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Music Friday

31 Aug 2007 03:11 pm

So my downloads have reset, and I managed to get 100 downloaded with six minutes to go until midnight. I thought I'd update you on what I managed to download between 5 o'clock yesterday, when I realized that I had, in the excitement of moving and switching computers, forgotten to download any music this month; and midnight, when the downloads reset. I should note that there was a three+ hour break for dinner.

The Affair Yes Yes to You
Amon Tobin Chaos Theory
Arnold Schoenberg Verklarte Nacht/Chamber Symphony No 2
Beirut Lon Gisland
The Decemberists Castaways and Cutouts
godspeed you! black emperor Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven
Infected Mushroom Classical Mushroom
Moondog Moondog
The National Boxer
The New Pornographers Twin Cinema
Okkervil River The Stage Names
Quentin Crisp An Evening with Quentin Crisp
Steve Reich/The Smith Quartet Different Trains
Tokyo Police Club Smith
Georgie James The Grizzly Jive
Death Cab for Cutie Dream Scream

As you can see, I was in an Indie kind of mood, which is not to disparage any of the other genres that were suggested; I will explore some of them with this month's downloads. But when you're in a hurry, it's best to stick with one or two genres; it's easier to distinguish what you like. And so far, I like all of it, except that I'm kind of ambivalent about The Affair. For that matter, I should like all of it, since several of those selections were repeats of things I lost to a hard drive failure and my poor backup technique.

As you can also see, anyone who was hoping for Yglesias-quality music blogging will have to slide back over to his blog. Thanks for everyone who made suggestions, and keep them coming; I have a hundred downloads every month.

Incidentally, I should mention that if you don't have an eMusic subscription, you should totally get one; mine costs $25 a month, or 25 cents per fully transferrable MP3. However, I do want to complain about the fact that after you get to 100 downloads a month, there's no further discount; the 200 song package costs exactly twice as much, give or take a penny, as the 100 song package.

Not that this has kept me from toying with the idea . . .

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Comments (14)

Okkervil River is an AMAZING band...my favorite.

I hate to be such the indie rocker snob, but I have liked the band for five years now, and recall seeing them perform in the Village somewhere before about twelve people (including the help staff). Now, they're playing Conan O'Brien!

Anyway, if you're not already familiar, chck out Shearwater. They are Jonathan of Okkervil's side-band, and they're pretty good.

Overall not a bad list. I would assume you have the other Decembrists entries already? Picaresque and Her Majesty are, of course brilliant, but a lady of such class and distinction surely owns this already. Same thing goes for The Hold Steady's "Boys and Girls in America". I would also recommend The Black Angels (60's psych grunge), Ghostland Observatory (freaky dance), and David and the Citizens (Swedish stuff).

Is there any way to see what eMusic has in it's catalog? The web site requires you sign up for a trial to take any kind of look inside. I'm not ready to take the plunge just yet.

You should make this a regular feature. Nick Hornby has this great column, which spawned the compilation The Polysyllabic Spree, where he lists all the books he bought that month, then all the books he read, and gives brief notes on each book. It's a great insight into how he thinks and what his influences are.

I'd point out that for a $10 basic subscription, you not only get 25 free songs, plus your monthly 30, but also a chance to look at the whole catalogue. And it is surprisingly deep; I've gotten everything from Wagner to Ray Charles to Amon Tobin there.

My music collection is, for various reasons, very spotty, but yes, I have the Decemberists albums. Or at least, I think I do; the hard drive crash was musically very costly.

oooh Godspeed You Black Emperor... good choice.

I have heard of exactly NONE of those bands on your list. Another sign that at 40 years of age I am now and always was un-hip.

Beirut's Lon Gisland is my favorite album of 2006. Good Choice.

Godspeed You! Black Emperor is my favorite album by Canadian anarchists. Good Choice.

Glad to see you picked up the GYBE. The fact they had it on eMusic is great. Certainly easier than taking a 45 minute drive to the stores that actually have the albums.

If they have the rest of the Constellation bands, I think I'm definitely gonna have to sign up.

After reading your post, I decided to try to upgrade from my current 75 song/$19.95 subscription to a 100 song/$25.00, but emusic tells me that I'm currently at their highest monthly download subscription tier. Do they have a special for bloggers? I want my 25 cents per song!!!

by the way, amon tobin's chaos theory is video game music. literally. it was produced for tom clancy's rainbow 6 chaos theory. so if it sounds a bit, um, repetitive, that's why.

Foley Room has actual songs on it and instead of relying on prepackaged samples and synthesized instruments, he went into a Foley Room and recorded his own and sequenced them. it's real good. if you haven't heard it, check it out.

I already have The Foley Room, which is why I donwloaded Chaos Theory. Haven't listened yet, but will save it for something where repetitive is a feature, not a bug. Thanks.

Thank you. I still can't figure out how to get there without going to "about emusic >> press room" I guess they really don't want too many people to know about this? Thanks again.....

I'm glad you're enjoying Classical Mushroom. Now run out and get some Minus the Bear albums right away!

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