medulla noodle

The consequence of moving to a new metropolis, not knowing many people with common interests beyond work, and having the family gone is lots of one-on-one time with ye olde blog. I'll spare you the "pity poor wobs" post, and instead relay to you that the vivacious ms. wobs got me an iPod as an early birthday present, allowing me to enjoy my commutes without that troublesome human interaction... and we wonder why I'm not meeting any new people!

So this seems like an opportunity to tell you what I've found aurally interesting these past few months.

Sky Blue Sky - Wilco
Enough people have commented on the mellow 70's rock vibe of Tweedy & Co.'s latest album, so I won't repeat what they have to say. When I hear it, it leaves the impression that instead of going in to the studio in order to make The Next Great Wilco Record, they had a ton of fun with some great songs. It's an effortless listen, especially compared to previous outings, and I think it features some of Tweedy's best vocal performances to date.

Pink Flag - Wire
This is one of those punk classics I keep rediscovering. It's a perfect soundtrack to the relatively new experience (for me) of urban anomie.

OK Computer - Radiohead
This is one of those albums I know I should have spent more time with in the past. But wow, it's an emotive, dense listen that I could get lost in time and again, and at this point their melodic sensibilities hadn't gotten lost in the heroin-nod bleeps and bloops of their later albums.

Clouds Taste Metallic - The Flaming Lips
Their last album with Ronald Jones tends to get lost in the shuffle, sandwiched between the psychedelic punk bubblegum of Transmissions from the Satellite Heart, the wild experimentalism of Zaireeka, and the lush emotion of The Soft Bulletin. Be that as it may, it's one of my favorite Lips listens. The buzzsaw two guitar attack is complemented by an expanded sonic palette, and the lyrical content, while still showcasing Wayne Coyne's surreal narratives, takes on a surprisingly touching character, foreshadowing later albums. "Bad Days," the albums closing track, is one of my all-time favorite pick-me-ups.

Damaged - Lambchop
I haven't been able to stop listening to this since pattyjoe burned it for me. It's an astonishing subversion of the whole Nashville idiom. Where other bands can create a kaleidescope of moods from the sheer density of the music, Lambchop creates that same effect with its sparseness. It really is one of the most beautiful pieces of music I've ever heard.

So now you know, and to top it off, how about 10+1 randomly generated songs for shits and giggles?