So Many Ideas
I'm sort of holding my breath here, waiting to find out what the next contrast podcast theme will be (checking it hourly, as a matter of fact. I think I may have a sickness). This week it's a good one, though. "Musicians Introduce Their Own Songs," so check it out and be on the absolute cutting edge of what's new.
I visited my local record store on Sunday and hit the jackpot in the used bins. I love when that happens. My daughter and I got 9 cds for about $40. I'm especially enjoying an Everything But the Girl album from 1994 called Amplified Heart. I always thought they were more electronic/dance music than they seem to be. There's lots of acoustic guitar and quiet moments as opposed to the thumping bass and driving beats that I usually associate with them. For instance:
Everything But the Girl--"Get Me" mp3 off Amplified Heart (buy)
Everything But the Girl--"25th December" mp3 off Amplified Heart
In the interest of trying to be more current, I also picked up a copy of Birdmonster's No Midnight. Seeing as it's likely to show up on about half of everyone's top-ten lists at the end of the year, I figured I ought to at least listen to it. Yep, I confess, I have totally bypassed the Birdmonster parade, but for five bucks I figured what the heck, why not? My general reaction? Meh. Like a poor man's Tapes 'n Tapes. Will I stick it on my iTunes and then sell it back? Probably. I could use the store credit.
Birdmonster--"Ice Age" mp3 off No Midnight (buy)
**UPDATE** This just in: next week's contrast podcast theme is "Chickens and Other Birds." Hmmm, could be very weird podcast next week. Very weird indeed.
Amplified Heart is a truly special album, ain't it? Its poignance was
spurred in part by Ben Watt's near-death bout with a rare disorder a couple
years before--and of course it was "Missing" off this album that sent them
careening into electronica a few months after the album came out. (Did
your used copy include the remix or no?) Anyway, good pickup--it's the
kind of CD that's better to be introduced to late than never.
Oh yeah, Amplified Heart is a great album. I also used to think that
Everything But The Girl were rather electronic before I came across this
album. Just like I used to think Massive Attack were a heavy metal band,
until I actually heard one of their albums. Misled by the name. ;)
jon--i'm so glad i found this album. poignant is a good way to describe it.
thanks for the background info, too. and yes, it has a todd terry club mix
of missing on it. yum.
I had completely disregarded Everything But The Girl when I first heard of
them. Now I see/hear what I was missing. Very nice.
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