apple juice

It’s been a while since I’ve posted about my musical favorites, so here’s a little update.

First off, after much prodding from my sister, I’ve been listening to “Transatlanticism” from Death Cab for Cutie. It’s been sitting on my Audioscrobbler recommended list ever since I got an account over there, but for some reason I’ve resisted listening. Maybe some of Matt‘s indie-tude had been rubbing off on me. (Just kidding Matt!) But anywas, I really have been enjoying this album. Death Cab for Cutie and The Postal Service share Ben Gibbard as lead singer and songwriter. Whaddyaknow? As soon as I started in to “Transatlanticism”, visions of The Postal Service immediately danced in my head, and that is not at all a bad thing. The Postal Service album, Give Up, is one of my favorite albums, ever. It’s just funny that I got to Death Cab for Cutie by way of The Postal Service, and not the other way around, (since DCC has been around for quite a while)

Secondly,as long as I was listening to indie-darlings, I thought I’d give Bright Eyes a try, another band that has been on the Audioscrobbler list forever, and not only that, Matt loves this band. I’ve now heard “I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning”, “Digital Ash in a Digital Urn”, and “Lifted, or, Keep Your Ears to the Ground, The Story is in the Soil”. I guess he enjoys long album titles. I’m not one to give eloquent reviews, but they’ve been in heavy rotation for the past couple weeks. (BTW, did you see him on The Tonight Show the other night? That gave me the goosebumps. I can bet Jay won’t invite him back there any time soon. Although on further inspection, Jay does say, “performing his protest song” so maybe they knew what he was going to sing?)

Third, new album by Spoon, “Gimme Fiction”. This is playing on the iPod as I type, track 7 of 11. So far it’s awesome. Their earlier albums, “Girls Can Tell”, and “Kill The Moonlight” are some of my favorites, and I can already hear that this will be a favorite as well.

I also bought two other albums today, “Cold Roses” by Ryan Adams and the Cardinals, and “Blinking Lights and other Revelations” by eels. Looking forward to both of these albums. I’ve passed over the previously most recent albums by these two artists, but both of the new discs come highly recommended.

This is not the sort of thing I would normally admit out-loud. Yes, I am a geek, all who know me can attest to that. But I usually have a very tempered level of geekitude. The geek is not on display at all times, more like it’s in the holster ready to come out at any moment…

This is one of those moments.

I’m listening to the soundtrack to a video game right now. There, I said it.

It’s the soundtrack for Splinter Cell (a game I have never played), and the music was composed by Amon Tobin… an electronicalist… err something.

I guess this is what happens when the Apple Juicette is out of town for a week:

• Come home from work
• Feed Dog
• Eat left overs for dinner
• Watch “the daily show” from last night
• play Zelda for an hour or so. (okay 2 hours)
• listen to music… including random video game music
• type some random incoherence into the old website
• time to go to bed!

Anyway, thanks jgd3 for the recommendation!

Okay, I need to post a link to this (swf) video. Thanks to Joey for sending it to me…

Some dude lip-syncing to Dragostea Din Tei by O-Zone

Joey: Want to see something funny?
Me: Yes.
Joey: (sends link)
Me: That is hilarious, and the song is awesome!
Joey: I think it is popular in Europe or something.

Not only is that kid hilarious (he should be the next American Idol). The song is absolute pop genius. The mp3 is not hard to find, and I suggest you get a copy.

Does anyone get the feeling that John Mayer is a better musician than his albums would make it seem?

Record labels, let the man be free!

Here it is, my favorite albums of the year:

1. Funeral – The Arcade Fire
2. A Ghost Is Born – Wilco
3. Good News For People Who Love Bad News – Modest Mouse
4. The Grey Album – Jay-Z + DJ Danger Mouse
5. Med??lla – Bj??rk
6. Franz Ferdinand – Franz Ferdinand
7. Antics – Interpol
8. Boy In Da Corner – Dizzee Rascal
9. A Grand Don’t Come For Free – The Streets
10. Two Way Monologue – Sondre Lerche

Favorite Song of the Year: Company In My Back – Wilco
Favorite 2003 album discovered in 2004: Give Up – The Postal Service
Best Soundtrack: Garden State
Favorite Concert: The Arcade Fire

(I’m no good at writing these reviews, but here goes…)

I just got back from The Arcade Fire, live at the 400 Bar in Minneapolis, and I thought I would share a few thoughts.

It was an awesome show, living up to the hype that I had heard: The live show was even better than their album.

7 band members took the stage and played with the confidence and energy of a band that knows exactly what they are going to bring, and how to push it further.

If you have the opportunity to see them, I highly recommend it. Look for band members drumming on the walls, the speakers and each other’s heads. Look for the inflatable cow being tossed around. Look for the dancing violin player. Look for all kinds of wacky stuff that happens during the show, and what you’ll see is a band that has a very bright future in front of them, and I look forward to seeing it develop.

No one is happier than myself about the continued heavy rotation of Hold On by Wilson Philips on our branch’s Muzak system.

Break free, break from the chains…