Album of the Week

NIRVANA - NEVERMIND
In retrospect, it's an absolute travesty that Nirvana's Nevermind wasn't the very first Album of the Week, considering that this blog is essentially about life in Seattle and this is one of the all-time greatest bands Seattle has produced. Now are you ready for the second travesty?

I've never actually listened to the whole thing.

I know. How dare I consider myself a citizen of Seattle, right? I blame my strict upbringing (even "The Simpsons" was contraband in our household while I was growing up, and I can't even talk about what my parents would have done if I had come home with a Nirvana album, much less one with a naked baby on the front). Well, rest assured, folks, I'm doing what I can to right the wrongs created by my failure to develop good taste in music until college.

[Drink of the Day: No coffee today! Egad!]
[Currently Listening To: Smells like Teen Spirit, Nirvana]

Album of the Week

KT TUNSTALL - EYE TO THE TELESCOPE

I bought this album less than 24 hours ago (on Amazon Mp3, no less, where I paid only $9.78 after tax) and I'm already addicted to it. KT Tunstall is one of those artists who is so genuinely talented that you can't help but appreciate her music. It's spunky but also soulful (not surprising since Ella Fitzgerald was an inspiration for her), it's awash in optimism but also punctuated with quiet, acoustic tunes that bring you back down to earth for a bit.

My two favorite tracks are also probably two of her most well-known: "Suddenly I See" and "Black Horse and The Cherry Tree." "Suddenly" is one of those optimistic tracks I referred to and has made it into my "Good Morning" playlist, which Iisten to while riding the bus to campus and reading the newspaper. It's a perfect addition to the wake-up lineup.

"Black Horse" is probably the song you'd recognize from being ridiculously overplayed on the radio a while back. I honestly hated it then, but somehow hearing it in isolation and amid the album that it's meant to be coupled with it just clicks. It's one of those "spunkier" ones I was talking about, with a sort of country-esque vibe to it that makes you feel like you're driving through the desert. It's also the song where the Ella influence shines through most obviously.

Overall, if you have 10 bucks to spare, this album is completely worth it.

[Drink of the Day: Iced Latte]
[Currently Listening to: Black Horse and the Cherry Tree by KT Tunstall. Duh]

Album of the Week

And for the first time ever, I bring you: the Album of the Week feature. Every week I will highlight a different album or song to maximize your coffee drinking pleasure (or, as my Econ professor would call it, "utility"). These are the tunes that are making my morning, mid-morning, midday, mid-afternoon, evening, or late-evening coffee taste that much better.

This week's selection:

EISLEY - COMBINATIONS

Eisley had, until recently, been one of those bands whose name I was familiar with but about whom I knew next to nothing - until my friend Shannon gave me this album.

While not the sort of thing I can see myself listening to long-term, Eisley's latest album Combinations is a welcome, albeit lukewarm, addition to my extremely eclectic collection of music. They remind me of the Cranberries, with a sort of Euro/Celtic sound that is completely inexplicable given their Texan origin. Come to think of it, why I think they sound European is also pretty inexplicable. Maybe it's the vocal harmonies that remind me of the Cranberries, who of course hail from Ireland. Or hailed. They're broken up now. Naturally.

Anyway, I'd recommend looking them up in the iTunes store and giving their tracks a play to see if you like them. My favorite track is "Taking Control." Until next time.