Sunday, May 9, 2010

Nietzsche probably wore pink when no one was looking

Zarathustra Part I, "On Reading and Writing":
And to me too, as I am well disposed toward life, butterflies and soap bubbles and whatever among men is of their kind seem to know most about happiness. Seeing these light, foolish, delicate, mobile little souls flutter - that seduces Zarathustra to tears and songs.

Monday, May 3, 2010

Tunes of Twenty-Ten

2010 has been putting out musically. I have been enjoying critically acclaimed orchestral masterpieces (Owen Pallett's Heartland and Joanna Newsom's Have One On Me), a series of finely crafted pop rock albums (Vampire Weekend's Contra, Surfer Blood's Astro Coast, and The Morning Benders' Big Echo), several killer rock records (Spoon's Transference, Retribution Gospel Choir's 2, and, above all Zeus' Say Us), the genius of Pantha du Prince's Black Noise, the latest Soundways offering, Next Stop... Soweto, and the controlled chaos of Xiu Xiu's Dear God, I Hate Myself. I also have yet to listen to a whole host of more recent releases: Caribou, BSS, The National, Erykah Badu, and Plants & Animals, among others.

Yet two tracks stand above the rest. I could (and do) listen to these on repeat. First, Toro Y Moi. I have not been on board for the rise of chillwave and am mostly unimpressed by Neon Indian and even with the rest of this Toro Y Moi record. There are, however, a couple of good tracks, and then there's this GREAT one. Enjoy with the accompaniment of Mike Long dancing.


Next, Sharon Jones. Her voice is banoodles, but that's not even the best thing about this song. Flawless instrumentals.