So What Have You Been Listening To Lately, Randomanthony?

Why, I’m so glad you asked.

I’ve resisted placing reviews, recommendations, etc. in this space because, frankly, I don’t want to argue. I’ve seen enough posting boards on which people will fight passionately about the proper way to water orchids or the meaning of Godzilla’s grimace or how much cooler one perverts version of Sue Storm’s leather bodysuit was than another’s. And I don’t care. I believe that ninety percent of the time the only people who give a rat’s ass about online altercations are the involved parties. In turn, I don’t want to start any little tiffs on my own. Ok? I’m writing about what’s been in my car CD player (still not an Ipod, I’m over thirty and backwards, sue me) because the music is taking up space in my brain I’d like freed up.

Ok, here we go:

Eels-Blinking Lights and Other Revelations: This is my favorite CD (actually, two CDS) of the last year or so. I find myself wondering how I managed to avoid discovering this guy’s (I forget his name…Mark something?) work for the past ten years, and I haven’t felt that way since I bought “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot” and felt like an idiot for growing up in Chicago and never stumbling upon either Wilco or Uncle Tupelo. I thought myself quite the hipster, too. Anyway, These two CDs feature some of the most hummable, personal songs you can get from a guy who sounds depressed and hopeful all at once. He probably could have released a one disc classic, rather than package both discs at once, but hey, when I can listen to a double album without getting all Tourettes on my car CD changer button, I can’t complain.

Bright Eyes-Digital Ash for a Digital Urn: Now, I hated that acoustic one (I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning, I think it was called), but this disc is ok. I listen to the first five or six songs a lot. I suppose Mr. Oberst (he’s sooo cute!) should be warned about writing explicitly about college (referring to incompletes and skipping class) but then again, when you’re in your early twenties, you’re kind of stupid, so he can be forgiven. I get the feeling Mr. Oberst listened to a lot of “Ashes to Ashes” era Bowie and maybe some Tubeway Army when he was a teenager. He doesn’t embarrass those influences at all.

The Bangles-Greatest Hits: When my hippy brother and I shared a room, in our teens, we had, alas, only one turntable between us. I sure as hell wasn’t listening to Crosby, Still, and Nash (Die! Die!), and he wasn’t up for Black Flag. We compromised by playing three bands over and over again. We both liked The Ramones and Talking Heads. We also found common ground in The Bangles’ “All Over The Place”. I recently burned a copy of The Bangles “Greatest Hits” from my local library. The Bangles’ early material seems to hold up well.

My Dad is Dead- Shine(r): I was just in Chicago last weekend when I found out that MDID played their first live shows in something like eight years while I was in town. While I’m too lazy to show up at the Elbo Room at Midnight, my friend Sean, in honor of the show, played “Let’s Skip The Details” in his apartment while we got drunk. I forgot how good these guys were. When I returned home I dug around in my basement and found the “Shine(r)” disc. “Babe in the Woods” and “Nothing Special” are two great songs, and the rest of the CD is strong as well. I’d love to get “The Taller You Are, The Shorter You Get”, but I can’t find it on Ebay, Amazon, anywhere. I might try to download it directly from the MDID site.

The Streets-A Grand Don’t Come For Free: I wish more American white guys would listen to The Streets. I can’t guarantee this, because I don’t read music magazines, but I get the feeling that English rappers don’t care as much as American rappers about looking like you’re hard or nailing bitches. As much as I love Eminem, I’m afraid no white rapper will emerge for the next decade who didn’t live in a trailer park and beat his wife. It’s a shame, really, because this Streets guy put out a solid song cycle (almost a concept album, even) about losing a thousand dollars, hooking up with a girl, breaking up with a girl, and doing a lot of drugs. The relationship songs are great, esp. “Rope You In” and the one near the end where he tries to get back with his girlfriend but she blows him off. This record is as close to punk rock as I’ve heard white rap get.

Ok, that’s it for now. More soon.