11:28 p.m. - 2006-01-31
lovin' stuart murdoch, ehhh on the jenny lewis
tuesday january 31.
Here's something I haven't talked about in while. music.
For the most part, I feel like I've gotten out of the music loop. I rarely read PItchfork anymore, rarely spend hours on end trolling the internet for new songs to download. My monthly music buying sprees have dwindled, now it's maybe once in three months that I buy more than two albums at a time. It could be that I'm just in a lull and it'll pick up again when the weather turns warmer and all I want to drive around with the windows down listening to new music. But for now it just feels like a music slump.
So I'd heard a lot about Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins "Rabbit Fur Coat," and was pretty excited about it because, a) I love her voice, and b) I really love country music, which is what it purported to be.
I've given it a few listens so far, and I do like it, but I have to say I'm disappointed. There are a few tracks I love, but it just seems to fall flat in places. I find the title track almost unlistenable. And while it is definitely more country than Rilo Kiley, I'm not convinced. Maybe it will take some time; I'll get back to you.
My other newest music. . . well, not quite a "purchase" (yet), but I'm enamored with the newest Belle and Sebastian, The Life Pursuit. I downloaded it a while back, but it's released next tuesday. It really confirms Belle & Sebastian as one of my favorite bands of all time.
It's gutsier than any of their past recordings, but there's still a few sad bastard-y songs to round it out. From what I remember from Stuart's diary, they recorded it in L.A., and you can almost hear the sunshine, freeways, and pacific ocean. Or maybe it's just me. It's upbeat. I will say, it's inspired more than one Lunchbreak Kitchen Dance Party/Solo Bust. Sometimes I try to get the dog to join in for a Duet Bust, but she just sits in her bed staring at me like I'm a maniac. Which I probably look like when I'm dancing alone in my kitchen at one in the afternoon every day.
UPDATE: well crap, you know what happens when you're out of the music loop? Your favorite band goes on tour and sell out their chicago dates without you even being aware. After I wrote all that stuff above, I thought, hey, new album, maybe Belle and Sebastian will be on tour soon. . . . too bad I didn't think of that two weeks ago. Holy crap, I suck.
My revised plan of attack is to see if Mike will take me up for a romantic weekend in romantic Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where apparently not as many people enjoy wuss music as much as they do in Illinois, and there are still tickets to be had.
UPDATE #2: we're going to Milwaukee!!! wheee!
