Blog — "music"
The Rifle's Spiral
Heidi Shenk "music"
Some songs are meant to be happy songs, but they can't be happy all of the time. I remember my mom telling me once that she couldn't listen to the Pink Floyd album Division Bell because it was too depressing. Depressing it may be, but sometimes good music is just good music even if it is a bit on the dark side.
Case in point, one of the songs from The Shins' newest album Port of Morrow. The title track The Rifle's Spiral is such a great song. And the video, just as awesome. But listen to the lyrics and it's definitely a bit on the dark side. Some recent interviews with James Mercer, the lead singer, revealed that the song was about religious violence. However, despite it all the title track of this album immediately propels us into a great set of tracks.
What have you been listening to lately?
Case in point, one of the songs from The Shins' newest album Port of Morrow. The title track The Rifle's Spiral is such a great song. And the video, just as awesome. But listen to the lyrics and it's definitely a bit on the dark side. Some recent interviews with James Mercer, the lead singer, revealed that the song was about religious violence. However, despite it all the title track of this album immediately propels us into a great set of tracks.
What have you been listening to lately?
Speed of Dreams
Heidi Shenk "music"
A few things. First, I want to thank all of you amazing readers for your comments on this post last week. I was completely overwhelmed by the response and loved being able to engage with you guys further on the topic! You've all reminded me why I love this blog community!
Second, I've been missing for a few days, I'm posting late today, and I'm all out of whack! Guess that's what happens when you're given an extra day off over the weekend. I had an amazing Friday and three day weekend. More on that to come!
Third. It's hot. Way too hot. Like 87 degrees in our house hot. Andrew has finally agreed that something MUST be wrong with our central air. Even after suffering a bit (though not quite THIS badly) at the end of last summer. Hopefully he did what he was supposed to and called an HVAC company today during his lunch break.......
Despite the brutal temps in our house at the moment, upon walking in from outside it actually feels mildly cool. This may be hard to imagine, but at the peak of the heat today it was a wonderful 96 degrees without counting the heat index. And anyone not familiar with Baltimore, you must know that the humidity here drives up the heat index to ungodly temperatures. Thankfully, I get to teach in an air-conditioned modular building while the other half of the school had to suffer with broken A/C. But joke was on me when I had to return to a hot house and a furry cat that thought it was a great idea to cuddle in this heat. Gross.
Ok. So enough of my complaining and let's cut to the chase. I'm a seasonal music kind of gal. Growing up in Indiana, we lived in an old house with no A/C so I had to find ways to cool down. One way that helps me to cool down is to get in a cool state of mind. That starts with music. Driving home from the post office this afternoon, I heard one of my latest favorites on the radio. It's an effortless and relaxed sounding tune from ALO. Maybe it was really the cool air in the car, but when Speed of Dreams hit the airwaves, I could have sworn I felt a cool summer breeze blow in from the ocean. An instant cool down.
Second, I've been missing for a few days, I'm posting late today, and I'm all out of whack! Guess that's what happens when you're given an extra day off over the weekend. I had an amazing Friday and three day weekend. More on that to come!
Third. It's hot. Way too hot. Like 87 degrees in our house hot. Andrew has finally agreed that something MUST be wrong with our central air. Even after suffering a bit (though not quite THIS badly) at the end of last summer. Hopefully he did what he was supposed to and called an HVAC company today during his lunch break.......
Despite the brutal temps in our house at the moment, upon walking in from outside it actually feels mildly cool. This may be hard to imagine, but at the peak of the heat today it was a wonderful 96 degrees without counting the heat index. And anyone not familiar with Baltimore, you must know that the humidity here drives up the heat index to ungodly temperatures. Thankfully, I get to teach in an air-conditioned modular building while the other half of the school had to suffer with broken A/C. But joke was on me when I had to return to a hot house and a furry cat that thought it was a great idea to cuddle in this heat. Gross.
Ok. So enough of my complaining and let's cut to the chase. I'm a seasonal music kind of gal. Growing up in Indiana, we lived in an old house with no A/C so I had to find ways to cool down. One way that helps me to cool down is to get in a cool state of mind. That starts with music. Driving home from the post office this afternoon, I heard one of my latest favorites on the radio. It's an effortless and relaxed sounding tune from ALO. Maybe it was really the cool air in the car, but when Speed of Dreams hit the airwaves, I could have sworn I felt a cool summer breeze blow in from the ocean. An instant cool down.
The War on Drugs
Heidi Shenk "music"
Always on the lookout for new music (at least new music to me) I found myself chatting with a former co-worker of Andrew's at a party a few weeks back. He had just returned from his annual SXSW trip. Of his favorites this year were The War On Drugs. I made a mental note like I often do to check the band out and I like what I heard. They have a bit of an ambient sound to them with hollow vocals and airy guitars. Hope you enjoy a few of my favorites from their most recent album.
What have you been listening to lately?
What have you been listening to lately?
Friday Night Surprise
Heidi Shenk "Merriweather" "music" "the black keys"
In case you missed my Instagram or tweet, this was the fun surprise for Andrew last night--
And it was pretty awesome. Except I'm really bad at not taking photos so this is all I've got. Let me just say this-- the show was raw and stripped down which is the way music is supposed to be. And it was a perfect night for a show at Merriweather.
Andrew had read an article about The Black Keys several weeks ago. They were freaking out about their huge tour because they didn't know what to do about their stage concept. A big tour like this is a totally new concept for them. In the article, they had mentioned that they finally decided on putting some big lights on stage and getting a big disco ball. During the show, they definitely had some big lights and nothing more. During the encore, they definitely had a big disco ball. And the surprise ending for the finale? A big light up sign reading The Black Keys.
There are songs in which Dan Auerbach, the guitarist in the duo, switches from acoustic to electric guitar. All fine and dandy when you can edit tracks and make it seamless on an album. When playing live, there is literally a 30 second gap in the middle of the song while he leaves stage, swaps guitars, and starts back into the song. Things like this make the music true to what it is-- stripped down and naked. And I wouldn't have it any other way.
While they played the songs that everyone wanted to hear, they also dug back to some of their original records. My favorite part of the show was when they played as just the two--drums and guitar--without their touring musicians. The sound dynamics from hushed, quiet notes to loud, raucous, crunchy guitars was great. Some might be disappointed in a show like The Black Keys because it isn't by any means a spectacle. But those are the kinds of concerts that I love the most and last night was by no means an exception.
(Oh yeah, and the Arctic Monkeys were pretty raucous and fun too!)
And it was pretty awesome. Except I'm really bad at not taking photos so this is all I've got. Let me just say this-- the show was raw and stripped down which is the way music is supposed to be. And it was a perfect night for a show at Merriweather.
Andrew had read an article about The Black Keys several weeks ago. They were freaking out about their huge tour because they didn't know what to do about their stage concept. A big tour like this is a totally new concept for them. In the article, they had mentioned that they finally decided on putting some big lights on stage and getting a big disco ball. During the show, they definitely had some big lights and nothing more. During the encore, they definitely had a big disco ball. And the surprise ending for the finale? A big light up sign reading The Black Keys.
There are songs in which Dan Auerbach, the guitarist in the duo, switches from acoustic to electric guitar. All fine and dandy when you can edit tracks and make it seamless on an album. When playing live, there is literally a 30 second gap in the middle of the song while he leaves stage, swaps guitars, and starts back into the song. Things like this make the music true to what it is-- stripped down and naked. And I wouldn't have it any other way.
While they played the songs that everyone wanted to hear, they also dug back to some of their original records. My favorite part of the show was when they played as just the two--drums and guitar--without their touring musicians. The sound dynamics from hushed, quiet notes to loud, raucous, crunchy guitars was great. Some might be disappointed in a show like The Black Keys because it isn't by any means a spectacle. But those are the kinds of concerts that I love the most and last night was by no means an exception.
(Oh yeah, and the Arctic Monkeys were pretty raucous and fun too!)
Hold On
Heidi Shenk "music"
Recently I've been really into the raw sounds of the Alabama Shakes. Fronted by Brittany Howard's soulful and explosive voice, the Alabama Shakes originated as a high school band. Now, I don't know about you, but if our school's best high school band (or even my short stinted high school band) sounded as good as the Shakes, I would have been a pretty happy camper. The Alabama Shakes have created their own original roots sound that is unlike any other group I've been listening to lately. There's not much that I don't like about this band.
What have you been listening to lately?
What have you been listening to lately?