of my head tonight!)

Mavis Staples - The Voice (written and produced by Prince!)

Jacques Fournier - Bach Cello Suites

The Police - Message in a Box

Ahmad Jamal - Chamber Music of New Jazz

Carmen McRae - Book of Ballads

Nicola Conte - Bossa Per Due (rapidly becoming one of my favorite records of all time!!)

That Kirsty McCall album also sounds good.. and I love the Police.

Those people could put a melody together if you ask me.

Some truly great stuff.

Plus:

Anticon: We Ain't Fessin' EP
Animal Collective: Danse Manatee
Mr. Lif: Enters the Colossus
Essential Logic: Fanfare in the Garden
The Rich Kids: Best of
Lenny Bruce: Let the Buyer Beware box set
Antony and the Johnsons: s/t
moe. : some live show from '03
Public Enemy: Nation of Millions
The Move: Movements box set


But mostly, that Faces box set. Can't get "You're my Girl (I don't Want to Discuss it)" out of my head.

Last night I listened to Rikarena's new album, and tonight it was La Banda Gorda.

Rikarena's album is very good, but La Banda Gorda's was just incredible. I think anybody would like that one - no matter what genre they liked. It's blowing my mind - seriously.

Those are both upbeat Merengue albums. Really fast beats that get your body moving.

my worn-out copy of Rickie Lee Jones' self titled

My fav's are Chuck E's In Love and Last Chance Texaco :hippie:

and...
Easy Money
Danny's All Star Joint (they got a juke box that goes doyt doyt)
Weasel in a White Boy's Cool
Company


What a great record.
I have to go pull that one out right now!!

As I sign off for now, I'm making a list of some of these artists.

I rediscovered a band that I loved back in the '70's.

This was back when bands like Yes, Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Genesis, and other "progressive rock" bands were hugely successful.

Rock bands did more composing then they did song writing back in the day.

I've been listening to a band called "Renaissance" with classically trained vocalist Annie Haslam who had a voice like an angel that could soar and take you places that you never imagined.

They did albums like "Ashes are Burning" and "Turn of the Cards" and the masterpiece "Scheherazade & Other Stories".

Powerful, magical and influenced by Russian and Indian composers, it's not surprising that they were the first British rock band to sell out Carnegie Hall for three consecutive nights.

I saw them in 1977 at the Carnegie Hall in Pittsburgh, Pa and it's one of the most memorable concerts I've seen in my lifetime.

If you like soaring vocals, lush orchestration and thundering bass, check them out.

If you are under 40 and like your songs 3 minutes or less, this may not be your bag as some of the pieces go on for 15 to 20 minutes or more.

vnv nation, i can't stop, it's like a drug.