Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Seven Songs (Barely)

I've been tagged by my blogging, Berkeley-based sister-in-law:
“List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether they have words, or even if they're not any good, but they must be songs you're really enjoying now, shaping your spring. Post these instructions in your blog along with your 7 songs. Then tag 7 other people to see what they're listening to.”
As soon as I saw this, I realized the grim fate before me. I have now to reveal myself as someone who currently hardly ever listens to music. It hasn't always been that way, of course, and I'm a musician myself (lapsed flute player, choral singer), which makes it seem odder still, and I live a happily vicarious musical life through my daughter the flutist/violinist, which makes it especially hard to admit: I just don't listen much these days. The truth is, living with an 8-year-old boy who watches lots of videos and plays lots of computer games, when the house is quiet enough that I could turn on some music, I usually prefer to bask in the rare silence. And in the car, or while I wash dishes, I listen to NPR news and Car Talk and stuff like that -- something that informs or amuses me and engages my mind.

That being said, I will admit to having discovered The Weepies (from listening to public radio) this winter and liking them very much -- enough to have downloaded one album and to have received another from my older daughter for my birthday. (And I just discovered that one of the pair that make up the group, Deb Talen, is a fellow Brown alum, which is cool.) So I'll let them get me started:
  • "World Spins Madly On" - The Weepies (I downloaded the single first, and then the whole Say I Am You album, so I have this song twice in my iTunes and that is just fine). This is so darn listenable.
  • "Painting by Chagall" - The Weepies. Not one of my favorites at first, but one of the more memorable songs on the album.
  • "Slow Pony Home" - The Weepies. Sticks in my head.
  • Beethoven String Quartet in c minor, Opus 18 No. 4, because that's the string quartet my violinist daughter is working on this month at music camp. I've listened to it once so far, and not with great attention, but will surely do so again.
  • "Prisoner" - Aztec Two-Step, from their debut album whose plaintive harmonies permeate some of my best college memories; I was thrilled to download the album some months ago
  • Oh boy. This is getting hard. Oh, I've just remembered the Emmylou Harris CD I bought a few months ago. So, "Little Bird" - Emmylou Harris (from Stumble Into Grace). Lovely song by one of my very favorite artists of all time.
  • And "Plaisir d'Amour" - Emmylou Harris, from the same album. Because it's French. Or Louisianan. Or something.
Older daughter, who gave me The Weepies for my birthday, also burned an "I'm a Cool Mom/Mom's Birthday Mix" CD for me. I've only listened to it once so far, but I expect if I were tagged to do this again in a few months, I'd need to list some of those songs.

I guess I am obligated by the playground rules to tag others. Here goes: Mary, Rob, Christopher, Jim, Deb, Brendon, and I'm afraid those are all the bloggers I can think of right now that I know even arguably well enough to tag or at least I think I'd enjoy knowing what they're listening to, whose blogs do not seem so serious or issue-specific that this would be totally out of place, and who haven't already received this tag. But if they feel it's not for them, I won't hold them to it. I've done my best. No backs!

8 comments:

Rob Hardy said...

I've picked up your gauntlet and listed my seven songs on my blog. With links to videos!

Rob Hardy said...

P.S. I needed a new book to read and almost picked up one of the new Sourcebooks reprints of Georgette Heyer's Black Sheep at River City Books. I've never read Heyer, but I know you're a fan. I sat in the store and read the first page, and was put off by the detailed description of the character's clothing. Jane Austen doesn't spend so much time describing clothes. It seemed like Heyer was saying, "Look at the fruit of my extensive research on period fashion!" But perhaps you can convince me to try again.

Unknown said...

Oh, Rob, start with "The Unknown Ajax." If you don't like that, you probably won't become a fan. "Frederica" is another of my favorites.

Consider that when Austen wrote, she didn't need to set a period scene because she was writing of her time. And don't think of Heyer as vying for Austen-stature, just think of her as an enjoyable and witty read. Light but delicious.

Mary S. said...

As someone who is tone-deaf and incapable of clapping out a beat correctly, I've never been into music enough to have seven songs I like at one time. I am also a country music fan, which just heaps on the embarrassment. However, I have one song I like right now for its social commentary and witty lyrics. It's Brad Paisley's "I'm Still a Guy," which includes lyrics such as
"These days there's dudes getting facials,
Manicured, waxed and botoxed,
With deep spray-on tans and creamy lotiony hands,
You can't grip a tacklebox..."

You get the idea.

Unknown said...

Sounds good, Mary. Welcome back!

Deb said...

This is probably the most fun meme I've seen in a while, perhaps because music is such a big part of my life. I'll be playing along soon!

Unknown said...

I thought you might be up for this one! I'll be interested to read your post.

Jim H. said...

It's tardy, I know, but my response to your seven songs tag has finally been posted.