This Week's iTunes Purchases: 12/20/05


WHEEEE. It's a shopping SPREE!!!!!

Who me? Addicted?

Oh, let's dispense with the formalities and dive right in to the last two week's of iTunes Purchases I've made. And nothing from the Peanut Gallery about how I could probably pay off my mortgage if I stopped buying music, m'kay?

Singles:

Last week's free single was Let Me Be the One by Jaguar Wright. Normally I would be passing based on her name alone, but hey, it was free. Yeah, it's fine. But I'm becoming more and more bored with this kind of smooth neo-soul or smooth hip-hop or whatever you want to call it. Didn't stop me from buying more of it...check my album reviews below.

Courtesy of Coverville I was introduced to Frente's version of the Tom Waits song, Ruby's Arms. If you're only familiar with Frente's cover of New Order's Bizarre Love Triangle, you might be surprised to discover that their lead singer can sound non-girlish and non-winsome. Frankly, the whole time I listen to this version I can hear it in Waits' trademark growl in my head. The version in my head may not sound as pretty. But it's way more, oh I hate to use this blog buzz word, "authentic."

The last single I bought was I am a Pilgrim, from the TransAmerica soundtrack, by Duncan Sheik. Sheik is Nick Drake's natural heir, and he manages to make this gospel-tinged tune still sound languid and slightly suicidal. I like his voice and his morose slacker sensibility, so this fits nicely into my existing Duncan Sheik collection.

EPs:

I've had more than one person recommend James Blunt to me lately, and the user reviews on iTunes are ecstatic, so bought his EP, Live from London. He's like the falsetto version of Duncan Sheik when it comes to spare, depressed, elegant music-making. His voice is actually nearly identical to the voice of the lead singer of Five for Fighting. Anyway, I like it. His voice, the guitar work, the music, the lyrics. It's a nice cut-above-the-norm emo-boy concoction. I want to feed him hot soup and lay his head on my bosom. :)

Albums:

Another Coverville discovery, Angie Aparo's album One With the Sun has a mess of covers on it, and I love a good cover. He's got a great, rangy voice, and he takes on songs as varied as Oasis' Champagne Supernova, Elton John's Rocket Man (which has certainly been covered enough) and the Beastie Boys Fight for your Right to Party. OK, even I can admit that some songs don't need another cover, and I have to count Aparo's version of Imagine on that list. But generally these are simple covers, driven by and spiced up by his voice, which reminds me of a cross of Andy Bell and that Hawaiian guy who sang that cool cover of Over the Rainbow.

You know I gotta support American Idol runner up Bo Bice's album, The Real Thing, simply because I was such a non-fan of winner Carrie Underwood. Oh, and I love the Tom Stoppard reference. (That's one for my fellow theatre geeks.) People are complaining that this is sort of generic rock music in the style of Switchfoot or Lifehouse. But I like those bands. So It's fine by me. The main thing lacking is lyrical interest. His voice remains rich and high quality. The music is on the high end of competent, but you will hear nothing new in the lyrics. This is basic. "I'm Nothing Without You" "Hold On To Me" "You're Everything." Those are some of the song titles. You get the picture.

Lastly I bought the new album from hip hop queen Mary J. Blige, The Breakthrough. I'm a new convert to Blige's work, having bought her last album, Love and Life. And I'm afraid the conversion didn't stick. She does have a good voice and the music fits it (as opposed to her pathetic attempt to sing "What I Did For Love" at the Tony Awards a couple of years ago.) But if anything qualifies, ultimately, as background music, it is this style of smooth, laid-back hip-hop soul. It would already be elevator music if not for some occasional passionate vocal stylings. Pleasant, but I'm really not getting the hype.

There you have it. Frankly not a great week for downloading music.

Posted: Thu - December 22, 2005 at 01:45 PM       EmailFeedback

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