What are you listening to at the moment?

There's always an exception: I do like NIN's Broken EP. It's got six or seven listed tracks, then 90 one second tracks of silence, and then a couple of bonus songs. When you put it in your CD player, it seeks about for an age while it tries to make head or tail of the ToC.

Almost as if it were broken... :)

Johnny Cash - American VI: Ain't No Grave

The last Cash-Rubin collaboration. He died some three months after these recordings, and June Carter Cash died during the sessions. Unsurprisingly, death is a running theme.

The title track is the best, a rebellion against death backed by a thundering loop of prison shackles and chains.

Redemption Day, beautiful Sheryl Crow cover.

Strangest Dream, a moving anti-war cover which comes across almost like a dying wish.

The final track is a perfect send-off. :)

His voice is gentle yet thundering, giving him that impossibly grand presence he is known for, all the more powerful, posthumously.

I'm not sure why I haven't got that album yet, all the rest of his American albums are either very good or they have a handful of brilliant songs.

He is close to becoming the Tupac of the country music world though.

I think this fits in the "handful of brilliant tracks" category. Musically, it's not a knockout album, not something I'd listen to constantly. But the circumstances of the recording, the death theme, and the fact it is his final studio album adds a lot.

I'm a purist in that I usually try to avoid the "story" behind an album and try to appreciate it based on music alone, but this is one of those ones where you listen and understand "this is a man facing death" and it becomes so meaningful.

Christ, I'd forgotten how much I love Martina Topley-Bird's voice. She is on a couple of the tracks on the new Gorillaz album.

Lucky bastard, that Tricky.

So I heard the track Fireflies by Owl City in an advert and I thought I'd check out the album, Ocean Eyes.

Not good :(

Such a shame, it's totally my kind of music, and the guy's voice is adorable, but the songs all sound the same and are just way too shallow to make any impression.

That said, the track Dental Care (which is about exactly what the title suggests) is now my teeth-brushing soundtrack, and at 3m11s, it's almost the exact right amount of time to brush your teeth by.

Hello Seattle pretty much the only memorable song on there. Very cute lyrics. "Hello Seattle, I am a manta ray..."

But thumbs down. And I tried really hard to get into it, too. :(

Yeah I did the same. Thought "fireflies" was cute and twee and listenable - but bugged out on the album.

Tell you what though, you lot being music experts n'all - if you can figure out what the music is on the beeb promo for licensing that goes something like "You push a little button and you make a car...you push a little button...blah blah blah" let me know. My google-fu ain't up to it this afternoon as I've got PHP blindness.

Oh! Just remembered the ad I heard the Fireflies track on! They used it for the Eyepet trailer at GDC :) Made me want to play Eyepet (and then I remembered how much fun playing Eyepet isn't).

Here's the track you wanted, peej. Ninette, 1966 :)

It's a lovely quaint little song, but my, what a sinister twist at the end!

For reasons that I am not satisfactorally (sp? that doesn't look right!) able to explain, I'm listening to the soundtrack to 'Young Einstein', an Australian film from some years back featuring the acting talents of one Yahoo Serious.

Music's pretty good actually. Icehouse, Paul Kelly & The Messengers. Other assorted Australians...

I am completely nuts for Iva Davis / Icehouse.

Very good soundtrack to that film. Also worth checking out the soundtrack to "The Coca Cola Kid" for more 80s aussie stuff (IIRC the film's dreadful but Greta Scaatchi gets 'em off a fair bit, and it's also got a very young looking Crowded House / Tim Finn in the flick as a band)

Luvveryly. Cheers NY.

Heheh I see what you mean about the end :) Hadn't heard it before but what a cracking little track.

So, the new Lady Gaga video is a 9 minute lesbian epic featuring a sluttier-than-usual Beyonce.

:O

Tanya Donelly - Lovesongs For Underdogs from way back in 1997.

Utterly sublime, and I demand that anyone with taste goes out and listens to it forthwith.

I find it periodically (as now), and then spend about a week listening to it over and over again.

Always liked TD and Belly...

Kick ass stuff. Worth also checking out The Breeders 'Last Splash' if you're in that sort of mood.

Cheers Peej.

Got the TD stuff and the Belly albums, (might have to go and listen to Low Red Moon in a minute)but haven't tried any Breeders.

/heads for Spotify

I have this now :)

I also have Broken Bells - a collaboration between Danger Mouse and the lead guy from the Shins. It's very very good and sounds like a less happy version of the Shins.

Plastic Beach - Gorillaz

Thought it was a little bland at first but after listening to it on the guardian/telegraph site all weekend i thought i'd buy it.

Much preferred to Demon Days.

oneiros - i bought both fixed & broken on import at launch :)

Broken is particularly fantastic. Wish still gives me shivers and makes me want to go dancin'

"See, I told you she didn't have a dick..."

I too am loving Plastic Beach; not sure I'd score it above Demon Days at the moment, but just like that album, it's a definite grower. I especially like the tracks that don't feature special guests; some of the Albarn-only songs are just beautiful.

'Cannonball' is just one of those tunes that can instantly transport me back nearly 20 years in time to when I was a filthy slut at Uni. S'great stuff.

Too much information!

/mind rubber

10 min Black Eyed Peas video.

The song is retarded, but the video has robots.

Angels and Airaves: Love for free. Like, a simple direct download. No shenanigans!

If you're into that kinda thing. I am. It's more of the same, but still so nice.

Listening to "Head First" - Goldfrapp's new one. Which is pretty much the worst album they've done by a long chalk (even Seventh Tree had a couple of saving graces about it).

It's like the fucking worst cheesy pop shit splurted out of a diahorretic arse that you could possibly imagine. Such a shame as Alison Goldfrapp has such a lovely arse.

Oh.

I was just about to purchase that - I've liked all the previous Goldfrapp to a lesser or greater degree. Felt Mountain & Black Cherry are probably my favourites.

Maybe I'll hold off on the new one for a while...

It's up on Spotify at the moment - which is just as well because I nearly did the same. There's just absolutely nothing striking about it. A shame because most of their previous albums have at least had a couple of excellent tracks on 'em.

I am listening to Miles Davis - Bitches Brew, for the very first time.

It's... challenging...

Aye, a lot of his stuff seems pretty samey and wibbly to me.

Still, if you think that's tough listening, get some Ohio Players on your playlist. That stuff's so funky and phat that it almost has a crust.

Been listening to illicit previews of the new Pendulum album. Pretty much standard Pendulum fare (they must have a drum machine that only has one drum track on it :) but very listenable in the car.

...my nine-year-old daughter playing Beatles Rock Band.

"Lucy's into guys with diamonds."

Should I worry yet?

See, that's the wisdom of a child. She's only saying it how it is, brother.

I *really* love On Melancholy Hill.