In The iPod: March 2008

I was so impressed with the I’m Not There film soundtrack that it has been getting a fair amount of play on the iPod. It’s a roster of indie all stars doing Dylan classics: Karen O, John Doe, mark Lanegan, Calexico, Los Lobos, Stephen Malkmus, Tom Verlaine, Yo La Tengo, etc…

I’m also enjoying Cat Power’s latest album of covers, Jukebox. However, I don’t think it’s as impressive as her previous album 2006’s impressive The Greatest. My standout tracks include “Aretha, Sing One For Me “ and “I Believe In You.”

I decided to go back and get some old BoDeans songs. You may remember them for their them song for party of Five “Closer To Free,” they were one of the more mainstream bands that I was grooving to that had that rootsy, alt country sound. Love & Hope & Sex & Dreams, in particular, was a solid recording. But I think my first album was Outside Looking In, a purchase inspired by their infectious song “It’s Only Love.”

The National’s recent album Boxer has been in rotation as well, but I haven’t heard it enough to comment authoritatively. But the fact hat I haven’t been inspired to come back to it might be reflective of my opinion, however, there was a cool song on a The Believe magazine music compilation that I quite like. So I’m not quite ready to give up on them yet.

I keep waiting for Stephen Malkmus to put out an album like his solo debut, but the subsequent albums have sounded more like Pavement than Malkmus solo offerings and this is true of his latest with the Jicks called Real Emotional Trash. That being said his albums are usually growers-the more you listen the better they get.

Comments

[Eric]

The new Malkmus is too jammy for me. I loved his first two solo records, but I've been left cold by the last two.

Two suggestions and a thank you:
1. Andrew Bird - Armchair Apocrypha
2. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago

Thank you for suggesting Okkervil River. What a great record.

[MC]

Yeah the Okkervil River is pretty cool, one of last year's bests...

You've turned me onto some cool stuff as well--Dolorean, Manazarin, Jesse Sykes, Jenny Lewis and Rilo Kiley among others. So thanks to you as well.

I have researched those two recommendations from you, so maybe it's time to check them out...

[Captain]

Keep listening to Boxer. That one has stuck with me for the last two months. I agree with the Andrew Bird rec. That one stuck with me the two months before Boxer.