"The Voice Within"-Christina Aguilera

Why is it that some songs are annoying/suck 90% of the time, and then certain days you really feel like listening to them? "The Voice Within" by Christina Aguilera is legitimately an irritating song. And I've always thought her show-off melisma was over the top, while, for example Mariah Carey's is a lot more musical. But today this song hits the spot. It seems yummy and forbidden, like a french fry off someone else's plate.

Taste is weird.




science cannot explain

"This Is The Way"-Devendra Banhart

Devendra Banhart: pleasantly folky weirdo, or pretentious asshole with a bad beard?

discuss.








but first, listen

"Eli, The Barrow Boy"-The Decemberists

basic plot: he wants to buy his gf a nice dress but he can't because he's DEAD. this and the bad economy are two reasons that his job selling shit out of a wheelbarrow isn't going very well.








bizarre student music video

"Lesson No. 1 For Electric Guitar"-Glenn Branca

So, after having that life-changing musicospiritual experience this weekend, I decided that there was no reason that I should not be experiencing this joy on a daily basis.

After about two minutes of serious consideration, I went for it. I am now the proud owner of AN ELECTRIC GUITAR. I bought it during my lunch hour, and then I took it back to work with me and set it down next to my desk. Just knowing it was there made me so excited that I could hardly pay attention to my job. It is possible that I Am In Love.

In honor of this purchase and lifestyle change, today's song is "Lesson No. 1 For Electric Guitar" by Very Important Composer Glenn Branca. I don't tend to get particularly jazzed up about long droning things without words, but this song/piece is pretty incredible. It builds in just the right way, until breaking into what can only be described as "cinematic triumphant slow-motion running music."

This song was introduced to me by my friend Ian Mathers, who also happens to know an awful lot about music, in addition to being funny and intelligent. He has written great stuff for PopMatters, The Village Voice, and the mighty-but-unfortunately-defunct Stylus Magazine. Also he has a blog, which you should read in addition to reading my blog, and Alex Ross's blog, and my friend Will's blog which used to be about grapefruits and is now about other stuff. I still hate the word "blog."

But I really, really like the guitar.


if you listen here to the entire 8 minutes and 18 seconds, you will be blessed with good fortune

"Heartbeat"-The Knack

Apparently the album Get The Knack was so popular when it came out in 1979 that there was a crazy backlash where people had "Knuke The Knack" bumper stickers and t-shirts and stuff.

Fair enough, but I think it's time to Bring Back The Knack. People only know the song "My Sharona," which is good, but the whole album is so incredibly enjoyable that it should be listened to all the way through. It's springtime, folks, and power pop is IN.




listen here

"Anyone Can Play Guitar"-Radiohead

I don't know if the title of this song is a true statement, but I do know one thing: I played an electric guitar for the first time in my life today and it felt like someone had opened the top of my head and poured all kinds of good stuff into it.

Being shitty at guitar is going to be an awesome experience for me. I can feel it.




listen here

"June Carter Cash"-The Finches

"I was listening to a tape that you made for me,
When my heart got so tight,
I thought I might die.
We cannot return to the Sundays down the street;
That's ok, we're where we ought to be."


AAAA I THINK I MIGHT DIE



you, too, can feel like dying