Adding to My Listening Pleasure

Because I avoid using iTunes, for the past two years I have not been able to update music on my iPod. And because I've put my CD player in storage, listening to new albums took more of an effort than I was willing to put out - I'd listen to a new CD for a couple of weeks on the Xbox and then it would going into a pile where it would proceed to collect dust.

Well, after all of the trials and tribulations, I finally learned how to transfer music to my iPod using Winamp. Here are some of my newer albums that I've been able to finally enjoy:

Remain in Light by the Talking Heads: This album confirms David Byrne's genius status. It's so experimental and ahead of its time - even though the album is from 1980, it sounds like it could have been released tomorrow. It's no wonder that Radiohead paid tribute to this band when choosing its name.



Abbey Road by The Beatles: This is definitely my favorite Beatles' album. The album opens with Come Together and Something - two songs that are both strong and rich in emotion. And then there's the playful tunes like Octopus's Garden which ended up swimming in my head for days.



Who Is Jill Scott? by Jill Scott: Well, thanks to this album I now know that Jill Scott is an R&B singer with an amazing voice who sings about love, the lack and loss of it, and the finding and building of it. Okay, so I'm a little late when it comes to learning about some artists.



Yell Fire! by Michael Franti and Spearhead: This is the official album for Peacemakers to get down to. From the Bay Area guy who throws the free Power to the Peaceful concerts in Golden Gate Park every September, this album critically examines the war machine and offers empowering words of peace and hope all to the blended back drop of reggae, hip hop, and folk.


Good News for People Who Love Bad News by Modest Mouse: The funny thing is that I have been a vocal hater of Modest Mouse for years. I couldn't stand the voice of the lead singer - it sounded too gimmicky. Well, he's either changed his voice over the years, or I've finally been broken down. Whatever it is, I have to admit that I like this album. It's very good. There, I said it.


Love Is My Religion by Ziggy Marley: I can't get enough of the live version of Dragonfly on this album. The album overall has a lighthearted and playful vibe, though I often just listen to Dragonfly and the title song.



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and a blast from my past
Pop! The First 20 Hits by Erasure: Brit gay pop at it's finest. Okay, so maybe I'm making a mistake by publicly admitting that this was one of my heavily listened to albums back in the day. I somehow missed putting it on my iPod a few years back, so I'm happy to finally have unlimited access to it again.