Comfy in Nautica

This week has been a historic one for mid-MO. We got 18" of snow in less than 24 hours and nearly an inch of ice as well. MU will have been closed for three days by the end of this week...which I'm told might be a record.

Unfortunately my type of work is not conducive to snow days, even more so since I live about 0.13mi from campus. I did take one snow day yesterday, but I'm back in lab today. In order to make it more exciting, I bought some new tunes to pass the time, of course!

First up, I decided to buy Panda Bear's Person Pitch. I'm not sure why I hadn't bought it before since I love Animal Collective (Panda Bear is Noah Lennox, founding member of AC). I've only listened to it a couple of times, so I really don't have much to say except that I like it. It's exactly you would expect to get from Lennox (it gets weird to keep writing 'Panda Bear').

I also bought The Walkmen's Lisbon. Honestly my motivation for this is a little skewed. I have some other stuff by them and I've always thought it was ok, but never gave it too much credit. Well, I found out yesterday that both The Walkmen and The New Pornographers are coming to The Blue Note in April. I love TNP and thought it would be cool to see them with The Walkmen and after a little searching I realized they had released a new album in '10. I checked it out and I really like it. It's a solid album. I've only listened to this a few times too, so again, I can't really expand on it now.

Stay tuned to see if I make it to the show (fingers-crossed)!

The King is Dead

I have to admit that it's been a while since I have thoroughly enjoyed an entire album...each and every song. But then I bought the latest from Portland's own The Decemberists, The King is Dead. And I love the entire thing. I really don't think there is a single song that isn't as good as the rest. Don't Carry It All is probably my favorite, but they are all good.

This album is the hallmark of real musical talent. They have proven that it pays off to grow and change as artists. This album is very clearly Decemberists: it's very clean, each song has a 'crafted' sound, it has Colin Meloy's unique vocals, etc. But it's new: it sounds very much like a classic rock-folk album, which is a departure from previous records. Many of the tracks were produced by Tucker Martine who has worked with some great folks, so it's really no surprise that this is a hit.

Listen and soak it up. Now.

winter winds

I'm taking a break for an obligatory New Year's post.

Two thousand and ten. What a year! At this time last year it nearly didn't register to me that the year was about to end. I had to work both on New Year's eve and the first day of 2010. I didn't have time to reflect on what 2009 meant to me, or to plan goals for 2010. Honestly, I had such a dismal end to 2009, that it didn't seem worth it to think about what lay ahead. Maybe it's good that I did it that way...I didn't have a lot of expectations for 2010, so it was easy to exceed them! And boy did this year come through for me. Here are some highlights:

January: Finished up my grad school applications and got accepted to a science teaching certification program. I spent most of my time digging my car out of the snow.

February: Biggest month of the year...got invited to recruitment weekends at two research universities (I only went to one) and was subsequently accepted into their program. And then I went on a great trip with a best friend to Spain! I thawed out, went to the beach, ate my weight in churros, drank dark coffee and danced all night.

April: I left my job!! It was such a relief to get out of there. Then I saw The Flaming Lips for the first time in KC. It was a little ridiculous how sad I was to leave the city that has nurtured my adulthood, but I had to move.

May: ROAD TRIP! Two of my best friends and I went on a great little trip to Notre Dame, Chicago, and then back to KC. Epic fun.

June: I moved into my very own apartment which was pretty terrifying. I also got back into the lab, which at first was daunting. I started second-guessing my choice to go to school.

August: School started! I was really glad to get back into classes again and I started a really great rotation.

September: I had a wedding and I saw The Flaming Lips again, all in the same weekend. Pretty spectacular.

October: Also an epic month...I saw Sufjan, went to another amazing wedding, and Fall Break Aught Ten (Road Trip) to OU.

December: Finished up classes and rotation #2 (not as good as the others). I was so excited and relieved to pass my classes; I'm really starting to feel like I can do this.

And now here we are in 2011. I had a really great New Year's Eve with one of my best friends. There was a fun band playing in Columbia and we danced like fools! To be honest, I don't know what to say about this upcoming year...I know I'm going to do some traveling (DC here I come!) and I will choose the lab in which I'll do my thesis work. I want to read more for pleasure. And study more on a regular schedule.

Other than that I'm keeping an open mind. Here's to the new year!

a top five

I decided to go with a list this time around. My top five female albums (I have to make the distinction that I only chose solo acts, not bands fronted by a woman or duos...those will have to be separate lists). Here they are, in no particular order:

1. Carole King- Tapestry
If there is any woman out there who has never listened to this album, the time to fix that is right now. Not only is this one of my favorite female albums, it's near the top of my list in general. King has a way of describing love and yearning that I'm positive can resonate with anyone. I didn't know this until recently, but Feel Like a Natural Woman was actually co-written by King on this album and Aretha Franklin made a big hit out of it after the fact. Top tracks: I Feel the Earth Move, Beautiful, Where You Lead.

2. Neko Case- Blacklisted
Where to start with Neko Case...? I guess her voice. Case has this sort of deep, soulful voice, with just a touch of rasp. It's so full and powerful that nearly anything she sings sounds amazing. Add to that her lyrics about life and its tragic sort of beauty (I know this sounds a little emo, but trust me, it's SO not) and you've got gold. This is an album for any mood. Top tracks: Deep Red Bells, Pretty Girls, Runnin' Out of Fools.





3. Regina Spektor- Begin to Hope
I love Regina Spektor because she comes up with such unconventional songs, both in content and structure. She uses her voice as the most unconventional instrument, making strange sounds that add a different layer to each track. I think at times she gets a little underestimated because it sounds sort of precious, but I think there's a kind of genius in it. Top tracks: Samson, Lady, Dusseldorf [bonus version].



4. Fiona Apple- Tidal
Just like with Ms. Case...what needs to be said about Fiona Apple? She too has a deep and soulful voice, but it's also sexy and jazzy. Her lyrics about love and loss are really poetic and mature, especially considering the fact that she was 19 when the album was released and younger when she wrote them. The video for Criminal is just as iconic as the song. Top tracks: Criminal, Shadowboxer, The First Taste.







5. Alanis Morissette- Jagged Little Pill
This album will always be special to me because it was the first cd I ever bought with my own allowance money. At the time I thought I was so subversive because Morissette cussed in the songs and my mom didn't pay attention to the lyrics. I have since realized a more mature appreciation for this album. There is a lot of anger in these lyrics and I think it's rare to hear a woman that angry in music, but it works well for her. This is the perfect album to blast when you are pissed off at a boy...it's cathartic. Top tracks: All I Really Want, You Oughta Know, Hand in My Pocket.

In other news, I have my enzymology final tomorrow and then biochemistry on Thursday. Then my first semester of grad school is over. BOOM. ROASTED.

blue bayou

I don't feel quite up to a full on post today so I'm just going to give you a video to watch. It's a little long (about 30 mins), but please give yourself the time-it's great!

Norah Jones has a new compilation album out. It's basically a variety of collaborations that she has recorded over the years. There is a lot of variation....Talib Kweli, Dolly Parton, M. Ward, Herbie Hancock, Willie Nelson, Belle & Sebastien, etc.

Go listen!

half moon rising

Last week a friend of mine won tickets to see Yonder Mountain String Band at the Blue Note and gave me a ticket.

I knew it would be a good night when an ambulance and a fire truck pulled up outside. They calmly brought a stretcher inside, but we never got to see if they brought someone out, so hopefully all is well.

I've always had a soft-spot in my heart for regional music. Actually, I don't know if that's what you would call it, but I mean down-home music that tends to define a place and time. It's music that tells a story and sometimes feels a little nostalgic. Bluegrass is definitely one of those genres, at least to me.

So, Yonder...I don't really know too much about them, and I've only heard probably a fraction of their repertoire, but I love listening to what I have. I've watched videos of live performances in the preparation for the day I would see them live. Their music just puts you in a good mood, even the sad songs.

I loved the show. I say this about most of the shows I go to, but this one was great for a very different reason. The music was great and the band was pretty interactive with the audience, but my favorite part was how much everyone in the crowd danced. Danced. I don't think I've ever been to a show with that much dancing. Yeah, people sway and rock and get into the songs a lot, but here they were actually busting a move. Which was enjoyable because the only way to dance to bluegrass music is to look like an idiot, and no one seemed to have a problem with that.

Each member is also ridiculously talented with their instrument. I've been inspired to take up the mandolin...in my copious spare time.

To close, I'm already anticipating my next Yonder show.

lion in a coma

Sorry for my brief hiatus. I had a seriously crazy week. Two major exams and a 30min seminar presentation. But, that's over and I can breathe relatively easy until mid-December.

My musical brain tends to flip-flop a lot. I seem to go through periods where my brain is interested in something very concretely rock and roll. Something with a solid structure, a nice beat, melody, clear lyrics (i.e. Bob Dylan, Wilco, The Black Keys, etc.). Then on the off times, it pulls a 180 and demands complicated and random sounds. Now is one of the latter times.

And my favorite right now: Animal Collective.

I didn't really start listening to them until about two years ago when a friend gave me their EP, Grass. I liked it and bought two other albums, but didn't really get into them. I recently bought their latest, Merriweather Post Pavilion, and have not been able to stop listening. For reals. I've been listening to it on my daily commute every day since I bought it. Saturday I bought a copy on vinyl (which I think is starting to become my new favorite hobby...buying vinyl that is).

The variation of the songs, resulting from the deep layers of noise that mesh perfectly, keeps my mind from getting bored. If you really sit and dissect what you are hearing, there is such a variety of sound, it's pretty incredible. It's hard to think that these completely random sounds would work together, but they do. Oh yes they do, like the jaw harp samples and the crazy mic effects of Lion in a Coma. It's also the kind of crazy-fun, nerdy music that makes you want to dance like a dork.

I haven't really listened to much of their side projects. Members Avey Tare and Panda Bear have solo albums which are on my radar I've heard great things, but I haven't had a chance to check them out yet. When I do, you'll hear about it.

Unrelated side note: Yonder Mountain String Band is coming to Columbia this Wednesday. I entered a little contest on facebook to win a prize pack including tickets. I find out if I won this afternoon. Fingers crossed-I would love to see them live at The Blue Note!