Playlist

I haven't mentioned my playlist for a while and I have been listening to tons since February; some new, some old, some older newly discovered and some rediscovered. Here are some of them.

New

Coldplay - Viva Lavida - Nice change in style enough to drag me back to the Coldplay fold.

Sigur Ros - Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust (which translates as "with a buzz in our ears we play endlessly") . I should be bored with their warbly vocals and endless plains of minimalism with the inevitable crescendos. BUT I'm not and I don't think I ever will, musical Ambrosia.

Portishead - 3: Portihead is back as good as ever

Alanis Morrissette - Flavours of Entanglement: I've been buying the last couple of Morrissette albums out of habit. I think this is last one, all the originality has gone

Old

Nick Cave - Everything he has ever done (have just filled out the missing ones)

Otis Redding - Collection: Sitting on the dock of the bay

Django Reinhardt - Swing 39, Just swing

Anita O'Day - I Told Ya I Love Ya - Exhuberent jazz vocalist from the 40s on.

Robert Johnson - One of my favourite blues artists (next to Skip James)

Smiths / Morrisey - I never liked the Smiths and I put this down to Morrisey's voice and then I heard some Morrisey (solo) songs and I liked them so started listening to more Morrissey and Smiths and discovered I still don't like the Smiths much but I like Morrissey on his own.

Old Newly Discovered

Sometimes you find things and you wonder how you missed them the first time around? Well here are a couple from the 90s (thanks to Alan for reavealing them to me :-)

Alabama 3 - Electronica Country, Gospel and other Americana complete with southern aceents from London. And its good too.

Mercury Rev - "Deserters Songs" and "All is Dream" are my first samoles from these Neo-psychedelics that started in 1991 and are still going.

Les Rita Mitsouko - Been listening to lots of this bunch of French vaudeville rocksters. I like "Marc and Robert" and "Re" the best. Bit like a cross between the Eurythmics & Sailor.

Miranda Sex Garden - You just have to listen to a band with that name, and its worth it.

Playlist Update

So what am I listening to at the moment

Radiohead - In Rainbows (2007) + the rest of Radiohead
I love this band

Seasick Steve - Dog House Music (2006)
Real blues from a real hobo. Just a man, his guitar, lots of humour and sad endings.

Steve Earle - Washington Square Serenade (2007)
Country rock from an old master. Best album since Copperhead road

Amy Winehouse - Frank (2003)
Yes, I'm sorry every one wants to hate Amy, but this lady has a fine voice and here its even more jazzy than on Back to Black, so you can't

Dead Can Dance - Aion (1990)

Deerhoof - Milk Man (2004)
Some might find them wierd. Alternately thrash and nursery tunes. Love them.

Philip Glass - Symphonies 2 & 3 (1994)
Mister arpeggio shows how much a musical spectrum you can cover even with a severe set of self imposed limitations. Quite a contrast but both equally engaging. These are the two symphonies between the Low & Heroes symphonies inspired by Bowie / Eno's albums ow the same names.

The The - Mind Bomb (1989)
Protest dance music late 80's style. This man (Matt Johnson) was pretty caustic but his lyrics are just as valid now if not more so. "If the real Jesus stood up today, he'd be shot down by the CIA"

Lights & Music

Put the Christmas lights up on the balcony today, it took me best part of 3 hours, I hope its worth it.

New addition to the playlist: Amy MacDonald - This is the life
I was suprised to hear something like "Poisin Prince" (a negative dedication to Pete Doherty) on the local (program) radio station - Energy Zürich who normaly stick to the hits. Anyway it got me looking at the website for Singer-Songwriter behind it (http://www.amymacdonald.co.uk/). She reminds me a little of Kirsty MacColl Folk Rolk, and even has a kind of 70's feel about it. The songs feel like they were written by someone much older than her 19 years. Favourite tracks are Run, Poison Prince, A wish for something better and Footballer's Wife a mildly veiled dig at Mrs. Beckham I think.

Snow

It's days like today that make me really happy to live on a hillside (not hard in Switzerland). I just got back from my last but one radiation therapy and in the valley (Limmattal, 380m) it was miserable rain with a sleet quality, but as we climbed (on the bus) up towards our home just 200m higher (576m) the rain turned from sleet to real snow putting us in the first real Snow of the Winter and our own little Winter wonderland, better locate the snow shovel.

I missed out a couple of things off my playlist from yesterday:

Within Temptation - Heart of Everything
I could call them a cross between Evanescence (female vocal goth-rock) & Therion (Wagnerian operatics) but that would be unfair as they have been around for 10 years and are apparently Holland's leading musical export. So if you want an alternative to Amy Lee's powerful but limited voice you could do worse.

John Fogerty - Revival
John fogerty was the driving force behind Creedence Clearwater Revival, and after 30 years he seems to have finally come to terms with that. This is Creedence for the 2000's, pure Americana

Playlist

Looks like the Exercise problems have been fixed by the new Timonil dosage. I'm able to go up to 140bpm for around 30 minutes without bringing on seizures : Hurrah!

I have been neglecting new music a bit since this thing struck (I really need a pet name for this thing: any suggestions?) . Not to say that I have stopped listening, that will not happen until the music of the spheres stop (and I don't mean the Argent song).

I seem to be in a a mellow mood at the moment, when not on random, this is what I have dug up to listen to:

Calexico - Garden Ruin
The most song oriented album from eclectic band influenced by everything Mexican border (Robert Rodriguez probably likes them).

Coco Rosie - The Adventuress of Ghosthorse & Stillborn
Dance, Hip-hop, Rap, Schoolgirl Operatic rock. But better than that sounds.
Japan & Werewolf are a couple of my favourites.

Pink Floyd - Piper at the Gates of Dawn
Been listening to the old vinyl, after finding the new cut didn't cut it

Rufus Wainwright - Release the Stars
I know this guy is one of the most original songwriters around at the moment and mixed with the big production jobs he uses I know I'm going to like him in the end.

Amy Winehouse - Back to Black
No comment required

PJ Harvey - White Chalk
This lady has been making quality albums forever, this is her latest mellow number. If you like PJ you'll like this.

Raising Sand - Robert Plant & Alison Krause
A match made in heaven. Country-Rock-Blues-Bluegrass-Folk. Robert Plant finally finding music that is still challenging but doesn't crack up the old man's voice. While Ms Krause brings her beautiful Bluegrass Folk voice to the party, and the band is just classic. All are favourites so far.

Sigur Ros - Heim / Hvarf
Latest from Iceland's arena rockers. Nobody can use dynamic range shocks like these guys, a breath of fresh air in this world of compressed production. I should have got bored with their formula after playing () and Takk for a couple of years, but no no no...

Amiina - Kurr
Fellow Icelanders (or rather Icelanderins, to corrupt a German form to describe the female form of an Icelandic band). These ladies are as different as you can get, but they somehow retain the feel of Iceland. I don't know what they put in the water up there but they sure produce some original and great music.

Roisin Murphy - Overpowered
Pure modern disco from the ex-Moloko leading lady

Gorecki - Symphony No. 3
The Second movement is one of the world's most beautiful pieces of music, and it's still rarely heard. But listen to the whole thing to get the full effect.

Joanna Newsome - The Milk Eyed Mender
Twenty something Folk Harpist with surreal lyrics and a voice that sounds like a 12 year old - Captivating. Try any track, you will either love her or hate her.

White Stripes - Icky Thump
Brilliant - Who needs a Led Zeppelin reunion when you have the White Stripes taking over where they left off 30 years ago. Don't believe me? just listen.