New Pearl Jam

'Gigaton' by Pearl Jam.

New Pearl Jam just released a week ago. (it's about time!!) The compact disc arrived in the mail this weekend and this is my initial listen. (We have time for such things these days.) I want another listen or two before giving an opinion on it besides that I love it. of course Eddie Vedder has one of the great voices of alltime so that will likely prejudice any thoughts that I have.

Judy Garland

It wasn't all that long ago when I would have never listened to Judy Garland. I would have never given it a chance. But with age came an interest in the music from the decades before I was born.

Big Band sounds from the late 1930's and 40's. This now is history to me ..... as much as any book I own. I want to hear these sounds that my parents most likely danced and sang along to. Bonus points for being on vinyl.

I don't recall purchasing this but I obviously did. Looking through the collection and there it was.

Several Shades of Why

An evening of vinyl records. 'Several Shades of Why' by J Mascis. I don't know much about his band, Dinosaur Jr other than seeing the word 'punk' used to describe them. This is much more of a Singer/Songwriter effort with acoustic guitar dominating. Beautiful melodies make up this record.

Great cover artwork also!! It certainly calls out to you to investigate what sounds await inside.

OPB Playlist

Stay at home order in effect and being followed. Time for another OPB Playlist ….

• Marika Hackman - Blow
• Phoebe Bridgers - Motion Sickness
• Sam Phillips - Don't Do Anything ….. Love when an musician/band pops up on OPB's playlist who I can claim to be a longtime fan of.
• Rilo Kiley - Portions For Foxes ..... It's looking a little like it's a female artist spotlight type of night. Not that there's anything wrong with that. 
• Eyelids - The Minutes
• Andrew Bird - Fallorun
• Patti Smith - Dancing Barefoot ….. I should know this and am embarrassed to even ask here, even as I know no one will likely read this page but is this a cover version? Seems like I know this song by another musician. 
• Sandy) Alex G - Hope
• The Antlers - Hotel
• Dirty Projectors - Overlord
• Jose Gonzalez - This Is How We Walk on the Moon

A quick search and the discovery that 'Dancing Barefoot' is an early U2 song. No wonder it sounded so familiar. A B-side that appeared years later as a bonus track and one of the reasons that I loved the concept of bonus tracks on compact discs. But why didn't I just recognize it without the research? 

• Jonathan Something - Unfortunately Blue
• Lomelda - Interstate Vision
• Sharon Van Etten - One Day
• Alela Diane - Moves Us Blind ..... Nothing quite like being up at 2:00am, sipping orange juice,  listening to internet radio and discovering new sounds. I never know when to stop, always telling myself: "Just one more."
• Black Belt Eagle Scout - My Heart Dreams *****
• Y La Bamba - November ***** ..... Was thinking: Who does this tune remind me of? Oh Yeah, The Sundays!!
• Houndstooth - No News From Home

Sunday Evening OPB Radio Playlist

Sunday evening after a Trail Blazes loss and the realization that this team is in trouble that has caused me to be discouraged with watching basketball preceded by my obsessive eagle in the park photo session that turned out mostly blurry, so a little good music is in order.

• M Ward - Me and My Shadow ….. Just caught the last thirty seconds but something about this says Bob Dylan to me.
• Lord Huron - Lonesome Dreams *****
• Kishi Bashi - Philosophize In It! Chemicalize With It!
• Angie McMahon - Keeping Time ***** ….. Thought that I need to purchase this one, went to iTunes and discovered that I already had.
• Shearwater - A Long Time Away
• Nico - The Fairest of the Seasons ….. Instantly recognizable. A voice I love!! "I want to know, do I stay or do I go?"
• Animal Eyes - Mushroom Hunter
• Black Belt Eagle Scout - My Heart Dreams *****
• Frankie Cosmos - A Joke (live version)
• Kathleen Edwards - Asking for Flowers ***** ….. In my collection. Reminding me that I need to dig the album out and get reaquainted. "Don't tell me you're too tired, ten years I've been working nights."
• Cat Power - Woman (featuring Lana Del Rey)

Saturday Evening Radio Playlist

Saturday evening. Too wet and chilly to be running about outside. So a little Oregon Public Broadcasting music stream is in order. Always with some new and different sounds mixed with a few classics for these aging ears.

• Sallie Ford & the Sound Outside - God's Away On Business
• The Devil Makes Three - All Hail
• Daniel Norgren - Dandelion Time
• STRFKR - Open Your Eyes
• Dan Dan - Circuit
• David Bowie - The Stars (Are Out Tonight) *****
• Andy Shauf - Things I Do
• Jeff Tweedy - Family Ghost
• The Prids - Summer Cult *****
• Alvvays - In Undertow
• Lala Lala and WHY? - Siren 042
• Saintseneca - The Awefull Yawn
• Toro Y Moi - Girl Like You
• Tommy Alexander - Time and Time Again
• She-Devils - Hey Boy

I keep saying to myself: "Time to end this and move on to whatever's next in my evening …. But maybe just one more song." Because the alternative tonight was watching my list of Twitter followers go up and down.

• Bon Iver - Naeem
• Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Heavy Metal
• Dana Buoy - Bloom
• Corridor - Junior *****
• La Luz - Cicada

Playlist For a Friend

• Gordon Lightfoot - Beautiful ..... Because incredible beauty needs to be acknowledged.
• Warren Zevon - Empty Handed Heart
• Robert Palmer - One Last Look
• Peter Himmelman - Woman With the Strength of Ten Thousand Men

Playlist

Listening to online radio …. OPB Music.

• Great Grandpa - Mono No Aware
• Roselit Bone - Proving Grounds
• Jay Som - Nighttime Drive
• Caroline Rose - More of the Same
• Cold War Kids - Hang Me Up to Dry
• Wilco - Love Is Everywhere (Beware)
• Bahamas - Alone
• Sunflower Bean - Come For Me ….. I hate it when a song reminds you of something or someone but you can't quite recall what or who.
•  The Hello Sequence - Downward Spiral
• The Decemberists - We Both Go Down Together ….. This one I can easily identify what it reminds me of. REM's, 'Losing My Religion.'
• Khruangbin - Maria Tambien …..  Not even going to attempt to pronounce the bands name.

Fred Neil

A collection from 2009 bringing together two of his albums from the 1960's. The ultimate singer/songwriter!! Classic 60's Folkie!!

You don't know the name …. How about his song, 'Everybody's Talking'? Surely you've heard that song at some place and time on some radio station in your lifetime. Someone else may have been singing it but you've heard it. It's one of those timeless classics.

Playlist

• Uncle Tupelo - Sandusky ..... Discovering Son Volt in the mid-90's led me to Uncle Tupelo. Not exactly chronological order. Instrumental tune revolving around a mandolin.
• Son Volt - Back Into Your World .....My Introduction to Son Volt, who already had a couple albums out at the time. Apparently I'm late to everything. It became my anthem and prayer for awhile.
• Greg Copeland - Pretty Girl Rules the World ..... Being a fan of Jackson Browne in the 1970's you would eventually read or hear the name, Greg Copeland, one of his early songwriting mentors.
• Neil Young - Cowgirl In the Sand / Cinnamon Girl
• Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here ..... The first time I flew, I heard this song the previous evening played live in Borders by a couple of local guys. I was extremely nervous about flying the next morning and thinking this might be my final worldly task. I was also sending a message through the waves, "Wish you were HERE!" I really didn't want to board that plane in the morning. 

Thirteenth Floor Elevators

Groovy, hip and far out 1960's Psychedelic Rock.

Stumbled across the four disc/album box set in my local record store. The Monday/Tuesday evening store guy told me that he had his eyes on it for some time. Well you should have snapped it up, I thought. I felt a little badly for taking something he may have wanted but I'm over it now. Music collecting can be ruthless at times.

He informed me that the individual vinyls are difficult to find.

Weekend's End Playlist

Because the weekend is nearly over. One needs a playlist for that occasion right? Via OPB Music …..

• Low - Just Make It Stop
• Aan - Cause and Effect
• Stars - Ageless Beauty
• Reptaliens - Olive Boy
• Wild Ones - It's Real ….. Has a Portlandia, girl band feel to it. Assuming I know that sound when I hear it.
• Black Belt Eagle Scout - Loss and Relax
• Sharon Van Etten - Kevin's
• Kings of Convenience - Misread *****
• Daniel Norgren - Dandelion Time
• Elliott Smith - Condor Ave. ***** ….. About as Portlandia as it gets!!
• Alabama Shakes - Hold On
• Midlake - Head Home *****
• A Tribe Called Quest - Dis Generation