Wednesday, September 17, 2008

9/17/08

If you like folk singer/songwriters....
Buy this.

Then listen to it on a pensive drive when it's sort of gray and rainy, and it sounds really fucking good. "Thin Blue Flame" kind of blew my mind at first, it was like a cross between Death Cab and, i don't know, a smarter Ryan Adams. And upon second listen, it was still pretty resonant. Good sign. Third, too.

But you have to be into this kind of sound to appreciate it, i think. His lyrics are powerful in their own right, and he does have some equally powerful moments. Beautiful songs, but simple. A song like "Idaho," well, you just have to like folk music. I needed something new to dig my ear into in that genre, so I'm glad this full length came my way.

Also, Ritter majored in the self-created study of "American History Through Narrative Folk Music," according to Wikipedia and thus he is my academic hero.

9/17/08

Exclusive Lovedrug songs:
available here.


I do like them! They're so subtle sometimes, always little ringings or whatever in the background. Less than a month!

9/17/08

Now we take our time

so nonchalant

And spend our nights so bon vivant

We dress our days in silken robes

The money comes

The money goes

We know it's all a passing phase

We light our lamps for atmosphere

And hang out hopes on chandeliers

We're going wrong

we're gaining weight

We're sleeping long and far too late

And so it's time to change our ways

But I've loved these days

Now as we indulge in things refined

We hide our hearts from harder times

A string of pearls

a foreign car

Oh we can only go so far

On caviar and cabernet

We drown our doubts in dry champagne

And soothe our souls with fine cocaine

I don't know why I even care

We get so high and get nowhere

We'll have to change our jaded ways

But I've loved these days

So before we end and then begin

We'll drink a toast to how it's been

A few more hours to be complete

A few more nights on satin sheets

A few more times that I can say

I've loved these days
--Billy Joel, "I've Loved These Days"
Turnstiles


Turnstiles was one of the first CDs I owned. I like it a lot better now than I did when I was nine.  And this song is so soothing, so accepting, so satisfied with the good and bad in life. So reminiscent.