Day 21: Beethoven and Indulgence

I realized that, since I will soon be departing the beloved halls of my university, I should make an effort to get as much as possible from my library. Books, DVD's, music, sheet music, poetry anthologies all ripe for the *perusing*. I was elated to find Tinariwen and their  album Amassakoul. Since it started with an A, I felt no guilt indulging in it immediately. You might have seen this group on The Colbert Report some number of weeks ago (I have a roommate who religiously records and watches this show). Please, enjoy a sample:

To top it off, I was enjoying my roommate Scott's lovely hookah with him. Positively delicious. He ended up naming his hookah Elizabeth Bathory, Blood Countess (yes, that one). Liz for short.

After that came Beethoven, his Pastoral Symphony and something else that matters. Sadly, a special someone decided to awkwardly shuffle into my playlist. Don't worry, I'll talk all about him next time. The Rolling Stones guested in Beggar's Banquet, and Dave Matthews Band in Before These Crowded Streets. I know that DMB gets some hate, but I cannot deny the group's talent as session musicians. Just because his music attracts a lot of Bro-sey folk doesn't mean he has to be all bad, right?

Ms. Spektor also surfaced in her Begin to Hope. I remember my "Regina" phase, where I obsessively listened to her and learned to play my favorites on the piano. I can still do a mean Braille. One of my delightful finds today was Auburn Lull. As in my other pursuits, I tend towards a dichotomy of extremes. At one end I revel in bloody rhythms and raw, throaty dissonance. At the other end I delight in the calm, undulating ambience of groups like Explosions in the Sky.

Auburn Lull makes it a little harder for me to make digs at Shoegaze.

There's a beautiful simplicity to the vocal harmonies in Broken Heroes. All of the parts are balanced, with no competition for the listener's attention. The song waves back and forth, shimmering in a way that reminds me of the heat of summer. Fortunately, the percussion and bass provide just enough structure to prevent the whole thing from collapsing into tonal mush.

Music left: 160.42gb

Cheers,

Bodhisvaha