Categories: Music

On Heavy Rotation

Like the great John Peel,

I’m not letting advancing age (I am a good sight closer to 40 than 30)

turn my iTunes library into a time capsule from my youth. Although you

won’t find much evidence on MTV, MuchMusic or standard radio, the world

of music is bigger than ever. Luckily, the ‘net lets you find the music

that’s just too quirky, too offbeat and just not generally palatable in

that pop pablum way that big hits are to get played on video stations

and standard radio.

You’ll find a list of the albums getting a lot of play on my iTunes

below.  I “discovered” some of them by listening to internet

radio, where the selection is much wider and the programming less pusillanimous

than commercial media. Others were sent to me by friends and blog

readers with a “Hey! Thought you might like this!” message tacked on.

Aside from Beck and The Bravery, most of what’s on heavy rotation on my

iTunes won’t be found on standard radio, but it’s great music. I highly recommend them all.

Eels: Blinking Lights and Other Revelations

Vitalic: OK Cowboy

Polysics: Polysics or Die

Beck: Guero

The Decemberists: Picaresque

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

Hard-Fi: Stars of CCTV

The Knitters: The Modern Sounds of the Knitters

Danger Doom (that is, Danger Mouse and MF DOOM): The Mouse and the Mask (Not out yet. I got…er, an advance copy. Yeah.)

The Bravery: The Bravery

Sigur Rós: Takk (Also not yet released. It…um, fell from an Einstein-Rosen bridge that linked my current position in space-time to Penguin Music on the release date.)

Art Blakey: The Definitive (Okay, so this one’s not that current. But I hadn’t heard it in a long time, and it’s jazzalicious.)

Platinum Pied Pipers: Triple P

American Analog Set: Set Free (To be released September 20, when I plan to buy it.)

JR Ewing: Maelstrom (Available everywhere…in Norway!)

The Boy Least Likely To: The Best Party Ever

Ratatat: Ratatat

Architecture in Helsinki: Fingers Crossed

Based on this set of albums, is there anything you think I’d like? Feel free to make your recommendations in the comments.

Joey deVilla

View Comments

  • Dood,

    do any of the above song offerings feature accordion?

    why no mention of Art Van Damme, Eddie Montiero or Frank Marocco?

    Terry Valko

  • Yay, the Decemberists! I highly recommend all of their previous albums, especially 5 Songs. If you have not already, you should also take a look at Neutral Milk Hotel's In the Aeroplane Over the Sea.

    I have not heard any of the other albums on your list (to tell the truth, I have not even heard of some of them), but my personal favorite right now is Sufjan Stevens' Illinois.

  • Hey Joey,

    Sounds like you might also enjoy The Mountain Goats - either of their two recent albums - "We Shall All be Healed", or "The Sunset Tree"

    Tim

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