Music
In the spirit of adding more art to my life, I’m going to reflect on what I’m listening to and inflict it oh so briefly on you. Your welcome to make other suggestions about what I should be listening to. I’m having to include video in some cases so I can post them legally.
One of my favorite ways to hear new music (because I’m so old, and hate what radio has become) is to listen to NPR’s All Songs Considered. One of my favorite shows is this one. I like all of it except the last song. The Hold Steady is okay, not a favorite of mine (reminds me more of Marc Cohen with the piano, than Bruce Springsteen?). Lilly Allen is fantastic! Quirky, original, I love her. I love the line in the Damon Rice song, “I love your double chin” that’s pulling the rhyme out of nowhere. Tom Waits, is very memorable, and the Gothic Archies is so creepy, but so good.
I first heard “So That Sheep May Safely Graze” in church – a pretty liberal place, as a vaguely anti-war statement. I fell in love with it. When I did this video, I discovered it was really a paean to the rule of a benevolent aristocrat, who needless to say was the patron paying for this song, sigh! Still beautiful…
[swf width=”360″ height=”290″]http://fliptrack.com/v/IAwKcB23nu[/swf]
Whatever you think of Paul Potts (and I know some of you are thinking evil thoughts out there), this song has been stuck in my head since I heard it–you know that can’t get it out of my head experience. Happened with “Sheep May Safely Graze”, but that was more enjoyable and intellectually defensible. Warning, danger of severe smaltz overload. Skip the first 60 sec. to get to the singing.
[kml_flashembed movie="http://youtube.com/v/rDB9zwlXrB8" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]
Alice – I’m not sure how often you’re strapped to your computer, but if you’re near one most of the day (or anytime you want to listen to music) go check out last.fm. My students sent it my way, I love it. Sometime they recommend songs for me, but the thing that I like most about it is that I can share this with my classes:
http://www.last.fm/user/mrmosesdotorg/
which allows them to see what I’ve been listening to lately. It helps break down that wall between teacher and person.
Oh, and the last.fm does a nice job sending me to artists I’d never head before which is where I think your post was going. Sheish, I got a little off topic there, sorry. 🙂
Glenn, your comment was exactly what I was looking for! I also found Muscovery.com through Ed Tech Talk, another place to discover new songs (click off the “Hits” box). I like the idea of sharing finds, hmm. I was going to look into Pandora, too. Now that I can stream (at home) and have time, I have no excuse.