Mood Music

Here are a few albums that I find enjoyable in different circumstances.

Dirty Three: Cinder

My take: A beautiful, mostly instrumetal (guitar-drums-violin) album.  Very mellow and relaxing. 

Usage: Good for reading late with candles lit and a beverage you want to sip.

Dusted says: "With a solid emotional through-line and a few sonic surprises, Cinder is a musical novella, whose narrative compels you to its last luxurious line."

The Go! Team: Thunder, Lightning, Strike

My take: Active and fun beats, hip-hoppish, often lined with cheerleader background vocals.  A thrill-ride of an album that induces foot-taping and head-bobbing throughout.  Check out my family video that includes two clips from the CD. 

Usage: When you feel like jumping on the bed or dancing in your underwear.

musicOMH.com says: "Effortlessly cool and implausibly inventive, Thunder Lightning Strike is that rare thing, an instant classic. Let The Go! Team become the new soundtrack to your lives."

Sigur Ros: Takk...

My take: Dream-inducing, magical, haunting, and enveloping songs.  Thoroughly blissful.  I can't stop playing it.

Usage: Close the door, put on high-quality headphones, turn it up slightly too loud, dim the lights nearly off, put your feet up, and head off to neverland.

musicOMH.com says: "Takk's songs are...epics of over seven minutes that generally take at least half of that to get going, and they evoke euphoria, delight and wonder."

Free music downloads; videos ("Glosoli" is incredible)

Comments

[Marty Duren]

Takk is an incredible album...one that proves music alone, sans understandable lyrics, can be incredibly overwhelming. The Glosoli video is mesmerizing.

[junior]

Steve,

Here's a link to live Sigur Ros and others:
http://www.npr.org/rss/rss.php?id=4627437

[Bruce]

Nice selection Steve.

Bottlerocket is a great track, fave of mine.

Always felt Sigur Ros would make a great worship band...

[myles]

am going to see Sigur Ros in Houston in February if anyone's intersted. and thanks for being a different side of SBTS than i typically see.

[Laura Beth]

Myles, it is a different side of SBTS, indeed. There are a few of us out there, but you gotta look really hard.

Steve, I've read your blog a few times, but this is my first time to post. Thanks for your honest and thoughtful insight.

My take...
Dirty Three: Haven't heard them yet
The Go! Team: I started listened to them back in February or March... whenever their new album came out. They were fun for a bit, but didn't hold my attention for long. (Kinda like the Cryatal Skulls and Bloc Party.) Maybe I should give them another listen.
Sigur Ros: Always good... always.

Here's what I've been listening to lately, some new, some old... in case anyone is interested:
Wilco (Kicking Television) - an amazing live recording, and I don't even like live albums
Broken Social Scene (Self-titled)
Sam Prekop (Self-titled)
American Football (EP)
Joanna Newsom (The Milk-Eyed Mender): I haven't been able to stop listening to this since I firsst heard it.
Paul Newman (Only Love Can Break your Heart)
Casino Versus Japan (Whole Numbers Play the Basics) - elecronic and awesome
Mice Parade (All Roads Lead to Salzburg)

[Steve McCoy]

Laura Beth, thanks for the music advice. I'll be getting Wilco's live one soon.

I find The Go! Team as one I come back to regularly, but not often. I'm playing Dirty Three at least once a day. Every other day Sigur Ros.