Music Monday 1.22.07

One of my favorite ways to find good music is to find the year end recommendations from people, magazines, websites, and so on.  The Metacritic "Best Albums of 2006" not only gives you the Metacritic list, it also lists more than 40 other year end lists.  Fantastic resource.

So now is when I start finding some music from the last year that I missed.  Here are a couple I'm listening to and enjoying.

The Beatles: Love

This is a remix/rework of classic Beatles songs for the Cirque du Soleil show in Vegas.  I've never thought of myself as a Beatles fan, but this album is amazing. 

Jeremy Enigk: World Waits

Thanks to those of you who recommended this album to me.  It's a good atmospheric rock album.  Enigk's voice is not the best I've heard, but it's appealing for its realness.  I'm really enjoying this CD.

Bonus...

Sparklehorse: Dreamt for Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain

I found this by accident in a Borders bookstore.  I liked the cover, and I remember reading a review or two but couldn't remember what they said.  So I listened to a few songs and loved it, bought it, and it's been in regular rotation since.  The musical structures and sounds are wonderfully constructed, though it may take time to appreciate.

Comments

[matthewsmith]

Glad you're enjoying Love. They're planning on re-releasing their back catalog this year with fresh mastering. When that happens, be sure to get Revolver...

[Ben Cripps]

Here is a link to an interview with Jeremy. I thought some of the readers might be interested.
http://www.magnetmagazine.com/interviews/enigk.html

[michael mcminn]

this is a test post. I tried to comment several times and kept getting an error message. I suggested checking out Enigk's original band Sunny Day Real Estate. As well as its later incarnation minus one original SDRE member called The Fire Theft. Not to mention his first solo release The Return of the Frog Queen.

[Randy]

haha
I for one am not going to assume that you haven't heard of Sunny Day Real Estate or Beatles Revolver for crying out loud. But I will second the SparkleHorse and suggest both the last 2 Cardigans albums(a couple of my favorites of the past 5 years or so) and also the lead singer of the Cardigans solo project "A Camp" that was produced by Mr. Sparklehorse himself. Remarkable music.

[Brent]

Two recommendations that might seem to fit your tastes: one I'm sure you're familiar with is Over the Rhine and the second is a bit more "folky" but includes Sufjan Stevens and Denison Witmer and that's Rosie Thomas' latest "These Friends of Mine." Terrific album.