Dollev

I always enjoy Jeff and Jenny’s BZT shows, but show #165 was mind-blowing. Not in the least because of the input of one of the guests. She (i think her name is Jessica) brought along some music that really got my interest. One of the songs she brought along, was from The Crane Wife. the latest album by The Decemberists. I got me a copy of it today, and i really like it. I’m aware that not all the reviews of The Crane Wife all are enthusiastic, but i don’t think it was very realistic to expect another Piqaresque. Actually, i’m relieved that the band did deviate from Piqaresque a bit with their sound on their latest album, while the quality of the songs themselves is as consistent as ever.

I just discovered another internet radio show that is very much to my liking. It is the Bottletree podcast by Red Blondehead. Their show is a more classic blah blah/song/blah blah/song podcast. Personally i prefer sets, like on the BZT show. For some reason a set makes the character and quality of each individual song more apparent to me as a listener. But this show does come up with some excellent tunes. I just listened to their last show and it features a playlist that would make any fan of todays non-conformist alternative music scene extremely happy. Best band of the show was without a doubt Califone, who just delivered an excellent album titled Roots and Crowns. The Bottletree podcast played two songs of that one, which is more than enough reason to download it.

Apart from listening to internet radio shows, i spent some time listening to Ys, the second album by Joanna Newsum. It got raving reviews, but i find it hard to even remotely like it. Being able to play a harp and sing with an eerie voice is a great skill-set that can lead to great things, and anything that is labeled as Appalachian-meets-avant-garde, deserves my undivided attention. But the songs sound too inconsistent to me, even a bit hysterical.
One of the reviewers stated that he had to play the album ten times before he finally got it. Maybe i should do that too. Then again there is a good chance i will experience the same thing that i often get from listening to jazz. That is not liking it, while you feel sort of an obligation to like it a lot. That results in an endless trying and failing to at least find out on which kind of bricks and mortar this sonic structure was build with in the first place. Very frustrating.

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