Summer Listening Assignments

Listen up, children, because class is officially in session. Now, originally we had a trip planned to the local public library so I could assign you all some summer reading. However, instead, I thought it would be more fun if we--Bobby stop screwing around back there! Ahem, sorry. As I was saying, it would be more fun if we took a trip to my iTunes library so I can assign you all some summer listening to do. If there is any time of year that is conducive to expanding your musical horizons, it is in the hot heat of the summer sun. Whether it be at the beach, by the pool, or what have you, there seems to be much more time to log some hours on the good ol' MP3 player. But instead of retreading old favorites--how many times can you actually listen to the Hall and Oates greatest hits album anyway (if you're me, A LOT)--I have chosen three albums from less-than-mainstream artists for you to download and soak up. Now, these albums are in no way new. In fact, they are all just about two years old. However, these are bands that everyone should be well briefed in, and I have tried to choose albums that works as the best introduction to their music and style. So lather on the sun tan lotion, place some cucumber slices over your eyes, shove in those ear-buds, and prepare for some good old fashioned learning. And be sure to take notes--this will ALL be on the exam.

The Raconteurs- Consolers of the Lonely (May 2008)
One of Jack White's many side projects, The Raconteurs were a recommendation from my musically-astute cousin. At first I was apprehensive; while some the White Stripes' songs turned me on, many were just a bit too dirty and "out there" for my taste. However, I found The Raconteurs too be a much more focused and palatable music experience. And their most recent album, Consolers of the Lonely, does a great job of showing off their many styles and influences. More than a few times, bands like Led Zeppelin, The Who and the Rolling Stones come to mind while perusing this albums varied terrain. And that is what I believe lends the band it's appeal: there really is something for everyone here, from the grungy "Consolers of the Lonely," to the folky "Old Enough," to the pump-up rock "Hold Up" and "Salute your Solution," to the extremely catchy and radio-worthy "Many Shades of Black." Sure, the album loses a bit of steam towards the end and begins to unravel a bit, but once you've made it that far, you should already be more than content with what Consolers of the Lonely has to offer.
Four-play: "Consolers of the Lonely"; "You Don't Understand Me"; "Top Yourself"; "Many Shades of Black"
Extra Credit: "Steady as She Goes," Broken Boy Soldiers

The Hold Steady- Stay Positive (July 2008)
It was a hard choice for me between this band's most recent two albums (Stay Positive and Heaven is Whenever), and while you really couldn't go wrong with either, I personally have found more of a personal connection with the former. For those of you unacquainted, The Hold Steady is a Brooklyn-based rock band known for their storytelling and lead signer Craig Finn's rough-and-tumble "singing" voice. They have steadily increased in popularity over the past few years, having toured with bands like the Rolling Stones, the Counting Crows, Kings of Leon, and the Dave Matthews Band. And while their style does borrow elements from each one of these bands (some more than others), I find The Hold Steady's sound to be quite unique. This band has the ability to paint vivid pictures in your mind and tell interesting stories with their music, with tracks on Stay Positive placing the listener at different times in a backwater Texas bar, a Midwestern college campus, and a hipster street in Williamsburg. And while it may be the interesting instrumentation (lots of piano and even a harpsichord) or catchy, sing-a-long choruses that first grab you, it will be the emotional stories Stay Positive tells that will keep you coming back for seconds.
Four-play: "Sequestered in Memphis"; "One for the Cutters"; "Yeah Sapphire"; "Joke About Jamaica"
Extra Credit: "The Smidge," Heaven is Whenever

Death Cab for Cutie- Narrow Stairs (May 2008)
This is one of the bands that I think some people are afraid to even listen to. Their name sounds like an emo-punk band (which they most assuredly are NOT), and many of their songs are disconnected journeys through some deep and disturbing emotions. However, I assure you, you will not regret taking the dive with Narrow Stairs. While I agree the band's previous efforts may have been a bit emotionally daunting (a few tracks off of Transatlanticism still tug at my heart strings more than I am willing to admit), their most recent album has struck a great balance for the more apprehensive listeners out there. The Onion AV Club put in nicely by calling the band's work on this album "indie-gone-mainstream," and I think it has enough remnants of both to please fans that fall in either category. Ben Gibbard's vocals are as beautiful and piercing as ever (for those of you who don't know, he is also the lead singer of The Postal Service), and the tracks do a great job of flickering between haunting melodies and true rock-and-roll jams. It is all done in a very smart manner, making Narrow Stairs without a doubt the most widely appealing of the band's many albums, and quite possibly their best work to date.
Four-play: "I Will Possess Your Heart"; "Cath..."; "Long Division"; "Pity and Fear"
Extra Credit: "The Sound of Settling," Transatlanticism