Song of the Day, Part 2

I'd be remiss to not mention that Coldplay's new single, "Speed Of Sound," is available on Rhapsody (since Monday, evidently). Needless to say, I think it's a worthy addition to their body of work, and hopefully X&Y can live up to the hype.



Listen to Coldplay - "Speed Of Sound"

Song of the Day

I was reading a review of a new album this morning, where the reviewer stated "they're like The Decemberists, except less nerdy." The Decemberists reputation as a hyper-literate, lyrically challenging band is bordering on overkill. I've been listening to Picaresque a lot lately, and here's something to counter the thinking that The Decemberists will only make you think. "Of Angels and Angles" will make you feel.

What we take from music is in many cases not what the musician was trying to convey, but that's the beauty of it. This song speaks to me of a relationship that's gone terribly wrong, yet neither party is willing to acknowledge the problem. "As on we go drowning...down we go away" He would rather notice anything else (a spider, a bedbug), talk about anything else. She or he would rather work on a difficult crossword puzzle.

The restraint that Colin Meloy shows in this short little song is a nice contrast to the epics on the record like "The Infanta" and "The Mariner's Revenge Song." Picaresque is one of my two favorite CD's of the year so far.



Listen to The Decemberists - "Of Angels and Angles"

Ringside, Round One

This morning, XPN played a catchy little ditty called "Tired of Being Sorry" that reminded me of The Eels. Ah, no, it's Ringside.



One of the members of Ringside is actor Balthazar Getty. I know what you're thinking. This is no 30 Odd Foot Grunts (Russell Crowe's ill-fated attempt at, ahem, "rock"). Eminently listenable, Ringside goes down easy. Some beats here, interesting vocals there, delicate in parts and approachable. They probably take themselves a little too seriously, but when you're making the kind of music that the kids eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner these days it's hard to blame them.

Worth at least one listen. I don't see any exceptional staying power but they'll entertain you for an afternoon.

Listen to Ringside