Songs from the Heart

I don't know how many of you were listening to NPR this evening but there was one story that moved me. It's been a year since that terrible earthquake in China, and NPR has had a correspondent in the area following various stories. In this one, she interviews people who have put together an album of songs based on children's tunes (and enhanced with electronica and various ambient noise). "Song for Mama" opens with the "beat" of construction, then we hear the mother telling her son, who is living far apart from her, to study and be strong (or something like that). Then we hear the boy's plaintive song to the moon, asking it to carry his love to his mother. I was in tears because it was so lovely. Then, there was an amazing "Tibetan rap." You can hear the full story and the songs at npr.org. The title of the album is "Afterquake" and I've already bought it. Proceeds go to the reconstruction.

I'm sick of all my music

Somebody help me! I'm bored with my music! I've been listening to the same ten CDs for weeks now in my car. I need to take a break and listen to something else. Now, I don't want any suggestions for outrageous purchases (like an ipod or an MP3 player because I need to buy a TV, I desperately need new glasses, and my cat will eventually need medical treatment for her hyperthyroid thingie). I reach out to my music-loving friends to give me some advice.

This is dangerous, I know. I've always hung out with people who know infinitely more about music than I do. My family never really listened to music so my tastes developed rather late. My friends in college were very much indie, punk, new wave, whatever, as well as local music. They still do a lot with the scene in Atlanta. Here in CT, I seem to have the same knowledgeable friends who are or have been in bands or just have a lot of music in their lives.

The caveat -- To give you a sense of what I like, here are the CDs I've been listening to (and listening to and listening to):

Gorillaz -- Demon Days
Suzanne Vega -- Beauty and Crime
Neko Case -- Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
Deee-lite -- World Clique (I know it's old but it makes me happy)
Soundtrack for Paranoia Agent (anime)
Cake -- Fashion Nugget
David Byrne -- Grown Backwards
Art of Noise -- The Seduction of Claude Debussy
Daft Punk -- Discovery
Black-Eyed Peas -- Monkey Business
Pixies -- Bossanova

I had asked a pal in Atlanta to make me a mix but he has yet to do it. I need to prod him because he's always steered me in the right direction. I know the above list is a mix of recent (and one pop album) and stuff from my college days so no sneers, please. I don't make fun of your music, do I? (well, maybe I do, I dunno).

I've been dying to buy this album from a Brazilian artist because I heard him on the Lehrer Newshour and LOVED the song I heard, but paying 30 bucks for an import album which may take six weeks to show up?? (see, I'm not that much of a music lover -- btw, it's Celso Fonseca's Feriado).

So, anything you can suggest given what I've listed above? I mostly want newer things. Lat time I was in a music store, I thought about filling in some of my classic punk collection, but it just depressed me, because, well, I don't know why.

Snow

A heavy wet snow has blanketed my town. The trees look lovely. I'm dreading the shoveling, however. Thankfully this did not interfere with teaching. The roads should be clear by tomorrow's class.

So, class went well on Friday. The afternoon session was a little draggy, but we will make do. The morning class was surprisingly lively. They had a good time with the exercise I planned for them. We did mad libs with two Dickinson and one Stevens poem. We also listened to a Billy Collins poem on Youtube. I think they, like the Queen, surprised themselves that they were enjoying poetry. As I told them, "you don't like every kind of music, do you? Well, there's a poem out there that you will like." Students seemed to loosen up a bit. I think it will be a good semester. Now, if I can only get my work done.

Been listening to the Breeders, a blast from the past. Just watched volume three of Mushishi and the second volume of a Korean trilogy, Oldboy (manga by Dark Horse). I first heard about this Korean hit when they mentioned it in context of the Virginia Tech shootings. Apparently, the nutcase liked the film, posed with a hammer (which the protagonist uses). This prompted a brief slew of "media causes violence!!" outcries. Of course, I had to see what the fuss was. The movie was okay. I really liked Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance better which was I found more gruesome and funnier. Reminded me a little of Kurosawa's film, High and Low.

Hopefully snow won't interfere with my birthday plans. If you are in New London on the last weekend of January, let me know. We can meet up and listen to some music, have a drink. There's always a lot going on -- art, music, and food at the Salon des Independants.

It's the Middle of the Night

I'm still awake. I recently went wireless so I guess I'm enjoying the chance to write my thoughts to the world from the relative safety of my kitchen. I've started and stopped blogs before but since a lot of my friends now seem to communicate through this medium, I'm giving it one more try.

So, what have I been doing in the middle of the night, contemplating the idea of order in eastern Connecticut? Right now, listening to Neko Case and Suzanne Vega. Wrote a bit. Watched the first four episodes of Paranoia Agent by Satoshi Kon (so well worth it just for the opening credits of all the main characters laughing silently and hysterically while the world blows apart). I'm a big fan of Kon's work, having seen Paprika last month at Real Art Ways with friend, Ken, who said "that wasn't as weird as I thought it would be," high praise indeed).