“If you have a successful marriage, it doesn’t matter how many professional setbacks you endure, you will be reasonably happy. If you have an unsuccessful marriage, it doesn’t matter how many career triumphs you record, you will remain significantly unfulfilled.”
—David Brooks, The Sandra Bullock Trade, New York Times.
March 2010
45 posts
Now's The Only Time I Know
Fever Ray
“Now’s the Only Time I Know” by Fever Ray. This song marries Karin Dreijer Andersson’s naked & fragile vocals with a mysterious, hypnotic beat. The result: an eerie, slow-burning soundscape that transcends genres (house, electronic, tribal, indie, folk, etc).
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“Beat (Health, Life, Fire)” by The Portland Cello Project featuring Thao. The Portland Cello Project is a rotating cast of 8-16 classically trained cellists known for mixing Salt ‘n’ Pepa with Bach and providing the lush backdrop for some of indie rock’s most compelling voices. Their goal is to make the cello accessible by bringing the instrument and their collaborative philosophy to “a dirty punk club near you.” Amen.
“We should, I believe, be judged by our compromises more than by our ideals and our norms. Ideals may tell us something important about what we would like to be. But compromises tell us who we are.”
—Avishai Margalit, On Compromises and Rotten Compromises.
“In the short run, Republican extremism may be good for Democrats, to the extent that it prompts a voter backlash. But in the long run, it’s a very bad thing for America. We need to have two reasonable, rational parties in this country. And right now we don’t.”
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Paul Krugman, Going to the Extreme, New York Times.
Zebra
Beach House
“Zebra”, the opening track from Beach House’s latest release, “Teen Dream”. A mixture of dream pop and indie melancholy. What makes the song for me is the symphonic sweep of the crashing cymbals.
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“Let’s Dance” by M. Ward. It’s Cover Friday. Here’s M. Ward’s almost unrecognizable cover of Bowie’s “Let’s Dance.” Unlike most covers, Ward totally transforms and deconstructs the song. His slowed down, acoustic version reveals the sorrow and tragedy that gets lost in Bowie’s dance pop original.
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Suzanna Johannes →
daytrotter.com
Perhaps the best singer-songwriter you’ve never heard of. Hauntingly quiet and tragic music, yet somehow incredibly uplifting and inspirational
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“Thieves” by She & Him. Starting the morning with some lo-fi, throwback, West Coast sounds from She & Him. This is the opening track from their just released second album. Not much of a departure from their debut though Zooey Deschanel’s voice is much more assured and playful on this album. M Ward continues to astonish with his right hand stylings, arrangements and gin-soaked vocals. A perfect upbeat, naive and gently swinging album to mark the beginning of Spring.
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