It's been some time since I've written anything (here, lots of writing elsewhere) and my friend Carla suggested I review some recent music purchases (which may be her way of getting me to stop IMming her these reviews as I listen...) So, without further ado, I'll start working through the last few months of new music.

Death Cab for Cutie: Narrow Stairs This album came out just this week and I’ve listened to it maybe 3 or 4 times (not including the songs stuck in my head on infinite repeat!) and I am enjoying it a lot.

They start out their first track, “Bixby Canyon Bridge” with a much harder sound than I’ve heard from them before, lots of cacaphony and noise but offset by the lead singer’s high and comparatively thin voice, which gives it an overall interesting effect.

The track getting all the airplay is “I will Possess Your Heart” and is either an insightful song about how hard relationships are to start or a song about a really creepy stalker. My take was the former. The latter was my wife’s take (Jack’s too, actually). Either way, the song is an interesting one (and the bonus video is really intriguing - a woman traveling the world looking pensive). We have mixed reviews on the slow, long buildup of the instrumentation at the start of the song. I rather like it but then I’ve always been a fan of minimalism (which this is not, but it’s analogous) whereas my wife felt they should get on with it already.

“No Sunlight” is stuck in my head more than the others even though it is a somewhat dark song talking about how as a child the skies were all clear and there was always sunlight (warmth, protection, safety) and as one ages, the sunlight goes away. Pessimistic to say the least but, like all of their songs with darker content, still excellent and catchy.

The rest of the album is similarly excellent though I am not as familiar with it enough to comment on each and every track (nor did I really intend to, it just so happens that the three I liked the best start off the album). (Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon MP3 Download | iTunes)

The Weepies: Hideaway. Somehow The Weepies have eluded me until recently. I just happened to find this one via Amie St and fell in love with the sample clips (1:30 vs. iTunes :30). Every single track on this album has, at one time or another, grabbed me and pulled me in. Their sound is both simple and yet, at the same time, lush and I just love every ounce of it. Of all the tracks, “Wish I Could Forget” is by far my favorite.

There is not a single track on this album I would skip and there are many standouts. What I like the most is how diverse their sound is. They take turns leading in vocals so some songs are lead by Steve Tannen and some are lead by Deb Talan which varies their sound wonderfully. Together they harmonize beautifully and I just love listening to them sing. (Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon MP3 Download | iTunes)

Tags: music

If this is my midlife crisis, I'll take it. I've been having a strong burst of creative energy over the last few months which has been slowly building. I've purchased a new, updated copy of Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain and the associated work book, I bought a guitar and software to help me learn to play (and boy do my fingers hurt!), I've started podcasting again (new episode last night!) and I even went out and bought a mixer and microphone to take my podcasting to a new level, and I am starting a new podcast (even registered a domain and have started work on the website for it as well as the plan for the show). This last project is one I've actually wanted to do for a few years now and am finally getting around to. I'll post more about it when I am ready to go public. I need another month or so of setup and preparation (yes, it's not just a sit down, turn on GarageBand and start talking, this one requires some planning and effort).

I am not sure where all of this creativity is coming from. But I'm glad it's here and it's happening. I actually think NaNoWriMo is the likely root cause. By forcing myself to do that, I discovered just how far I can go if I apply myself. And I realized that sometimes you just have to stop making excuses and sit down and get to work. And my whole life philosophy has shifted thanks to that happy discovery. Now I am making the time to do the things I truly love and it feels amazing. I cannot recommend it enough.

Tags: Podcasting, music, guitar, Creativity

Crowded House released their first CD in nearly a decade a few weeks back and it has been in heavy rotation at our house since. I thought it would be fun to take Ann to see them in concert and found out last week that they were playing at Foxwoods in just a week's time. That sealed it. I got on the phone, got tickets and made reservations to stay overnight in the Great Cedars hotel (I figured we wouldn't want to drive back so late after the concert was over).

We had a complete blast. Crowded House is absolutely wonderful live and lead singer Neil Finn is quite funny as well. Somehow he got on the subject of bassist Nick Seymour being hungry and needing fish and chips as well as how all of the band could use mojitos or, at the very least, tequila. Shortly after, tequila shots and limes were delivered to the front of the stage and at least Neil and Nick partook. A few songs later, a nicely dressed room service cart with fish and chips was rolled out on stage and Nick ate the fish and had a few chips. Neil then took the plate, had a few himself and then began walking along the front of the stage passing out chips to whoever wanted them.

I managed this picture with my iPhone during the concert:


All in all, the concert was wonderful and it ended far too soon. And while they played a nice mix of old and new favorites (and a few songs I never remembered having heard before), they didn't play Into Temptation, my all time favorite song. Ah well, as Ann pointed out, they could have played for four hours and have left us not having heard all of our favorites.

It was also our first visit to Foxwoods itself. That was a trip. We ended up not bothering to play any games in any of the casinos. It was just too smoky. Cigarettes were everywhere and smoke was everywere. It got pretty gross. But this morning we went to the Grand Spa and Ann got a massage while I “read” (listened to an audio book) and then took a dip in the whirlpool and swimming pool. I even sat in the steam room for a bit. By the end I didn't want to leave the spa and have become addicted to the whole idea of the place. I haven't been that relaxed in I don't know how long.

Alas, we had to head home again and I am dog-tired now. But it was a wonderful way to start the weekend.

Tags: Crowded House, Foxwoods

We just got home from the final production of The Fantasticks at the Trinity Rep Company in Providence RI. The Fantasticks has long been my favorite musical play far beyond anything else I have ever seen. I was in it my junior year of high school and I have seen no less than 4 other times (once in Woodstock, VT, twice at the Sullivan St. Playhouse where it ran for 42 years, and once in Boston) and this was, without a doubt, my favorite of all of these productions.

The idea of the play is that the first half is a fantasy. A love story set in moonlight, soft focus, and romance. There is a heroic struggle and a happy ending. The second act is set in sunlight and is harsh reality. Hearts are broken, walls built, and, finally, a happy ending but one through true understanding, not childish fantasy. This production used magic (actual sleight-of-hand and people vanishing in a box magic) as the shifts and it worked splendidly. The parts of El Gallo/The Narrator and the Mute were so perfectly cast. Both had a wonderfully energetic, emotive style that was so engaging. You saw how much El Gallo cared about these four people and how it hurt him to hurt them when he had to. The Mute was a perfect reflection of the emotions on the stage. The blocking and choreography was just wonderful. The only downside for me was the fact that the Boy (Matt) was played by someone of lesser vocal ability which stood out like a sore thumb among the other more accomplished singers. Other than that, it was a truly marvelous production.

It's been years since I've been to see a show anywhere and I hadn't realized just how much I missed it.

What a wonderful evening.

Technorati Tags: Fantasticks, Fantastics, Fantastiks, TrinityRep, Theater