Latest Listenings

I fancy myself something of a music buff. I have a website that keeps my listening stats which makes me something of a music nerd. The site tells me I currently have 1,156 musicians in my library. From those I am bringing you what I am really digging lately.

Fleet Foxes - "Fleet Foxes" - Think of these fellows as a love child of a crazy three-some: Simon & Garfunkel, The Shins and Sufjan Stevens. Easy melodies and voices of S&G with the fun complexity of The Shins and the songwriting quirkiness of Sufjan Stevens. And if you believe in the gospel of Pitchfork this album is the biggest thing to drop since Sufjan Steven's "Illinois." How can you go wrong?

The Raconteurs - "Consolers of the Lonely" - Do you like guitars? Do you like rock and roll? Then you must listen to this album! If you ask iTunes to direct you to "guitar-driven rock" you might end up with something like Nickelback which is fine... if you're a fourteen year old boy. If you want real meat-and-potatoes rock and nasty guitar riffs with a mean innovative streak - this is it. Jack White of The White Stripes is the push behind the Raconteurs but this project is tempered by his partner in crime Brendan Benson - something you don't see when he's in White Stripes mode. This is a great album!

Jakob Dylan - "Seeing Things" - Of Wallflowers fame, Jakob Dylan is moving solo. He's stripped down the music so it's essentially him and his guitar and while the album is not earth shattering it is effective. His songwriting is reminiscent of his old man (aka Bob Dylan) and his delivery draws you to the lyrics. Soothing acoustic melodies, deep soothing voice = excellent coffee shop material.

Hawksley Workman - "Between the Beautifuls" - This is a Canadian artist that few have heard of

and that everyone should know. Innovative piano driven rock that grabs and never lets go. This album is less rock and maybe more power pop but it only makes it more palatable to the casual listener. If you aren't convinced, listen to the single "Piano Blink" and, like they say, the rest will be history.