The Volokh Conspiracy

What’s In Your Music Rotation?

Orin Kerr • December 23, 2009 9:03 pm

We occasionally post about music here at the VC, and I thought it would be interesting to find out what our readers are listening to. So here’s the idea: If you regularly listen to music, and you have (say) 5–10 CDs/iTunes downloads/records/cassettes/8– tracks that you’re listening to a lot these days, what are they? I’ll put my list down as the first comment. Feel free to add your own.

Categories: Uncategorized

107 Comments

Orin Kerr says:

As promised, here’s my list:

Fly (Mark Turner, Larry Grenadier, Jeff Ballard) — Sky & Country (2009)
Tom Beckham — Suspicions (2000)
Charlie Rouse — Taken Care of Business (1960)
Geof Bradfield — Urban Nomad (2008)
Collage — Collage (2007)
J.R. Monterose, Original Quartet & Quintet Complete Studio Recordings (1956–64)

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December 23, 2009, 9:03 pm
Timothy Sandefur says:

As you’re a jazz fan, I have a few recommendations for groups you may not know about. First is Phronesis, a fantastic jazz trio led by bassist Jasper Hoiby. Just put out their second album, Green Delay. Energetic, melodic, swinging–great stuff. Second is Anna Maria Jopek, a Polish jazz vocalist with the voice of an angel. I don’t understand a word of her songs, but they’re incredibly beautiful. She’s particularly good at bossa nova, but she sings pop songs beautifully too, and her slow songs are gorgeous. Check out “Daleko,” featuring Tord Gustavsen, which you can find on YouTube. And, of course, everyone should know Gustavsen, who is brilliant. He’s just released a new album based on Auden poems. Finally, there’s tge Marcin Wasilewski trio. This is actually Tomasz Stanko’s rhythm section. They have two albums out that are very good. Weak in places, but very promising.

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December 23, 2009, 9:15 pm
Brett says:

These few albums seem to keep popping up in our house:

Feist, The Reminder
Iron & Wine, Woman King
Brad Mehldau, Places
Josh Redman, Beyond
Bobby Matos, Footprints
Remember Shakti, The Believer

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December 23, 2009, 9:23 pm
Dom says:

Paul Gilbert — Acoustic Samurai (2003)
Tom Waits — Glitter and Doom (2009)
Lily Allen — Alright, Still (2006)
BB King — Anthology (2000)
Various — Enjoy Every Sandwich: The Songs of Warren Zevon (2004)
The White Stripes — White Blood Cells (2001)

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December 23, 2009, 9:23 pm
A T Garvin says:

I don’t listen to many specific albums anymore–having my entire music collection of some 1400+ albums on a device in my pocket lets me shuffle general playlists. I do have a plain cd player in my car, though, and what I’ve lately been listening to are:

Fretwork’s first album, In Nomine
Cantus Colln, Giaches de Wert: Madrigaux
Hesperion XXI, Lawes Consort Sets
The King’s Noyse, Mascharada
John Mark Rozendaal, Breaking the Ground

Most of what I listen to is early bowed strings...

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December 23, 2009, 9:25 pm
Johnny Mac says:

Oscar Peterson & Milt Jackson, “Too Tall”

Wynton Kelly, “Kelly Blue”

Nat King Cole Trio, “After Midnight”

Joss Stone, “The Soul Sessions”

Red Garland Trio, “Groovy”

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December 23, 2009, 9:25 pm
Vadim says:

Chopin — The Legendary 1965 Recording (played by Martha Argerich)
Charlie Mingus — Mingus At Antibes
Lester Young — Blue Lester (compilation)
The Velvet Underground — The Velvet Underground
The Rolling Stones — The Rolling Stones No. 2

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December 23, 2009, 9:26 pm
Dakota Loomis says:

My Boy Builds Coffins — Florence + Machine

Seven-Mile Island — Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

Moth’s Wings — Passion Pit

When The Devil’s Loose — A.A. Bondy

Tonight’s Today — Jack Penate

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December 23, 2009, 9:26 pm
Twirip says:

Somebody mentioned Anna Maria Jopek?

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December 23, 2009, 9:27 pm
Mark N. says:

Varies based on my mood, and ranges over lyrical content I agree with, am neutral toward, and disagree with, but here’s five I seem to be playing a lot lately. Seems to have a heavy contingent of stuff that came out before I was old enough to be a music fan, that I’ve discovered as a sort of investigation backwards to find the roots of the 1990s stuff I listened to as a kid.

Joy Division — Unknown Pleasures (1979)
Crass — Penis Envy (1981)
Guerre Froide — Demain Berlin single (1981)
Bad Religion — No Control (1989)
Coil — The Ape of Naples (2005)

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December 23, 2009, 9:28 pm
Jon Rowe says:

Kansas — Leftoverture (1976). Words cannot describe how underrated Kansas are as the 70’s American standard bearers to the 70’s British Progressive Rock Genre.

Dixie Dregs, Night of the Living Dregs (1979). You can watch and listen to “The Bash” and know why to get this LP.

The Band, Music From the Big Pink (1968). Americana at its finest by 4 Canadians (RIP Richard and Rick) and an American Southerner.

Black Sabbath, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1974). Ozzy may seem like a joke to you; but during his Sabbath Run they wrote good, innovative songs on a level of consistency as the Beatles and Led Zeppelin. One of their great tunes from that LP “Who Are You” with Rick Wakeman on keys.

Oh yeah and Zeppelin “Physical Graffiti,” the Beatles “Abbey Road,” the Stones “Let it Bleed,” Jeff Beck, “Blow by Blow” and “Wired,” 60s & 70s Mahavishnu, Return to Forever, Weather Report, Yes, Genesis, ELP, King Crimson, Billy Joel, Neil Young and lots of other great stuff.

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December 23, 2009, 9:30 pm
benjamink9 says:

beach house– teen dream
panda bear– person pitch
beirut– the flying cup club
fuck buttons– tarot sport
bon iver– for emma, forever ago

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December 23, 2009, 9:31 pm
Robert Ayers says:

Right now:
o Russian piano collections e.g.“Tchaikovsky and Friends” (Fingerhut)
o Gubaidulina: Croce, Preludes, String Qts, etc
o Glazunov: Piano Works
On Christmas I’ll listen to the Elgar Cello Cto (duPre) and some Shostakovich Symphonies: I ration myself :-)
And no, I am not at all Russian ... it just seemed to happen.

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December 23, 2009, 9:35 pm
KingShamus says:

I just posted songs.

Jesu — “Losing Streak”

Them Crooked Vultures — “Scumbag Blues”

The Clipse — “I’m Good”

White Denim — “I’d Have It Just The Way We Were”

Torche — “Fat Waves”

Boris — “Pseudo-Bread”

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December 23, 2009, 9:39 pm
M. Sean Fosmire says:

Michael Jones — Magical Child (currently)
Phish — Billy Breathes (one of the finest albums ever)
Guster — Keep It Together
J. J. Cale — Any Way the Wind Blows
Eddie From Ohio — I Rode Fido Home

and for Christmas:
Willowgreen — Winter
The Roches — We Three Kings

[OK Chimes In: EFO is great.]

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December 23, 2009, 9:42 pm
Gordo says:

2 full mp3 players that I have plugged into a cassette adapter in my 1995 Subaru (and also listen to away from the car) contain all classical music. My favorites right now are the Sibelius Symphonies #1 and #2.

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December 23, 2009, 9:49 pm
h2u says:

Jethro Tull — Thick As A Brick
The Beatles — Abbey Road
The Beach Boys — Pet Sounds
Paul Simon — Graceland
The Cure — Wish

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December 23, 2009, 9:50 pm
JeffH says:

Radiohead — OK Computer

White Stripes — Get Behind Me Satan

Death Cab for Cutie — Narrow Stairs

Tool — 10,000 Days

Front 242 — 06:21:03:11 Up Evil

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December 23, 2009, 9:55 pm
Lyric Critic says:

I mostly listen to music from the ‘90s for some odd reason (no, I wasn’t a teen then). Here’s what’s currently in heavy rotation (all CDs) in no particular order:

Kind of Blue–Miles Davis
Other Voices, Other Rooms–Nanci Griffith
The Ultimate Gilbert & Sullivan Collection
Last Splash–The Breeders
Doolittle–The Pixies
Lovesongs for Underdogs–Tanya Donelly
Our Time in Eden–10,000 Maniacs
Elastica–Elastica
Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea
–P.J. Harvey

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December 23, 2009, 9:57 pm
Chris Travers says:

Gjallarhorn: Sjofn
Gjallarhorn: Ranarop
Kate Rusby: 10
Kate Rusby: The Girl who Couldn’t Fly
Kate Rusby: Hourglass

I like Kate Rusby for the .... intense subject matter. Gjallarhorn’s music (though I can rarely understand it because it is generally in Swedish and Finnish) is absolutely enchanting.

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December 23, 2009, 10:05 pm
Loki says:

According to my lastfm account

Taking Back Sunday — New Again (2009)
Cafe Tacuba — Re (1994)
Blink 182 — Enema of the State (2000)
Green Day — American Idiot (2004)
David Shifrin — Clarinet Quintet in A, K. 581

Yes, I listen to teeniebopper kid music. I know.

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December 23, 2009, 10:05 pm
Greek Geek says:

U2 Achtung Baby has been getting extended play lately.

Ultraviolet and Acrobat in particular. Im not sure any other album has been getting much play — random on the ipod kills that front.

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December 23, 2009, 10:08 pm
Fûz says:

Public Image Limited — Happy?
PiL — Album
Acoustic Alchemy — Arcanum
Reverend Horton Heat — Lucky 7 and Martini Time
Frank Zappa — Joe’s Garage Act I

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December 23, 2009, 10:13 pm
Lyric Critic says:

Greek Geek: U2 Achtung Baby has been getting extended play lately.</P

I like that one, too. U2’s “How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb” was in my rotation until recently, but I guess I got tired of it.

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December 23, 2009, 10:18 pm
Leo Marvin says:

U2 — Achtung Baby
Grandpa Jones — Greatest Hits
Meshell Ndegeiocello — Bitter
Bill Evans — Waltz for Debby
Nick Cave — Murder Ballads
Frank Sinatra — Come Fly With Me
Schoenberg — Verklarte Nacht
Ray Charles — Greatest Hits Vol. 1
Radiohead — the bends
Edith Piaf — 30th Anniv.

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December 23, 2009, 10:20 pm
Lior says:

Most recently:

Bach, Goldbach variations — Pinnock
Mozart, Piano Concerti — Barenboim with the ECO
Handel, Concerti Grossi — Harnoncourt conducting the Vienna Concentus Musici
Shemer, Song Collection — various performers

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December 23, 2009, 10:25 pm
ShelbyC says:

Dixie Bee Liners — Crooked Road, Yellow Haired Girl
Larry Cordel — The first Train Robbery
The Prototypes — Who’s gonna sing
Alan Stivell — Tri Martolod

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December 23, 2009, 10:26 pm
Aeon J. Skoble says:

Lots of Sabbath (see Jon’s defense above), Led Zeppelin, Clapton, Allman Bros., Rush, Stones, Pretenders, DLR-era Van Halen, The Who, Steely Dan, Beatles. Also Sinatra. Also, as Jon noted, RTF, John McLaughlin, Al DiMeola. A lot of Coltrane lately. Always Beethoven.

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December 23, 2009, 10:33 pm
Le Messurier says:

In the spirit of Christmas I’ve been listening to several albums, but the two most frequently played are:
Music for Christmas — Classic FM
The Best of Christmas in Vienna — Placido Domingo
Non-Xmas:
Mahler Symphony Number 4 — Simon Rattle
Saint-Saens-Les 5 Symphonies — Orchestre National de l’ORTF
10 Hungarian Rhapsodies-Liszt — Georges Cziffra
The Gold and Silver Gala-Placido Domingo — The Royal Opera

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December 23, 2009, 10:34 pm
BT says:

I listen to mostly old R&B or old Country these days, so here it is:

Baby Washington–That’s How Heatbreaks Are Made

Maxine Brown– Oh No Not My Baby

The Moonglows–Sincerely

Little Demon–Screamin’ Jay Hawkins

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December 23, 2009, 10:42 pm
24AheadDotCom says:

I post five to a dozen music vids in my Twitter feed every #MusicMonday. Just keep clicking “more” at the bottom of the page and doing a find for “#MusicMonday” over and over.

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December 23, 2009, 10:50 pm
11-B.2O/B4 says:

For the mellow times:

Tom Waits — Bawlers

For the ride:

Alkaline Trio — Self Titled

For the advanced:

Coalesce — Ox (sqeee!)

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December 23, 2009, 10:51 pm
Jon Rowe says:

“Taking Back Sunday — New Again (2009)”

I don’t listen to Taking Back Sunday or know much about them. Except I was friends with their Bass player Matt Rubano when we attended Berklee College of Music together (I’m no longer in contact with him and would guess I’m one of many of his past minor friends with whom he doesn’t speak). I spent numerous fun drunken days with him and the crew we used to hang out with in the Berklee dorms in Boston, MA.

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December 23, 2009, 11:13 pm
paxloo says:

Loki: According to my lastfm
...
Yes, I listen to teeniebopper kid music.I know.

Nothing wrong with teeniebopper music. I have a lastfm too; it’ll be interesting to see our compatibility.

To answer the question, here are the albums I’ve been rotating:

1. Le Loup — Family (2009)
2. Emancipator — Soon It Will Be Cold Enough (2007)
3. Antony and the Johnsons — The Crying Light (2009)
4. The Temper Traps — Conditions (2009)
5. Samamidon — But This Chicken Proves Falsehearted (2007)

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December 23, 2009, 11:13 pm
ArthurKirkland says:

CDs in the car:

Rolling Stones — Stripped, Atlantic City 2006 bootleg
The Who — Quadrophenia
Bob Dylan/the Band — Before the Flood
Green Day — Dookie, American Idiot
Atlantic R&B — studio compilation
Springsteen — Winterland bootleg, Greetings from Asbury Park
O.A.R. — personal compilation
Dire Straits — Alchemy
Creedence Clearwater Revival — The Concert

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December 23, 2009, 11:34 pm
uh_clem says:

Adaram Madhuram by Rasa

It seems to keep popping up on Pandora and although I usually don’t want to listen to the same thing more than about once a month or so, this track has held my interest through multiple listenings.

YMMV, but give it a listen. You won’t be disappointed.

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December 23, 2009, 11:37 pm
Jonathan H. Adler says:

In heaviest rotation the last few weeks have been (listed in no particular order, and including music for the car, office, gym, etc.):

Thelonious Monk & John Coltrane — The Complete 1957 Riverside Recordings
Terence Blanchard — Flow
Stanley Clarke — If This Bass Could Only Talk
Lily Allen — It’s Not Me, It’s You
A.F.I. — Crash Love
Muse — The Resistance
Interpol — Turn on the Bright Lights
Foo Fighters — Skin and Bones
Rancid — . . . And Out Come the Wolves
The Crystal Method — Divided by Night

JHA

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December 23, 2009, 11:48 pm
David McCourt says:

These 10 are what’s currently on my changer at home:

Joe lovano, From the Soul (Blue Note, 1991)
Michel Petrucciani, Live at the Village Vanguard (Blue Note, 1984)
Tony Bennett/Bill Evans, The Tony Bennett and Bill Evans Album (OJC, 1975)
Helen Merrill, Helen Merill (Emarcy, 1954)
Brad Mehldau, Introducing Brad Mehldau (Warner, 1995)
Renee Rosnes, Pas de Trois (True Life, 2003)
Fred Hersch, Last Night When We Were Young (Classical Action, 1994)
Marian McPartland, Plays the Music of Alec Wilder (Jazz Alliance, 1974)
Steve Kuhn, Countdown (Reservoir, 1999)
Kenny Barron, Wanton Spirit (Polgram, 1995)

These six are (I think) on my car changer:

Stanley Cowell, Live at Maybeck Recital Hall (Concord, 1990)
Frank Sinatra, In the Wee Small Hours (Capitol, 1955)
Antonio Carlos Jobim & Elis Regina, Elis and Tom (Polygram, 1974)
Irene Kral, Where is Love? (Candid, 1974)
Bill Evans, Waltz for Debby (Riverside, 1961)
Bobby Watson, Love Remains (Red, 1986)

And I’m listening to this on another player as I type this:

Art Blakey, Mosaic (Blue Note, 1961)

A bracing change from Christmas music.

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December 23, 2009, 11:59 pm
All time top five this week says:

Liz Phair, Divorce Song

Be Good Tanyas, Light Enough To Travel

Future Of The Left, Arming Eritrea

Dogs Die In Hot Cars, Lounger

Cornershop, Lessons Learned From Rocky I To Rocky III

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December 24, 2009, 12:11 am
hedberg says:

Chris Smither’s album “Time Stands Still.” Amazing music and some of the most brilliant songwriting.

Loudon Wainwright “High Wide and Handsome.” A great adventure into the roots and shoots of American music.

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December 24, 2009, 12:24 am
Richard Atwood says:

The best Christmas song ever: “Fairytale of New York” by the Pogues with Kirstie McColl.

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December 24, 2009, 12:50 am
Suzy says:

P-funk mixture, Curtis Mayfield–a best-of CD, Handel’s Messiah, Led Zeppelin–In through the out door, and general Christmas music at the moment.

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December 24, 2009, 1:00 am
Anonymous says:

The Cure — Disintegration
The Clash — London Calling and Give ‘em Enough Rope
Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros — Johnny Appleseed
The Rolling Stones — Exile on Main Street
U2 — Joshua Tree

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December 24, 2009, 1:21 am
DougD says:

Some of mine are LP’s that I have digitized so they might not be strictly CDs or iTunes tracks, but the current facorites are:
1 — Jinglebell Jazz — various artists (but especially Duke Ellington’s version ofJingle Bells)
2 — Bartok in the Desert — recordings of pianist Iren Marik
3 — The Pied Piper — Bunny Berrigan
4 — Brahms Symphonies 2 and 3 — Bruno Walter cond
5 — A Trick of the Tail — Genesis

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December 24, 2009, 1:22 am
No Hammer No Sickle says:

Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson — Waylon and Willie
Neutral Milk Hotel — In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
Derek and the Dominoes — Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs
Johnny Cash — American IV: The Man Comes Around
Hole — Celebrity Skin
Radiohead — OK Computer

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December 24, 2009, 1:31 am
Serendiptity says:

I’ll just do the 5 most recently played on my i-tunes since seem a bit odd, yet somehow capture my mood. Apparently I’ve rediscovered Patti Labelle

Silence–Delerium and Sarah McLachlan
Lovin’ is Really My Game–Anne Nesby
If You Don’t Know Me By Now (Live)–Patti Labelle
Love, Need and Want You–Patti Labelle
Hey Hey–Dennis Ferrer

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December 24, 2009, 1:34 am
Richard Gould-Saltman says:

Mostly not so serious this week; too much Christmas music can independently induce Seasonal Affective Disorder.

SO:

1. Jeremy Steig’s “Howlin’ For Judy” re-release;

2. Alternating between Lou Harrison’s gamelan pieces and Morton Feldman (home and headphones only; not for the car)

3. the blues rotation of the week: Sonny Boy Williamson’s “Santa Claus”(’cause I might be called upon to sing it tomorrow), Howlin’ Wolf’s “Shake For Me” and Taj Mahal’s “Big Leg Mamas (are Back In Style Again)”

4. The weekly shot of Miles or Coltrane;

5. This week’s Latin thing: Jerry Gonzalez’ duet album (really more a flamenco thing) (eh Bret: he’s on Bobby’s “Footprints” IIRC!)

6. some 60’s pop from the library: Velvets’ “Waiting for My Man”/“Heroin”, Yardbirds’ “I’m a Man”/“I’m Not Talking”, and Dylan’s botched take of “Tombstone Blues” (Dylan re: Mike Bloomfield: “I can’t take it! You gotta put a wall up over him!”)

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December 24, 2009, 1:41 am
Engineer says:

Who would have guessed that VC readers are mostly into “alt-rock classics”? Do they all listen to WFMU or something?

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December 24, 2009, 1:50 am
Stamper says:

1. Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix — Lisztomania
2. Sleigh Bells — Crown on the Ground
3. The Bravery — Slow Poison
4. Yeah Yeah Yeahs — Heads Will Roll
5. Joker — Digidesign

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December 24, 2009, 1:55 am
Jerrod Ankenman says:

U2 — The Joshua Tree
Beatles — Abbey Road
Live — Throwing Copper
Counting Crows — This Desert Life
Billy Joel — Storm Front
Avenue Q — Original Broadway Musical Soundtrack

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December 24, 2009, 1:58 am
John Armstrong says:

Best albums I’ve been listening to lately

Barenaked Ladies — Gordon
David Bowie — Earthling
Stevie Wonder — Talking Book
Boston — Boston
Röyksopp — Junior (can’t wait for Senior to come out)

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December 24, 2009, 2:03 am
Rich says:

People still listen to CDs?

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December 24, 2009, 2:25 am
Chris Grainger says:

Recently getting quite a bit of play on the iPod:

M. Ward — Hold Time
The Raconteurs — Consolers of the Lonely
Devendra Banhart — Cripple Crow
The Low Anthem — Oh My God, Charlie Darwin
Wilhelm Kempff and Yehudi Menuhin — Beethoven’s Complete Violin Sonatas
Hendrix and Otis Redding — Historic Performances Recorded at the Monterey International Pop Festival
Q-Tip — Kamaal/The Abstract
Josh Ritter — The Animal Years
The Black Keys — Thickfreakness

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December 24, 2009, 2:41 am
EvilDave says:

mmm, in the car/iPod mostly audiobooks (TTC)

From the 5 star rated songs
Skip James
Chet Baker
The Call
Deep Purple
Anita Day
Bjork
Buddy Guy
Johnny Cash
David Bowie
Robert Johnson

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December 24, 2009, 2:43 am
Desiderius says:

Teachout’s book has got me interested in Louis Armstrong recently.

And this movie has gotten me into Maiden for the first time. Remarkably good-natured, feel-good flick (Bruce Dickinson pilots Ed Force One around the globe to amusingly adoring — and young! — audiences). Check the finale.

Couple other good music flicks here and here.

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December 24, 2009, 2:46 am
What’s In Your Music Rotation? | Liberal Whoppers says:

[...] the rest here: What’s In Your Music Rotation? Share this [...]

December 24, 2009, 3:02 am
Rich Rostrom says:

The five CDs in my player right now:

Suite Iberia, Isaac Albeniz
Symphony No. 4, Anton Bruckner
Red Army Choir: Russian Favorites, various Russian composers
Symphonies No. 2 and No. 4, Robert Schumann
Bayou Deluxe, Beausoleil

This is heavier on the Romantics than my usual mixes. More commonly I have one or two baroque albums and something by either Mozart or Haydn in there. Or a light classic like Rossini or Strauss. No contemporary pop except a few exotics like Beausoleil (one of the reasons Louisiana ranks #1 on the happiest-state list).

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December 24, 2009, 3:16 am
Jeff Walden says:

Last five according to last.fm:

Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring soundtrack
Doobie Brothers — Stampede
Raiders of the Lost Ark soundtrack
Best of the Doobies
Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones soundtrack

Up until a couple weeks ago I was hitting these George Winston albums quite heavily, until I happened to look at recent song play counts and realized I was weighting all George Winston much more heavily than the stuff I’ve had longer (that basically being Guaraldi, Lord of the Rings soundtracks, three Doobie Brothers albums, or Star Wars or Indiana Jones soundtracks):

George Winston — Plains
George Winston — Linus and Lucy: The Music of Vince Guaraldi
George Winston — Gulf Coast Blues & Impressions: A Hurricane Relief Benefit
George Winston — Winter Into Spring: 20th Anniversary Edition
George Winston — Montana: A Love Story
George Winston — Autumn: 20th Anniversary Edition

(Finally after that you get a non-Winston, that being Vince Guaraldi [A Charlie Brown Christmas] — but then it returns to Winston’s Forest, Summer, Doors tribute, and December before getting off Winston again. Even then it’s only two more albums before I get the last of the Winston albums I own, Ballads and Blues at only two fewer plays than the next-least-played Winston. :-) )

Incidentally, for anyone who’s been leery of Gulf Coast Blues due to a reputation for it not being quite traditional George Winston fare, I still think it’s pretty awesome. Excepting a few of the songs (Stevenson; Gulf Coast Lullaby, both parts; and Blues for Fess, Beloved) it’s indeed very different, but it’s just so joyful and rollicking and full of life and verve and mythic New Orleans blues there’s no way I couldn’t love it.

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December 24, 2009, 3:46 am
Canerican says:

Dave Matthews Band — Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King
Kings of Leon — Only by Night
Damien Rice — 9
Brad Paisley — American Saturday Night
The Beatles — Love
John Mayer — Battles Studies
Jimi Hendrix — Experience Hendrix

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December 24, 2009, 7:34 am
Gone to Texas says:

Oddesey and Oracle–Zombies
Charlie Brown Christmas

Bands my students turned me on to: N.A.S.A., Noisettes, Black Eyed Peas, Lady GaGa

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December 24, 2009, 7:39 am
JF says:

Young groups interpreting old rural music:

Carolina Chocolate Drops — Heritage
Crooked Still — Shaken by a Low Sound

Old favorites:

Los Lobos — Kiko
Little Feat — Live from Neon Park

In memory of Liam, RIP:

Clancy Brothers — Greatest Hits

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December 24, 2009, 8:13 am
KingShamus says:

Suzy: Led Zeppelin–In through the out door.

People tend to sleep on In Through The Out Door because it’s keyboard-y and not quite as rocked out as the other Zep discs. I still think it’s got some great tunes on it. “In The Evening” is as good as anything else in the LZ catalogue.

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December 24, 2009, 8:14 am
Pete says:

Drake — So Far So Gone Mixtape

Kings of Leon — Whatever their newest album is called

Lil’ Wayne — No Ceilings

Mastodon — Crack the Skye

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December 24, 2009, 9:13 am
NR says:

Currently in my car:

Miles Davis, In a Silent Way
Miles Davis, Kind of Blue
Miles Davis, Sketches of Spain
John Coltrane, My Favorite Things
John Coltrane, Blue Train
Frank Zappa, Apostrophe/Overnight Sensation
Frank Zappa, One Size Fits All
Jerry Garcia and David Grisman, The Pizza Tapes
Johnny Cash, Unchained
The Band, Music from the Big Pink
Dr. Dre, 2001
Tony Furtado, Roll My Blues Away
Al Green, I’m Still in Love with You
Fela, Confusion/Gentleman
Beck, Midnight Vultures
Phish, Live Recording from Big Cypress (12/30/99 and 12/31/99)
James Brown, 20 Greatest Hits
Berlioz, Symphonie Fantastique
Rolling Stones, Exile on Main Street
Tom Waits, Nighthawks at the Diner
Gnarls Barkley, St. Elsewhere

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December 24, 2009, 9:21 am
Carl from Chicago says:

I go through phases in my music ... none of them really leave for good, but the phases come and go.

I like a lot of Brazilian music, esp. Bossa Nova, and also Ali Farka Touré from Mali. But also often listen to American blues, bluegrass, and jazz. I tune in to Zappa now and then, but recently, it’s been a lot of live Widespread Panic (a fantastic rock-oriented jam-band from the Athens, Georgia area). If you can stand lots of youngsters and dope smoke, the live shows are excellent.

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December 24, 2009, 9:47 am
Bth says:

Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society, Infernal Machines (2009)
Mikkel Ploug Group feat. Mark Turner, Harmoniehof (2008)
Louis Armstrong, Hot Fives and Sevens (1925–28)
Califone, All My Friends Are Funeral Singers (2009)
Chris Potter, Ultrahang (2009)
Phish, 10/31/09 Set II, Indio CA (covering Rolling Stones “Exile on Main Street”)

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December 24, 2009, 9:48 am
Lyric Critic says:

KingShamus: People tend to sleep on In Through The Out Door because it’s keyboard-y and not quite as rocked out as the other Zep discs. I still think it’s got some great tunes on it. “In The Evening” is as good as anything else in the LZ catalogue.

I love Led Zeppelin, though I haven’t listened to them in years. However, “In Through the Out Door” is one that I just never could get into. Maybe I should give it another try.

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December 24, 2009, 9:48 am
Gordon Langston says:

Kind of Blue Miles Davis
Take 5 Dave Brubeck
Southern Comfort Crusaders
Wrecking Ball Emmylou Harris
Ballads Karrin Allyson

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December 24, 2009, 9:54 am
slimslowslider says:

Here are some albums I have been enjoying lately:

Clipse — Til The Casket Drops
Lil Wayne — No Ceilings
Yahowha 13 — Sonic Portation
Grant Hart — Hot Wax
Kip Hanrahan — Beautiful Scars

Have a great New Year’s all.

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December 24, 2009, 10:02 am
dan says:

Can you tell what my favorite band is?
The Doors — The Doors
The Doors — Strange Days
The Doors — L.A. Woman

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December 24, 2009, 10:24 am
Thomas says:

The National–Boxer and Alligator
Wilco–Wilco
Pete Yorn–musicforthemorningafter
Todd Snider–East Nashville Skyline
Nick Lowe–At My Age

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December 24, 2009, 10:25 am
troll_dc2 says:

I don’t listen too much to recorded music, since I go to a ridiculous number of concerts.

But the latest CDs that I have listened to (which I got for a steal when Tower Records closed down) are:

Mozart, the six quartets dedicated to Haydn (Guarneri Quartet)
Beethoven, the 10 violin sonatas (Oistrakh and Oborin)

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December 24, 2009, 10:25 am
Steve Horwitz says:

My iTunes “most played” list includes songs from these albums:

Rush, “Snakes and Arrows”
Indigo Girls, “All that We Let In”
Barenaked Ladies, “Barenaked Ladies are Me”
Live, “The Distance to Here”
Frank Sinatra, “Sinatra at the Sands”

In the car, I’ve been playing

Steely Dan, “Katy Lied”
Dave Matthews Band, “Crash”
Tragically Hip, “We are the Same”
Steely Dan, “Two Against Nature”
The Who, “Quadrophenia”

and the obligatory classical and jazz:

Artur Rubenstein, Rachmaninoff 2nd Piano Concerto
John Coltrane, “My Favorite Things”

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December 24, 2009, 10:26 am
newshutz says:

Nouvelle Vague is a group that redoes New Wave songs in Bossa Nova. All three being literal translations of the other.

I particularly like “In a Manner of Speaking” and “Wishing”

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December 24, 2009, 10:29 am
bash91 says:

Currently in the car

Various — A Very Special Christmas
Queensryche — Operation Mindcrime
KJ52 — KJ52 Television
Lecrae — After the Music Stops and Rebel
Casting Crowns — Lifesong, Peace on Earth, The Altar and the Door, When the Whole World Hears
Warren Zevon — The Wind
Nickel Creek — Nickel Creek
Alison Krauss — A Hundred Miles or More
Alison Krauss & Union Station — Live
Tobymac — Welcome to Diverse City
and, for the munchkins,
John Denver and the Muppets — A Christmas Together
Veggie Tales — A Very Veggie Christmas

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December 24, 2009, 10:33 am
oledrunk says:

Jazz Odyssey New Orleans 1917–1947
Bach Kantatas
Marin Marais

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December 24, 2009, 10:33 am
Jon Rowe says:

“In Through the Out Door” was John Paul Jones’ baby. He got some awesome keyboard sounds on those tunes.

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December 24, 2009, 10:34 am
Dotar Sojat says:

Bruce Hornsby, John Mayall, Dave Brubeck, Steely Dan.

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December 24, 2009, 10:45 am
richard says:

Heres my top 20 list for 2009

1. Bright Mississippi – Allan Toussaint

2. Willie and the Wheel-Willie Nelson

3. Written in Chalk-Buddy and Julie Miller

4. Man of Somebody’s Dreams– Chris Gaffney tribute

5. Mountain Soul II-Patty Loveless

6. Get Lucky-Mark Knopfler

7. Lucky One-Raul Malo

8. Dave Alvin and the Guilty Women

9. Blood and Smoke-Tom Russell

10. Shadow on the Ground-James Hand

11. Potato Hole-Booker T

12. American Saturday Night-Brad Paisley

13. Pynandi-Chango Spasiuk

14. Los Lobos Does Disney-Los Lobos

15. The Fall-Norah Jones

16. Songs My Dad Loved-Ricky Skaggs

17. Together Through Life-Bob Dylan

18. Blue Ridge Rangers Ride Again-John Fogerty

19. The List-Roseanne Cash

20. Wishful Thinking-Hot Club of Cowtown

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December 24, 2009, 11:09 am
RT says:

Because of the weather, I’ve been listening to Frank Zappa “Don’t Eat the Yellow Snow”. Also:

The Who — Live at Leeds (Deluxe Edition)

ZZ Top — Tejas and Tres Hombres

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December 24, 2009, 11:10 am
PLR says:

Top 5 albums for 2009

1. Bobby Emmett: Learning Love (power pop circa 1978)
2. Willie Nile: House of a Thousand Guitars (longtime NY singer-songwriter)
3. Jeff Larson: Heart of the Valley (SoCal singer-songwriter)
4. Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit: self-titled (ex-Drive By Truckers front man)
5. Ad Vanderveen: Faithful to Love (Dutch singer-songwriter)

I’ve also been listening to a lot of Josh Ritter and Flogging Molly, but they did not produce albums this year.

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December 24, 2009, 11:27 am
Smitty says:

Hysteria, Def Leppard
Joshua Tree, U2
Ring of Fire, Johnny Cash
Fair & Square, John Prine

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December 24, 2009, 11:34 am
WilliamP says:

This is the playlist I’ve been using to prepare an article over the last few weeks.

Moonsorrow — Suden Uni (A Wolf’s Dream) (2001)
Korpklaani — Spirit of the Forest (2003)
Elvis Costello — This Year’s Model (1978)
Amanda Palmer — Who Killed Amanda Palmer? (2008)
Charles Mingus — Mingus Ah Um (1959)
Emperor — Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk (1997)
Muse — Black Holes and Revelations (2006)

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December 24, 2009, 11:36 am
drobviousso says:

Korpklaani — Spirit of the Forest: My 5 month old boy really likes it
Mastodon — Crack the Sky
Technoir — Deliberately Fragile
VNV Nation — Matter and Form
Fair to Midland — Fables from a Mayfly: What I Tell You Three Times Is True : Just discovered the yesterday, really like this album

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December 24, 2009, 11:48 am
Michelle Dulak Thomson says:

Compulsive classical CD collector here, so my most recent listening has mainly been what arrived in the last month. Boccherini cello sonatas (Luigi Puxeddu and colleagues, on Brilliant). Louise Farrenc chamber music on two CPO CDs. Krommer bassoon quartets — not my usual patch, but I’m a violist, and anything for bassoon, two[!] violas, and cello has to be heard at least once. The recording is by a group called Island, on the Ars Musici label, and it’s fantastic, performances and pieces both. Late Beethoven quartets by the Cypress Quartet on their own label, for a pending review. All sorts of mostly-Russian cello music played by Sviatoslav Knushevitsky, who was in a celebrated piano trio with David Oistrakh and Lev Oborin, but did plenty of solo playing as well. (This is on the Brilliant label again — they have issued a ton of stuff from ex-Soviet radio archives, and this 5-disc box is only the latest of them.)

Also yesterday broke out the Marian Anderson/William Primrose recording of the Brahms “viola songs.” And today, probably my own Christmas favorites — the Tallis Scholars’ “Christmas Motets and Carols,” an old Regensburger Domspatzen album of (mostly) old German Christmas music, a few other things.

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December 24, 2009, 12:44 pm
Afrânio says:

Maria Gadú-Shimbalaiê
I Wayan Lotring-Bali, Hommage à Wayan Lotring
Marisa Monte-Infinito ao Meu Redor
Rush-Presto

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December 24, 2009, 12:46 pm
jccamp says:

Franz Krommer bassoon quartets? I have to confess, I had to Google Krommer, and I didn’t realize there was such a thing as a bassoon quartet...

But then, I’m a heathen.

My music is mainly for running, so my latest iPod playlist starts like this (and gets even better):

Jingle Bells — Earl Scruggs (hey, it’s the season)
Road Runner — Microwave Dave & the Nukes (beep beep)
Green Onions (live) — Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
François Couperin: Les Baricades Mistérieuses — Eliot Fisk (thanks Patsy, for this suggestion)
I’m Walking — Carl Perkins

There’s some really intriguing stuff on this page. I’m looking forward to browsing.

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December 24, 2009, 1:08 pm
menshevik says:

This is all old stuff, but first-rate musicianship and authentic feeling never gets old:

Primitive Streak — subdudes
Live at Tipitina’s — Neville Brothers
John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers featuring Eric Clapton — [self titled]
Sweet Forgiveness — Bonnie Raitt

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December 24, 2009, 1:36 pm
Eagle's Nest says:

Albums recently played (and in no particular order) include the following:

- Flying Burrito Brothers: The Gilded Palace of Sin
- Baroness: The Blue Record
- Fleet Foxes: Fleet Foxes
- John Coltrane: Blue Train
- Katatonia: Night is the New Day
- The Decembrists: The Hazards of Love
- Zac Brown Band: The Foundation
- Gustav Mahler: Symphony 5 in C-Sharp Minor
- Christy Moore: Smoke and Strong Whiskey
- Beastie Boys: Paul’s Boutique
- Rush: Hold Your Fire
- J.S. Bach: Osteroratorium BWV 249
- Iron Maiden: Powerslave
- King Crimson: In the Court of the Crimson King
- Lady Antebellum: Lady Antebellum
- Walter Trout: Full Circle
- Sondheim’s Into the Woods
- The Kinks: The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society
- Amon Amarth: Twilight of the Thunder God

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December 24, 2009, 1:54 pm
Michelle Dulak Thomson says:

jccamp,

I like Krommer very much, actually, but he’s mainly a wind composer, and I’m a string player, so our paths don’t cross much, so to speak.

And there’s not only “such a thing as a bassoon quartet,” but there’s many such things, so the term is ambiguous. Four bassoons make a marvelous sound, and there’s some legit music for the combo. Prokofiev wrote a Scherzo for four bassoons; Peter Schickele (the guy behind P.D.Q. Bach) wrote Last Tango in Bayreuth for the same ensemble, and it’s as funny as any of his PDQ music — imagine the opening of Tristan all on bassoons, to a tango rhythm, with the Act 3 Prelude from Lohengrin as trio section . . .

Then there’s bassoon ‘n’ strings, which is usually violin/viola/cello (that’s what, say, Devienne uses), so that Krommer’s ditching the violin for another viola is seriously outside-the-box. It makes for a rich, growly, mid-register-heavy ensemble sound, which of course is the way we violists like it, even when we don’t get to play. There are Marin Marais suites for three viols (great recording by a group called Les voix humaines, on the Atma label, another recent acquisition); I thought of transcribing these, but none of the parts really work on the viola.

Les Baricades Mistérieuses

I knew I left something out! We have a recently-acquired piano in the house, and my husband has been working on this one, a favorite of ours, so it’s constantly in my head, and I’ve revisited the two recordings we have (Verlet and Borgstede). A marvelous piece. Fisk of course is a guitarist, so I don’t know what he’s done with it, but it ought to work well on guitar.

(If you read music, do try to get a look at the way Couperin actually notated Les Baricades Mistérieuses; it’s . . . striking. IANAKP (I am not a keyboard player), but I don’t know of any other 18th-c. piece that instructs you so insistently and yet so elegantly about when you’re allowed to lift your fingers up. “Mysterious barricades,” indeed.)

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December 24, 2009, 2:11 pm
PersonFromPorlock says:

Götterdämmerunt (it’s the little-known shorter version).

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December 24, 2009, 2:12 pm
Seppo says:

The New Possibility: John Fahey’s Christmas Album
John Martyn: One World, and Glorious Fool
J J Cale: Travel-Log
R L Burnside: Burnside on Burnside
Warren Zevon: Learning to Flinch
Jimmy Martin: You Don’t Know My Mind
The Pentangle: Solomon’s Seal
Roy Buchanan: Second Album
Focus: Mother Focus
Larry Coryell at the Village Gate
Stanley Brothers: Long Journey Home
Rossini: 14 Overtures

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December 24, 2009, 2:30 pm
Curmudgeon says:

My current rotation consists of:

Reverend Horton Heat — Full Custom Gospel Sounds of...
Reverend Horton Heat — Revival
Vampire Weekend
Johnny Cash Mix
Janes Addiction — Nothing’s Shocking
Red Hot Chili Peppers — Californication and Stadium Arcadium
Queens of the Stone Age — Era Vulgeris

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December 24, 2009, 4:15 pm
jccamp says:

Person from porlock —

I know that one. I saw it on ESPN, the Highlights of the Gods...

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December 24, 2009, 4:53 pm
Jeff says:

In no particular order:

–Robert Earl Keen, “The Rose Hotel”
–Jim Lauderdale, “Honey Songs”
–Wink Keziah, “Hard Times”
–Buddy and Julie Miller, “Written in Chalk”
–Hot Club of Cowtown, “Wishful Thinking”
–The Long Ryders, “Two Fisted Tales”
And lots of 80s alt rock on Rhapsody

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December 24, 2009, 5:36 pm
Brett says:

Afrânio: Maria Gadú

Thanks for that. It’s nice.

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December 24, 2009, 5:50 pm
Shebang says:

Thriving Ivory: Overrated
Rosie Thomas: Christmas Don’t Be Late
R.E.M.: Nightswimming
Better Than Ezra: Breathless
Sister Hazel: Little Drummer Boy, Hello, It’s Me
Arctic Monkeys: Fluorescent Adolescent; I Bet You Look Good on the Dance Floor
The Shins: Turn On Me

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December 24, 2009, 6:29 pm
Frank Drackman says:

Aren’t Y’all the Con-o-Sewers...

Nobody’s listenin to Wilson Phillips, ABBA, Neil Diamond???? Somebody paid for those Mansions...

OK, I’ll get wild & crazy and throw in some Bangles or Go Gos every once in a while

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December 24, 2009, 6:37 pm
ih8tofly says:

Only albums I own are classical, especially classical piano, and early 90s R&B.

Listening to country mostly these days. Top 10 tracks from my iPod:

1. Angel Flight — Radney Foster
2. I Love My Old Bird Dog — Crossin Dixon
3. Red Light — David Nail
4. Living For The Night — George Strait
5. Stupid Boy — Keith Urban
6. Daddies and Daughters — Lee Roy Parnell
7. Beautiful Wreck — Shawn Mullins
8. Sara Smile — Jimmy Wayne (song 1st written & performed by Hall & Oates)
9. Arlington — Trace Adkins
10. Man Of The House — Chuck Wicks

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December 24, 2009, 7:24 pm
jccamp says:

M. Thomson —

Interesting stuff. I added a Marais bass viola piece as a heart-starter warm-up, (Chaconne en rondeau, for viola da gambe & continuo in G major (Pièces de viole, Book II, No. 82)), hoping (likely in vain) that it will put some sorely needed tone in my otherwise pedestrian pavement pounding.

Thanks.

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December 25, 2009, 2:19 am
Hastur says:

Them Crooked Vultures
Cage the Elephant
Reverend Horton Heat
The Raconteurs
Arctic Monkeys

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December 25, 2009, 2:29 am
Hastur says:

Them Crooked Vultures
Cage the Elephant
Reverend Horton Heat
The Raconteurs
Arctic Monkeys

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December 25, 2009, 2:29 am
Leo Marvin says:

Nobody’s listenin to Wilson Phillips, ABBA, Neil Diamond????

As they say, listening to ABBA is like getting hit in the head with IKEA furniture. You appreciate the crafstmanship, but it hurts.

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December 25, 2009, 6:05 am
Toby says:

Eliane Elias
Gypsy Kings Live
The Kinks
Johnny Cash
Western Wall– The Tuscon Sessions (Emmy Lou Harris, Linda Ronstadt)
Miles Davis — Kind of Blue
Stephan Grapelli
Feist
Gogol BordelloRay Charles
Soundtrack from The Commitments
The Nutcracker (it’s Christmas)

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December 25, 2009, 9:21 am
RobinGoodfellow says:

Pink Floyd
The Clash
The Police

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December 27, 2009, 2:29 am
MikeT says:

Fleet Foxes
My Morning Jacket
Foo Fighters
U2
Bob Dylan

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December 27, 2009, 9:59 pm
Zincro S. Maldingro says:

1) Cat Stevens
2) Gerry Rafferty
3) Nick Drake
4) Steely Dan
5) Miles Davis
6) The Guess Who

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December 29, 2009, 12:56 am

What’s In Your Music Rotation?

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