11.15.09

Music Rotation — 9 Nov

Posted in music at 6:52 pm by berzerkeleyan

This week:

Peter Frampton “Frampton Comes Alive” (1976) — genre: Rock.
Queen “Jazz” (1978) — genre: Glam Rock.
Julee Cruise “Floating Into The Night” (1989) — genre: Dream Pop.
The Cure “Disintegration” (1989) — genre: Goth Rock.
Ride “Carnival Of Light” (1994) — genre: 60’s Rock Revival.
Nickel Creek “Nickel Creek” (2000) — genre: Bluegrass.
R.E.M. “Document” (1987) — genre: Alternative Rock.
The Bird And The Bee “the bird and the bee” (2007) — genre: Bliss Pop.
Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse “Dark Night of the Soul” (2009) — genre: American Indie Rock.
Peter von Poehl “Going To Where The Tea Trees Are” (2007) — genre: Symphonic Folk.

08.31.09

Music Rotation — 24 Aug

Posted in music at 6:14 pm by berzerkeleyan

For the week:

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros “Up from Below” (2009) — genre: Freak Folk.
Portishead “Third” (2008) — genre: Electronic Paranoia. In heavy rotation at the moment.
Arctic Monkeys “Humbug” (2009) — genre: British Rock. My six word review of Arctic’s Monkey’s latest: “When did Morrissey join the band?” I’m hoping this album will reveal itself over the coming weeks. But at the moment, it sounds as if adulthood has caught up with the lads from Sheffield. And I, unfortunately, miss their youthful sound.
The Bird And The Bee “Ray Guns Are Not Just The Future” (2009) — genre: Techno Twee Pop.
Camera Obscura “Let’s Get Out Of This Country” (2006) — genre: Twee Pop.
Calexico “Hot Rail” (2000) — genre: American Southwest Indie.
Band Of Horses “Everything All The Time” (2006) — genre: Americana.
Judas Priest “Screaming For Vengeance” (1982) — genre: Metal.
Ash “1977″ (1996) — genre: Britpop.

08.24.09

Music Rotation — 17 Aug

Posted in music at 10:15 pm by berzerkeleyan

For the week:

Harold Budd & Robin Guthrie “Mysterious Skin” Soundtrack (2005) — genre: Ambient.
The Veils “Sun Gangs” (2009) — genre: Emoschlock.
The Who “Live At Leeds” (1970) — genre: Classic Rock.
Third Eye Blind “Ursa Major” (2009) — genre: American Alternative Rock.
Gliss “Love The Virgins” (2006) — genre: Shoegazer.
The Bird And The Bee “Ray Guns Are Not Just The Future” (2009) — genre: Techno Twee Pop.
Mice Parade “Mice Parade” (2007) — genre: American Indie.
Fleet Foxes “Fleet Foxes” (2008) — genre: Americana.
Band Of Horses “Everything All The Time” (2006) — genre: Americana.
Devics “Push the Heart” (2006) — genre: Twee Folk.
Patrick Watson “Wooden Arms” (2009) — genre: Canadian Indie Rock.
Holly Throsby “Under The Town” (2006) — genre: Folk.

08.16.09

Music Rotation — 10 Aug

Posted in music at 9:13 pm by berzerkeleyan

For the week:

Billy Bragg & Wilco “Mermaid Avenue” (1998) — genre: Americana.
Nouvelle Vague “Bande A Part” (2006) — genre: Bossa Nova.
Blur “Blur” (1997) — genre: Britpop.
Muse “Origin Of Symmetry” (2001) — genre: Space Metal. The end of the Oughts is coming up fast. When it’s done, this will be close to the top of my list of favorite albums this decade.
Sara Lov “Seasoned Eyes Were Beaming” (2009) — genre: Twee Folk.
Joy Division “Closer” (1980) — genre: Post Punk.
Tahiti 80 “Wallpaper For the Soul” (2002) — genre: French Alternative Rock.
Mindy Smith “Stupid Love” (2009) — genre: Pop Country. This stuff isn’t normally my thing. But I find Mindy Smith’s voice irresistible. It is pure and true.
Steely Dan “Gaucho” (1980) — genre: Jazz Rock.

08.09.09

Music Rotation — 3 Aug

Posted in music at 3:30 pm by berzerkeleyan

This week:

Isaac Hayes “Shaft” (1971) — genre: R&B.
Gliss “Love The Virgins” (2006) — genre: Shoegazer.
Foreign Born “Person To Person” (2009) — genre: American Indie Rock.
The Bird And The Bee “Ray Guns Are Not Just The Future” (2009) — genre: Techno Twee Pop.
Portishead “Third” (2008) — genre: Electronic Paranoia.
Fiona Apple “Extraordinary Machine” (2005) — genre: Chamber Pop.
Devics “Push the Heart” (2006) — genre: Twee Folk.

08.03.09

Music Rotation — 27 Jul

Posted in music at 7:58 am by berzerkeleyan

For the week:

The Boxer Rebellion “Union” (2009) — genre: neo-Post Punk Lite.
The Veils “Sun Gangs” (2009) — genre: Emoschlock.
Gomez “Bring It On” (1998) — genre: British Indie Rock.
Holly Throsby “A Loud Call” (2009) — genre: Folk.
The Bird And The Bee “Ray Guns Are Not Just The Future” (2009) — genre: Techno Twee Pop. At the rate I’m listening to this, it will be my #1 album of the year. I’m digging it a lot.
David Gray “White Ladder” (2000) — genre: Folk Pop.
Gliss “Devotion Implosion” (2009) — genre: Shoegazer. Fantastic three-piece outfit from L.A. They played last night at The Doug Fir, opening for The Warlocks and The Morning After Girls. IMO they were the best band of the night. Fans of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club would really like them. Highly recommended.

07.20.09

Music Rotation — 13 Jul

Posted in music at 7:44 pm by berzerkeleyan

For the week:

Roberto Roena Y Su Apollo Sound “Roena: The Fania Legends of Salsa Collection, Vol. 4″ (1994) — genre: Salsa.
The Style Council “Confessions of a Pop Group” (1988) — genre: Pop Jazz.
Department Of Eagles “In Ear Park” (2008) — genre: Freak Folk.
Brian Wilson “Smile” (2004) — genre: California Pop.
Cat Power “The Greatest” (2006) — genre: Modern Torch Song.
Joan As Police Woman “To Survive” (2008) — genre: Modern Torch Song.
Phoenix “Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix” (2009) — genre: French Alternative Rock.
Pet Shop Boys “Yes” (2009) — genre: Techno Pop.
Kings Of Leon “Because Of The Times” (2007) — genre: outhern Rock-n-Soul.
Gomez “Abandoned Shopping Trolley Hotline” (2000) — genre: British Alternative Rock.
The Veils “Sun Gangs” (2009) — genre: Emoschlock.
The Bird And The Bee “Ray Guns Are Not Just The Future” (2009) — genre: Techno Twee Pop. I’m obsessed with this album. It’s like overloading on a bag of sweet, syrupy taffy. Yummy.
Cantinero “Championship Boxing” (2004) — genre: British Indie Rock.
The Feeling “Twelve Stops and Home” (2007) — genre: Emoschlock.
Flight Of The Conchords “Flight Of The Conchords” (2008) — genre: Comedy.
Til Tuesday “Welcome Home” (1986) — genre: Anti-Prozac Pop.

07.12.09

Music Rotation — 6 Jul

Posted in music at 11:15 am by berzerkeleyan

This week:

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros “Up from Below” (2009) — genre: Freak Folk.
Manic Street Preachers “Journal For Plague Lovers” (2009) — genre: British Rock.
The Phoenix Foundation “Pegasus” (2006) — genre: New Zealand Indie.
Patrick Watson “Wooden Arms” (2009) — genre: Canadian Indie Rock.
Paul Weller “22 Dreams” (2008) — genre: Mod Rock.
The Bird And The Bee “Ray Guns Are Not Just The Future” (2009) — genre: Techno Twee Pop. Currently in very, very heavy rotation.
The Veils “Sun Gangs” (2009) — genre: Emoschlock.
Sara Lov “Seasoned Eyes Were Beaming” (2009) — genre: Twee Folk.
Lush “Spooky” (1992) — genre: Shoegazer.

07.10.09

A Shell of Its Former Self

Posted in hiking, pacific northwest, volcanoes at 1:47 pm by berzerkeleyan

A Shell of Its Former Self, originally uploaded by Out and Aboot the World.

I’ve wanted to visit Mount St. Helens ever since it exploded when I was twelve years old. This is the view from the Johnston Observatory. The park folks have done a very nice job describing the event and its aftermath. If you want to compare my photo with this volcano’s former self, go here. It was remarkable seeing firsthand the scale and totality of destruction caused by the eruption.

And so began my first hike around Mount St. Helens. It was memorable for the wrong reason.

07.06.09

Music Rotation — Jun 29

Posted in music at 1:07 pm by berzerkeleyan

For the week:

June & The Exit Wounds “‘A Little More Haven Hamilton, Please’” (1999) — genre: California Pop.
Manic Street Preachers “Lifeblood” (2004) — genre: British Alternative Rock.
Razorlight “Razorlight” (2006) — genre: Britpop.
The Raveonettes “Pretty In Black” (2005) — genre: Neo-60s ElectroRock.
Winger “Winger” (1988) — genre: Hair Metal.
Stereophonics “You Gotta Go There To Come Back” (2003) — genre: Brit Pop.
The Stills “Logic Will Break Your Heart” (2003) — genre: Post Punk Revival. The decade is almost up. And this album is still holding the top spot as my favorite album of The Oughts.
Kings Of Leon “Only By The Night” (2008) — genre: Southern Rock-n-Soul.
Aldo Nova “Subject…Aldo Nova” (1983) — genre: 80’s Synth Rock.
Various Artists “Dark Was The Night” (2009) — genre: American/Canadian Indie.
Manic Street Preachers “Journal For Plague Lovers” (2009) — genre: British Rock. This is a very nice return to form for MSP. Taut, lean, and mean.

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