“A Direct Line To Meandering Companions!”
9 Transistor! An EE professor told me about this once, that radio manufacturers used to feed the signal through a series of unity gain amplifiers, that did nothing, just so they could jack up the transistor count, and advertise it as having X Transistors! It must be good, with that many…
(via marathonpacks)
This is mainly just a link to my latest Pitchfork column.
As a bonus, though — this month has been so mortifying that I actually have to tell you about it! It’s a story of heavy-duty teeth-gnashing, and the cautionary tale of a writer who slowly realizes that he has forgotten something basic about the use of the English language.
It starts like this. At the beginning of the month, I was working on a piece for New York about new albums from Wilco and Feist. As I was listening to and reading about them, I came across a quote from Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, in which he said he was sure plenty of people would react to his band’s album with a knee-jerk “meh.” And I thought: He’s probably right about that! Anyone who’s watched the reception of albums like these has surely noticed that the “meh” issue is a big point of contention. Lots of people have pre-existing suspicions about the music being categorically “dull.”
So I figured I’d write an essay about that phenomenon. The piece was aimed at people who aren’t music geeks. It was intended to outline some facts I imagined weren’t that controversial:
- Wilco and Feist have new albums out, and here is what they sound like.
- As it happens, there is a pretty popular pocket of indie acts making well-crafted, classicist music like this, with a wide, cross-generational appeal — almost like an adult-contemporary sort of appeal, at times.
- There are some listeners who find that sort of thing tiresome, and have basically reactionary responses to it, like suddenly craving music that’s less tasteful.
- People argue about this a lot.
So I sat down and wrote a bunch of words I was pretty sure meant that — a rough overview of a thing geeks fight about. That was the extent of the article’s content. I thought so, anyway. I went over it a few times (and even got annoying and obstinate with my editor) in an effort to make sure it contained no personal opinions about this whole phenomenon. The one personal judgment I slipped in was that I think the “reactionary response” — the sudden uptick in space for music that’s self-consciously working to be adventurous — is something I like seeing. But for the most part, there were only two goals: (1) to explain to an ordinary person what’s at stake in the politics of taste surrounding these acts, and (2) to express some sympathy for a guy like Tweedy, who knows his work will into this “meh” eye-rolling no matter what.
All of this was a massive and ghastly mistake, and apparently my biggest-ever failure of communication as a writer, which is saying a lot. This thing was a massive debacle. At present I am very nearly afraid to talk to anyone — friends, family, grocery clerks — because I am no longer confident the words coming out even mean what I thought they did. Apparently, every last person who read the article was positive I was saying that this music was awful, that I didn’t like it, that I thought it was too safe and tame, and that I had something against Sting.
But!..but!..but!… Maybe this is a sign that a disproportionate part of my web reading takes place in the music-geekier corners of the net, but hasn’t this idea been tossed around for quite some time now? Over the past two years, at least, it seems like I’ve been reading arguments about the taming of indie, the mainstreaming of indie, about what happens as indie grows up. I’ve read blog posts somewhere about the Feist album from a couple years ago, worrying over whether it could be considered dinner music, and if so, what’s wrong with music to eat dinner to, anyway? Nitsuh himself had an excellent column in the Pitchfork decade-end wrap up about the evolution of indie into something more mainstream and sophisticated, and what that might mean for the direction of music.
I read the original NYMag article, and I’m baffled that it’s controversial. Nitsuh is an important music writer, one of the most insightful that I read on a regular basis. If there was anything wrong with this column, it was that it seemed to blatantly state the obvious. I didn’t read it as carrying the author’s opinion on any of the artists mentioned; it was clearly a “this is what some people say” type of piece. But even if it had, would that really be so offensive?
Why do rainy, dreary, nasty days always make me want to listen to The Clientele? Suburban Light, beautiful as always, perfect for days like these…
The weekend held far fewer listening opportunities than the week. Most of my time was spent either outdoors, or in situations where I wasn’t going to be listening to music.
Saturday morning was spent doing volunteer music at my church, then the afternoon was spent at the horse races. Out to eat for dinner (can’t remember if any music was playing). By the time I was inside after dark, and the kids were in bed, it was TV time. There was one time during the day when my daughter was looking for songs to play on my wife’s iPod, and ended up playing/dancing to the White Stripes’ “Hotel Yorba” about 5 times in a row.
Sunday morning there was music in church (a few contemporary praise songs). Most of the rest of the daylight hours were spent outside, either doing yardwork or playing with the kids. The teenage boy next door was listening to something through earbuds while cutting the grass - I never understood this. The one time I tried it, it wasn’t even worth it. Even with the music turned way, way, up, it just didn’t sound right over the lawn mower engine.
Heard a few songs in the car on a few quick trips - mostly from mix CDs, although I wasn’t actively diarising which songs I was listening to. In the evening I got a taste of the random Disney songs I hear while my daughter watches TV - something by the cast of Lemondade Mouth.
And that was the week. I was planning to listen to something on the iPod while I did some more kitchen renovation work, but by the time I got to it, after getting kids in bed, and finishing the various chores to be done, it was too late to even think of starting, and I watched a little TV before bed.
So there it is. One week of listening. Time to go take that survey.
What to make of a full work week documenting my listening habits?
In most of my day to day listening, I listen alone. Either I’m listening at work, at my computer, even as I’m sure some nearby workmates are slightly overhearing what I’m listening to, or occasionally if someone walks by, but for the most part, it’s just me. In the car it’s either me listening alone, or me with one or both of the kids. Whenever my wife and I are in the car together, we usually just talk, unless it’s the kids’ music on. At home, I’ll often put on music while doing work around the house, which is often overheard by my wife or kids, but I’m the one more actively listening.
While my wife loves listening to music, she’s not as avid a seeker of a large variety of music as I am; I’ll make her mixtapes, which she listens to, but we’re often not listening together. I’m the one seeking out more and more and more. Someone on one of these tumblr diaries mentioned having to try to decide what his wife would like before putting on music if she’s around. I actually have playlists for this purpose - music I know my wife might like, and will play if she’s nearby while I’m listening.
In-car listening is usually the only time I can listen at a reasonably loud volume. At work, of course, it’s out of the question. At home, sometimes it’s possible, although after dinner, and playing with the kids, it’s bedtime for the younger one quickly, and that right there limits loudness. I’ve always thought it would be nice to have some decent equipment to play records/CDs on, but at this point I’m not even sure how much use I’d get out of it.
It’s been a slightly unusual week in that (1) I had a whole day at home in the middle of the week to listen, loudly, as I worked, and (2) my daughter’s been away at her grandmother’s for spring break week. I realized earlier that I haven’t been hearing the music she’ll choose, like kids’ music such as the Laurie Berkner band. I haven’t been hearing random music from the Disney Channel between/during shows (no Demi Lovato or songs from Phineas and Ferb this week), or the random dancey track from one of our iPods that she’ll latch onto and play over and over and over (most recently an early Lykke Li song).
I’ve tried not to let the fact that I’m keeping the diary affect what I’m listening to, but there’s no way to know for sure that it’s not. Sometimes simply reading over others’ diaries spawns suggestions. Sometimes it’s impossible not to wonder if I should really be listening to something again, if I’m going to write it down.
It’s been fun, but I don’t think I could do it for much longer than a week. Looking forward to seeing others’ thoughts…
Ah, Friday. Here we go.
Mixtape - Still New
On the drive to work, more from the same CD as yesterday afternoon, including Memory Cassette (50 mph), The Fresh and Onlys (Waterfall), El Guincho (Bombay), and Tamaryn (Love Fade). This was after I dropped my son off at the babysitter. Before that, it was all kids music.
Mixtape - Moonville Tunnel (from flux-rad.com)
And yet again, the morning starts with a mix, while I catch up with work. This one was put together by Paige at www.flux-rad.com, whose mixes are always worth checking out. Included The War on Drugs, Deerhunter (Diplo & Lunice remix of ‘Helicopter’), Levek, Fops, Gauntlet Hair, Tonstartsbandht, White Denim, School of Seven Bells (Active Child Remix of ‘Heart is Strange’), Porcelain Raft, Petrels, Exrays, Tyvek, Mutual Benefit, and R. Kelly (Die Neue Mythologen remix of ‘Number One’)
Memory Tapes - Seek Magic
So. Chillwave. Every once in awhile I read something online that’s all eye-rolling about chillwave, and I can’t understand what’s so horrible about it. And I think it’s because I’ve basically defined it in my mind as essentially Memory Tapes and Washed Out, who are both awesome. And sometimes Neon Indian. Sure, Toro Y Moi’s two albums are decent, and some of the bands with “Teen” somewhere in their name, or an ‘80’s reference, but for the most part, these two bands are who I keep coming back to.
This album gets a play usually once every week or two. “Bicycle,” in particular, gets more - it’s on a CD mix in my car, and sounds incredible at high volume, especially that transition to the seemingly never-ending coda, those ahhhh’s, and that guitar.
And for the record, glo-fi is a much cooler name than chillwave. Wish it had caught on.
The New Pornographers - Challengers / Beach House - Teen Dream
A bit of unusual listening pattern, as I put on Challengers in the office on the iPod/speakers, and ended up spending about ten minutes listening/working, before I had to go do some work in the lab. So I brought a laptop with me, and put on Teen Dream, through laptop speakers. Ended up spending about 10-15 minute chunks in either location, thus alternating between listening to these two albums.
Challengers is my favorite NP’s album; it even beats out Twin Cinema. It didn’t grab my attention much the first four or five listens when it came out, but then one day, listening in the car, it just clicked. It was beautiful. “Adventures in Solitude” can bring me to near-tears. I never understood why this album doesn’t get the love that some of their other work does. I love it. (Except “Entering White Cecilia.” Skip that one everytime.)
1981 - Convertible
From the “1981” box set put together by musicophilia.wordpress.com. The “Convertible” set is, naturally, the best for in-car listening. Played a few songs from this during lunchtime, driving from errand to errand. Young Marble Giants, Orange Juice, Martha and the Muffins, Altered Images, Scritti Politti, The Go-Gos, Pylon.
Future Islands - In the Fall EP
Scrolled by this on the iPod, realized I hadn’t heard it in a while.
Dum Dum Girls - He Gets Me High EP
Once again, ‘cause it’s new, and I like it. And Smiths covers are always welcome.
LCD Soundsystem - Losing My Edge, Beat Connection, Give it Up, Tired, Yeah (Crass Version), Yr City’s a Sucker
The work week ends as it began, with LCD Soundsystem.
Since I don’t know how often I’ll be able to post over the weekend, I’ll end this post here, and wrap any Friday night listening into a general weekend overview, hopefully to come on Monday.
On to Thursday, and back to work:
Trivial Thursdays (WRFL)
College radio version of a morning drive-time talk/music show. During my drive, I heard Glass Eye, Prince, Matt Duncan (who has the Britt Daniel voice down pat - at first I thought ‘What is this Spoon song I haven’t heard?’), and a glee club version of “California uber Alles.”
Then, at work, via iPod through speakers:
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Belong
Once again. I do this with new music, listening repeatedly at first. Second time through, didn’t hit me as hard. This one could have a short shelf-life.
Soft Moon - The Soft Moon (First Six Songs)
Another listen through this new-to-me partial album. I need to put this one aside until I can download the rest. Second time through, still liking it, wondering why this made me think “dirty surf” yesterday.
Secret Knives - Affection
Found a recommendation some time last year for these New Zealanders, and downloaded their free album. Nice and jangly.
Drive-By Truckers - Decoration Day
Between hearing “The Deeper In” on shuffle yesterday, and an email from my local record store saying DBT’s will be performing an acoustic set there Saturday, I wanted to hear this. Still haven’t heard the new album yet.
The Knife - Silent Shout
Lunchtime driving music.
Spoon - Girls Can Tell
Back at the office, listening via iPod through speakers. Haven’t heard GCT lately - I’ve been gravitating toward Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga and Transference lately. Saw mention of this somewhere in my internet browsing today, and had an urge to hear it.
School of Seven Bells - Disconnect from Desire
Scrolled past So7B on the iPod, and suddenly had a desire to hear this.
Belbury Poly - From an Ancient Star
Trying this again, after not being in the mood to hear it yesterday. It seems to work better in this setting, listening passively at work, while my thoughts are mostly on the task at hand. Yesterday, actively listening at home while doing more mindless labor didn’t work as well. Other than the first “Study Series,” this is my first Ghostbox purchase, after seeing the label blogged about in many places a few years ago, and reading hear and there about “hauntology.” I’d had this on my Saved-for-Later list for awhile; realizing I’d read loads about this label and sort-of-movement, but hadn’t actually heard anything.
Drive Home: Mixtape - Still New
A couple months ago, I burned some songs that I’d recently downloaded from random places, or pulled from recently purchased albums, mainly to keep me company on a long drive. It’s still in my car, and still makes it into the player from time to time. Again, lots of skipping around. On the way home, I heard Broadcast (Come on Let’s Go), Smith Westerns (Still New), Phantogram (Running from the Cops), Twin Sister (All Around and Away We Go), and SLEEP ∞ OVER (Outer Limits).
At home the only music I heard was whatever was on the Grey’s Anatomy re-run that my wife and I half watched while I did some more work on the kitchen.
Day 3 of this project was my day at home, battling the kitchen in the valiant effort to finish remodeling. Most music, therefore, was listened to in the kitchen, from my laptop. Normally I’d just use my iPod with docking station, but I wanted to check out the sound on my new laptop, and see if “Beats Audio” is all it’s cracked up to be.(So far: Laptop speakers are still laptop speakers, but these are very good ones, considering. And it’s nice having an EQ on a laptop. I briefly plugged in headphones, and the sound through the headphone jack was better. That didn’t help, however, while I was scraping wallpaper.)
123 Kids Songs
Yet again, as the day started with a drive to the babysitter’s, enjoying some tunes with my little boy.
Dum Dum Girls - He Gets Me High EP
It’s also emusic refresh day! This one was a brand new download, and I like it. Sort of set the mood for the morning, as I would keep gravitating back toward the neo-girlgroup sound.
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Belong
The next new emusic download. Definitely a more polished sound for this band. Some bright spots while I was listening, although now I can’t remember which songs in particular I enjoyed. Overall first impression was of a few very good songs in between lots of filler.
Soft Moon - The Soft Moon (First six songs only)
Highlight of the morning. I downloaded this, completely unheard, simply because I’ve read lots of talk about the Captured Tracks label that made me think I’d like most anything they put out, and indeed, I thoroughly enjoy everything I’d already heard from the label. I used the last of my monthly emusic allotment to grab the first six songs, and now I have to wait a whole month to hear the rest of the album. Can’t wait.
Belbury Poly - From an Ancient Star (few songs)
This was the first of my downloads, finishing an album I’d started downloading last month. I listened to a few songs - not bad, although I wasn’t in the mood for the Ghostbox aesthetic today. I’ll have to check the rest of this out soon.
The Raveonettes - Pretty in Black
The dirty-surf vibe I heard in Soft Moon made me want to hear the Raveonettes. Hadn’t listened to this album in a while - maybe not their best album, but sometimes, I feel, undeservedly neglected. At this point, I’m risking turning the day into retro-Wednesday
Genius Playlist based on “Ode to LA” (few songs)
Finishing “Pretty in Black,” listening to “Ode to LA,” it struck me how much this sound has proliferated in the last couple of years, and wondered what iTunes Genius would make of it. Next song was the Velvet Underground’s “Femme Fatale,” followed by an Apples in Stereo song, and then a few mostly forgettable indie filler songs from several years ago that I barely remember, and didn’t seem to work in the context of the playlist (“Love Rhymes with Hideous Car Crash”?; The Oranges Band?) So I cut the playlist short, and decided to just listen to Best Coast instead…
Best Coast - Crazy for You
Still enjoying this one. And apparently it’s still retro-Wednesday.
Four Tet - There is Love in You
To change the mood of the day, I put on some Four Tet, which sounded great. I realized that it had been a long time since I’d listened to this anywhere except at work, which meant I’d been listening, for the most part, at relatively low volume. Alone at home, able to turn it up, it’s like a different record. This was a download, so I don’t have a physical copy to listen to in the car, though I may have to burn one soon.
iTunes Shuffle
First a shuffle through the entire library, which results in mostly songs I’m not in the mood for, reminding me why I rarely shuffle blindly through all of my songs. So I shuffled through parts of a fairly recent playlist I put together for something-or-other, which worked better. (Didn’t note the songs, and can’t look them up here - I do remember Air, Secret Knives, Warm Waves, Drive By Truckers, King Biscuit Time)
Cielito Lindo
Evening, at the Mexican restaurant, the singer/guitarist played this, along with some other songs in Spanish that I don’t know.
More tomorrow…
So it’s on to day two…
Drive to work
I wish I’d written this down, because I honestly can’t remember. I drove my son to his babysitter, so possibly some kids’ music, or something kid friendly, followed by the radio, maybe?
Mixtape: Begin Again (Yewknee.com)
Once again, beginning the workday with a mix.
P.J. Harvey - Let England Shake
Before this album, I’d never listened much to P.J. Harvey, apart from a song here or there. Since I bought this, however, I can’t stop listening to it. I think I’m going to have to check out some more of her previous work. Listened from my iPod, through speakers, at work.
Caribou - Swim
This one was picked at random, just spinning through artists on my iPod. I saw Caribou, and immediately had an urge to hear this album. As with the P.J. Harvey album, listening at my desk at work.
Working for a Nuclear-Free City - Businessmen and Ghosts (Disc A only)
Disc A with some skipping past songs, that is. Listening in the car at lunchtime, while again running some errands, skipping to the best songs to fit them into an approximately 30 minute car ride. This is one of those albums that, when I remember it, I love it, but don’t pull it out that often. It seems to work better in small chunks, rather than listening straight through the double album. Many of these songs are brilliant on their own, but, to me at least, get lost in the context of the album. And with this album, listening in the car, there are times I’m not sure what song I’m actually listening to, since I don’t listen to it regularly, and, for several years now, the display on my car radio/CD player has been broken.
Afternoon, once again, was music-free, working mostly in the lab.
Cut/Copy - Need You Now, Take Me Over, Where I’m Going
Before leaving work, I grabbed my copy of Zonoscope, which I’ve had for maybe a month? Sometimes I love it, sometimes I’m not sure - the album isn’t helped by the fact that I keep comparing it to “In Ghost Colours,” which was amazing. Listened to the first three songs on the way home.
And thus, the issue with CD listening in the car - most of my drives are about 20 minutes long. Sometimes I’ll start listening to an album, intending to listen to the entire thing over several commutes, but when I get into the car for Part 2, my mood has changed, and I no longer have any desire to hear it, and switch it out. I eventually end up creating a virtual EP of many albums, only listening to my 4 or 5 favorite songs from each album, over and over, whenever I’m in the car, habitually skipping over the rest. Later, I can go back to some of the other songs, and wonder how it is I’ve hardly heard them at all. I wonder if/how this will change if I ever get a car stereo with an iPod jack?
123 Kids Songs
My wife and I listened to this with our son, while we played with him in the evening. Not all 123 songs, of course, just part of one disc of the 3 disc set. Songs like “Twinkle Twinkle…”, “London Bridge…”, “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean”. 4 years after I last listened regularly to these CDs, when my daughter was one year old, I still know which song is coming next.
Quick Trip to Grocery Store
My listening during a quick late night drive to the grocery store for a few forgotten items started with college radio (WRFL, of course.) The program was “The Percy Trout Hour,” a sort of kitschy, pop- and retro-based weekly program that uses lots of old found sounds for transitions. It can be fun, in small doses. I heard the tail end of an older (‘60’s?) sounding song, followed by The Jam (“In the City”). Driving home, I heard the tail end of a girl-group song, followed by something that sounded like an Asian folk song. Interesting, but I opted for the Twin Shadow CD in my car, listening to “Tyrant Destroyed.”
Here goes:
Sleigh Bells - Tell ‘Em, K.I.D.S.
The first music I heard this week was chosen by my five year old daughter. She’ll be staying with her grandmother this week, while on spring break. When I asked her what she wanted to hear, she answered “Sleigh Bells!” She had heard a snippet of “Tell ‘Em” once in the car, and immediately wanted me to play it again. First it was “that rockin’ song,” then “that song where the girl sings and the boy plays guitar,” or “Tell Him,” or “my favorite song ever!” I thought she’d gotten over it the past month or so, but not this morning.
College Radio - WRFL
The rest of the ride to work was accompanied by my local college radio station. The online playlist tells me I was listening to Kenji Kawai, Peter Bjorn & John, The National, and Matroyshka.
The Big Beat Cast #12
Growing up, I was a fan of 97X-WOXY in Cincinnati, which later became the online only woxy.com (now deceased). DJ Mike Taylor hosts a weekly podcast with music and commentary on www.thisisthebigbeat.com. Mixes and podcasts seem to take up a large part of my early morning listening - maybe it’s just too early to choose an album. This podcast included Friendly Fires, Lanterns on the Lake, Edwyn Collins, The Joy Formidable, Burial, Wild Flag, Las Robertas, Capsula, The Weeknd, Lower Dens, Still Corners, and Anna Calvi.
LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
After reading some of the recaps of the final concert, I had to hear some James Murphy and Co., although listening quietly in a cubicle is NOT the way to hear this music.
LDC Soundsystem - This is Happening
The LCD marathon, continued in my car, at much higher volume, while running errands during lunch. I couldn’t listen to much music during the afternoon, as I was working in the lab, away from my desk, but finished up the quieter end of this album in the car on the way home, accompanied by my son.
…No chances to listen to anything in the evening. More tomorrow…
