Thursday, November 16, 2006

Record of the Month

I figured I'd do a monthly 'what I'm listening to' kind of thing. This could be viewed as a lame placeholder kind of post. And probably it is. But it's my blog! So there!

These may or may not be newly released disks. They might not even be a good disk - just what is been in heavy rotation in my car (as usually the iPod is playing anywhere else).


Damien Rice has a new disk out. 9.

New disk you say? You never knew he had an old disk? I'm shocked! SHOCKED!!! I mean the way radio just oversaturates every market with their diverse playlists - I'd be sure you've all come across him.

Yes - I'm joking. If you're not The Frey (0r is it The Fray?...and do i care? No. No I don't) or Nickelback (nooooo, i'm not going to link to them!), I'd assume you have no chance of getting played on a Clear Channel station. You might hear Rice on a college or satellite station somewhere. I don't have XM or Sirius, so I really can't verify this.

I got Rice's first disk, O, while visiting Becca a few years back. Ok, technically it was when we slipped away to Boston for a few days. Lenox isn't known for their Virgin Megastore (or virgin anything....I might add!). Like O, the songs on 9 are somewhat sparse, yet still complex. And like his last disk, he uses vocalist Lisa Hannigan to compliment his vocal style.

Rice is a big proponent of expletives in some of his work. Actually, none on O, but a number on his EP, B Sides. And he bandies about the words 'fuck' and 'cum' a number of times on 9. And since the former is probably my favouritest word, I'm not offended when on "Rootless Tree" he spits "fuck you, fuck you, fuck you and all we've been through". It actually kind of makes the song. (hey, I just thought - maybe *this* is why he's never played on the radio.)

Rice's debut solo disk (he was in the band, Juniper) is mostly acoustic, even with a little cello thrown in here and there. In his new disk, he gets a bit more electric (and slightly more eclectic). "Me, My Yoke & I" is like nothing I've heard him do - and I really like it. But the opening track, "9 Crimes" is almost worth the purchase price.

If I have a complaint (and if you know me - you know damn well I do) it's he always ends his disks with these l-o-n-g songs. 11 and 22 minutes. But there are these extended periods of silence or worse, horrid music. I personally don't get it. I just listen to the first 6-7 minutes and skip the rest of the track.

Still...he's interesting. Not much like him out there. I'd say he's at least worth a listen.

No comments: