Music Saves, like Jesus Saves*, Like Lip Balm Hydrates Lips, Like Quiet Reflection Recharges the Soul

Some traits are just chalked up to genetics. I look like my Mom, I have scanty eyebrows like my Dad, I don’t believe in buying children designer jeans like my Mom, and I am obsessed with music like my Dad. A friend recently asked me if I had any tunes to recommend, which I am always delighted to provide. Most of the time my friends appreciate suggestions because they either don’t have time to troll for new music, or have things like jobs and families and relationships that take up the time I usurp for researching new and old music alike.

So my music-seeking friend, referred to as “Bedazzle” from hereon out (in retaliation for his denigrating treatment of my French recommendations), didn’t simply accept my list blindly and move on with his day. He was already familiar with some of my recommendations and felt inclined to comment on them. And even if he wasn’t, he commented anyway. It felt a bit like handing a little kid a piece of chocolate cake and being told: “But did you not get this cake at La Patisserie? No? I’ll try it but I don’t have to like it.” Bedazzle knows I say this all in love of course.

I had been meaning to post some of the tuneage that has provided the soundtrack to my recent spate of unemployment (otherwise known as the latter half of 2008, or the equivalent of two fiscal quarters) for friends interested in some (new to them) tracks. These are just a fraction of the tunes that have inspired, cheered, and successfully flipped the mood switch during those inevitable phases of gloom a job search engenders (kind of like forced bloodletting). Bedazzle has kindly allowed me to include some of his comments below (in blue), for those who are inclined to seek both sides of the story.

1. Imogen Heap - Goodnight and Go/Speeding Cars/Hide & Seek.
The ethereal music doesn't really resonate with me. I'll make exceptions for Portishead and Ryskopp, but not much else.

2. Donovan - Get Thy Bearings.
Wow. Just wow. I felt like such an old man when I bought Hurdy Gurdy Man. Get Thy Bearings is clearly the best song on the album. Great minds.

3. Muse – Starlight.
Catchy tune, but it always had a hint of Tears for Fears mixed with a touch of The Killers.

4. New Order – Ceremony.
Radiohead covers this song. You should really get into Joy Division. The one drawback is it is hard to find good re-mastered Joy Division music so it always sounds 'tin-y'.

5. Band of Horses - The Funeral.
Spectacular band, great song, see them live if you can. They were based in Seattle, toured a lot in SF, then moved to South Carolina and don't come as much. Get both their albums if you haven't already.

6. Feist - Feel it All.
Don't know much about her besides the iPod commercial. She did a great set on Letterman, you can find it on YouTube, with Grizzly Bear, the lead singer form The National, and a bunch of other great performers. Look it up.

7. Brandi Carlile - The Story
Pass.

8. CSS - Music is my Hot Hot Sex.
Great title. Great song. Little known alternative title: Music for Eunuchs.

9. Greg Laswell - Sing, Theresa Says.
I'll be Switzerland on him. I like Sing, Theresa Says.

10. The National - Mistaken for Strangers.
Have all their albums. They have some amazingly textured and layered music. Saw them live and they were great. One guy played a violin.

11. The Notorious B.I.G. – Juicy.
RAP ATTACK! Do you realize I actually wore a red and black lumberjack in Alaska? Not ironically either.

12. Angels & Airwaves – Sirens.
Uh-oh. I've always felt they are the EMO version of Blink-182. I'm not sure if it is worse for you that I've compared them to Blink-182 or worse for me that I have a Blink-182 point of reference.

13. Carla Bruni - Quelqu'un M'a Dit.
Title seems French. And these colors don't run. FREEDOM FRIES OR DEATH!

14. Tinariwen - Matadjem Yinmixan.
I think your fingers were over one set of keys when you typed this. Did you mean Justin Timberlake - Sexy Back?

15. Magic System - 1er gaou.
I do like magic. But ultimately it is a Dark Science. And I'm not sure if '1' is an appropriate start to a word. Maybe a little hangover from the prior artist.

16. Easy All Stars & Citizen Cope - Karma Police.
I detest reggae. And I think Radiohead is the most important band to release music in the last 20 years. You can see where this is going.

17. The Toadies – Tyler.
Don't know them and I'm still a little steamed about that last entry.

18: Frou Frou - Only Got One.
See Imogen Heap.

19. Passion Pit – Sleepyhead.
Wasn't the Passion Pit the diner on Beverly Hills 90210?

20. Mark Farina & Sean Hayes - Dream Machine, my current favorite song. Love.
High praise. I'll give it a listen.

21. Modest Mouse - Truckers Atlas.
Lonesome Crowded West should be mandatory listening for every 13 year old child in America. Between this and Donovan, I'm convinced we share a soul. The James Brown kind of soul. Not the kind associated with St. Paul, or Peter, or whomever is at the Pearly Gates.

22. Yelle - Je Veux Te Voir/Tristesse Joie.
Sounds French...

*This is catholic blog with a lower case “C”, as in topics explored herein are liberal, broad-minded, wide-ranging, and universal in nature, if you please. Feel free to believe that JC (as in Jesus Christ, not Julia Collins the other author of this blog, although the latter is pretty freaking awesome in my opinion, much like Christians in general view the original JC – and I’m not trying to be flip here) saves, or doesn’t. It’s totally up to you. I’m just trying to make a point here by drawing upon my Catholic upbringing -- in a humorously irreverent way without being excommunicated, although since I don’t go to church anymore I probably already have been and just threw the notice away thinking it was junk mail. I am so not showing this post to my Mom.