hymnbook ooo lisa bickmore
AD 238A o 957-4686 o Lisa.Bickmore@slcc.edu
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cranial radio
Cranial Radio
August 27, 2005
Today we have a special program of traveling music. My son and I took a road trip to remote Idaho. We decided that we should buy four CDs to listen to on the trip.
I felt I was hearing a small tutorial on influence. In various of these CDs I heard the ghosts of Elton John, Queen, the Beach Boys, Nirvana (of course), Scritti Politti, the Cure . . . like small quotations. Forthwith, our judgements:
Foo Fighters, In Your Honor: I had never been moved by the radio singles of the Foo Fighters to buy a whole CD. My son was insistent, though, and had DVRed a video, so I said okay. It turned out to be one of my two favorite CDs of the weekend. The first disc, with its hard, distortion-soaked sound, felt like a sustained call to attention, a tribute of rage and mourning. The transitions between cuts are perfect. The second disc, all acoustic and understated, rivets you with a whisper. Favorite cuts: "In Your Honor," "The Last Song," and "Still."
Jason Mraz, Mr. A-Z: This guy has a beautiful voice--maybe just a little too beautiful--but this is highly listenable music. His diction and precision are so great, so you can hear the lyrics perfectly, and the melodies aren't predictable. It's worth more than one listen, for sure. Loved "The Wordplay," which reminded me a lot of Scritti Politti in both sound and theme.
Ben Folds, Songs for Silverman: This CD is pretty great from start to finish. His lyrics are great, but also the big mix of his sound. One of my pet peeves of late is rock people who use orchestral backing to indiscriminately pump up and dress up the sound. It's like putting on a tux when you haven't showered in six months. Give me a break--if you're a rock star, you better not have to have violins to get a fat sound. Back to Ben Folds: great songs on this recording are "You to Thank," and "Jesusland."
The Killers, Hot Fuss: My son commented on the fact that the radio songs from this recording are right in a row at the beginning of the CD. We both felt a certain letdown as we listened to this, but then felt our spirits unexpectedly lift, because the recording got beter and better. It felt sharp and unpredictable. Make sure to hear this, and make sure to listen to the end.
We recommend the practice of waiting to buy the music you most want to hear until you're on a trip. Play it loud and drive fast. It rocks.