Week in Review

Here's a new feature I thought of while stuck in traffic today and listening to Sound Opinions. Since one of the only things I can figure on talking about is myself, I'm going to write a blurb about what I'm listening to and thinking about music-wise each week. This might be a good idea since writing about concerts is an opportunity that only comes along every once in a while. Now that I have a last.fm again, I find myself thinking about trends in my listening.

Despite how much I love punk and rock bands, I've found myself seriously drawn to singer-songwriters lately. Paul Simon and Cat Stevens are the most important to me, for some reason. Paul Simon's Graceland resonated with me for a while, and I just recently began exploring the remainder of his back-catalogue. Even the songs that don't stand out on each album are better than anything I could write. Cat Stevens' music is all charming. Venturing beyond the songs featured on the cult dark comedy Harold & Maude soundtrack, Stevens has these folk rock songs that are not only catchy but powerful.

I listened to "Baby, It's Cold Outside" about 10 times straight today, to learn the guy part, and boy, what a saucy song.

I reached the epitome of my respect for composer Percy Grainger this week when I had to conduct "Horkstow Grange," a movement from Lincolnshire Posy on Monday. He has a unique compositional style the breaks conventions but is still seriously listenable. This could be a true tool for breaking down barriers for students and stubborn adults into listening to art music.

OK readers, be honest. Did this post make me sound like a pretentious ass?