rejoice like stars

my brightest diamond is one of those bands that i liked, but didn't love the first few times i heard some of her music.
but then, slowly, after a couple of listenings, i found myself drawn in. i fell, if you will. fell deeply into her thrall, and she quickly became on of my absolute favorites. she's one of those soft-spoken storytellers, so you strain a little bit to hear, and then suddenly you find your whole body engaged in really listening to what she has to say.
the robin's jar is one of my favorites from bring me the workhorse (no video, so close your eyes and listen):


it was this song that made me realize that worden is, well, more than a lovely voice. (like some of my other favorite singers, she trained as an opera singer, only to abandon it for pop. go figure.) she's a sheherezade, weaving thick, dreamlike story-spells in with her music.
my real favorite, golden star, is only available in studio quality on youtube accompanied by a weird user video.


i love the cinematic quality of the whole workhorse album, the breathless way that it's possible to get completely lost in these tales, the oddly spare yet satisfyingly rich musical accompaniment, the pictures that are woven by the interplay of voice and music. the voice is definitely the centerpiece. though the music never detracts, it's more of a cradle, a background, a springboard for worden's vocals.
when i listen to this album, i really do get lost. i'll step out of the train station, head in the clouds, music in my ears, and if it's not gray and raining and deliciously cool outside, it's a physical shock to my system, because i'll have been lulled into a quiet trance, for which the only appropriate physical world seems like autumn.
to be honest, i hesitated to write about my brightest diamond, if only because it wasn't love at first listen. but then, i got off the train the other morning, in one of the story-trances, and it was cool, and delicious, and at the base of a pillar near the station entrance was a robin. at that point, it just seemed inevitable.

Greetings and Salutations

Good morning, Gentle Readers...

I thought about how to introduce myself to you and to my fellow writers (whom, except for Kelsi, I have just 'met', if that is the right word for beginning a collaboration with people I have never spoken to- but that is not really a discussion for this venue...), and I decided that the best way would be to take a look at my 'Most Played' playlist and go from there. So I started with the top 25, and after I limited the artists that appeared in the list more than once to a single representative piece I am left with thirteen songs with which to begin to present myself.

Million Miles by Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan, of course, is classic, and I have always enjoyed his music. When Time Out of Mind came out, though, I was blown away. This was a new Bob Dylan... a lot more country-bluesy, a lot more just plain fun. The lyrics remain his unique mix of poetry and half nonsense, and this whole album just rocks. This song also encapsulates one of my favorite musical themes: that of loneliness. I am sure that will be apparent as you work your way down the list...

Boogie On The Beach by The Red Elvises

Russian surfer guitar rock? Yes. Yes, yes, yes. I found these guys because of the movie Six String Samurai. You should check that out, too...


I Never Cared For You by Willie Nelson

Another classic performer. I am not sure I even have the vocabulary to sing Willie's praises. In the little bit of space I am allotting myself here; I see a much more detailed posting in the future.


Thirteen by Johnny Cash

If I had to pick a single favorite artist, it would be Johnny Cash. His music is smart, sometimes funny, and so diverse. How can you not love a man who Glen Danzig writes songs for?

(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction by Cat Power

One of my other soft spots, musically, is a good cover. Not a note-for-note rendition with no imagination; I mean a real cover, a re-interpretation of the original. This song is just that.


Barricades and Brickwalls by Kasey Chambers

This is the opposite of loneliness; this is, 'You're mine and I am going to do whatever it takes to have you.' I like that, too. Kasey Chambers, though, I am ambivalent about. Half of her music is kick ass, like this, and I love it. The other half is whiney and just. so. tired. At least, to me. Your results may vary.


Paper Kitten Nightmare by Margot & The Nuclear So and So's

This is one of my more recent favorites. The chorus kills me every time.

Long Way Down (Look What the Cat Drug In) by Michael Penn

Michael Penn is another of my all-time favorites. His lyrics are smart and subtle and even scathing at times, and full of depth. This particular one, as you might imagine, is probably my favorite of his. It is heart-wrenching in that way that it must be apparent to you by now that I really like. (Is that sentence really awkward or what?)

Whisper by Slovo
Audio Link to Whisper
I find this one to be heart-wrenchingly beautiful. Maybe that makes me soft. But what can I say, it speaks to me...


I'm the Only Hell My Mamma Ever Raised by Johnny Paycheck

Along with some of Johnny Cash's stuff and a lot of David Allen Coe's, this Johnny Paycheck song represents a certain sub-genre of country music that I like to think of as Redneck Thug. It's pure genius.

Come As You Are by The King

For someone like me who likes a good cover, this is the motherlode. An Elvis impersonator covering Nirvana's Come as You Are as if Elvis had it re-arranged for himself. It is mind-blowingly good. And he has a whole album of stuff like this...


For Whom the Bell Tolls by Apocalyptica

Another fantastic cover, if you can call such a radical treatment a cover. Who would have thought that Metallica would be so well served by a cello quartet?


About You by Bugs

This is the first electronica that I discovered I liked. I stumbled across it by accident, and fell in love with it, for which I am very grateful. It really opened a lot of doors for me, musically speaking.


And that's the list! I hope that you found some things that you like, and that you will be back for more...