Acoustic Accoutrements

The CDs we listen to at the bookstore are good. Really. They feature the best songs of excellent bands from around the world, things you definitely wouldn't hear on the radio every day.

But even really good music can get old if you listen to it over and over again. So, every now and then, I make a CD for the bookstore, carefully keeping out the headbanger tunes and going for a fun, somewhat eclectic mix. Here's the most recent playlist.

Escoutas (Diga Diga Diga) - Carolina Chocolate Drops
Donald McGillavry / O'Neill's Cavalry March - Silly Wizard
Place to Be - QuinnElizabeth
Closer to Fine - Indigo Girls
Breakable - Ingrid Michaelson
How I Lost My Heart - Shel
Wonderwall - Ryan Adams
Fast Car - Tracy Chapman
Dreams - Fleetwood Mac
Fake Empire - The National
The Book of Love - The Magnetic Fields
As I Went Down to the River to Pray - Alison Kraus
These Days - Nico
Keep the Car Running - Arcade Fire
Pallin' with Al - Squirrel Nut Zippers
Billie Jean - Pickin' On Series
St. James Infirmary - Arlo Guthrie
Each Coming Night - Iron and Wine
Older Chests - Damien Rice
Sunday Morning - Velvet Underground
Popular Mechanics for Lovers - Beulah

Making a CD is usually preceeded by getting an iTunes card. New bands I discovered this time around were Carolina Chocolate Drops, Shel, Ryan Adams, Arcade Fire, and Beulah. Shel was featured on A Prairie Home Companion a while ago, and their harmonies are amazing. I've got a thing for harmonies. Ryan Adams' cover of Wonderwall caught me right away - his rendition is haunting and gives me shivers.

QuinnElizabeth is a band of sisters, mostly girls I knew from high school. They are all accomplished musicians, and I love the folksy but adventurous style they've got - they use djembe drums and penny whistles! Plus there's that harmony thing again, and they sound just as good (if not better) in live performances. Lead singer Elizabeth has one of those bold, confident voices that have a way of convincing you of every word she sings.

In non-musical news, a guy came to the bookstore yesterday and asked if we could change a million-dollar bill. Sorry, no. He said he'd go to the bank and come back later.

That's a new one.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sally Anns and a Can of Spam

Image
Sally Anns are one of my favorite cookies. By their taste alone, they evoke a sense of home and comfort, reminding me of the kitchen at my grandparents' place and the simple happiness of mid-afternoon sweets. They're the only food that evokes the thought, This would be better with a cup of coffee. Making them was a good Easter activity, especially as I was stuck away from the family due to unpacking (the books are now free!) and yard work shenanigans (such as finding a dead mouse in the yard, which was lovely). With help from my mom, I found the recipe in the family cookbook (my great-great-grandparents are on the cover, and other awesome old pictures are scattered throughout). I decided that the transgression of buying a can of Spam (just once) was worth it for the sake of the cookies. Poke holes in the bottom of the can to allow for air flow. I didn't have enough butter for a full batch, but half of one made 18 Cookies of Unusual Size. I made the mistake of
Read more

The Beatles' Help! Scarf

Image
Remember when I posted about making Beatles-themed crafts after seeing Cirque du Soleil's performance of Love? I've finished the first one. Here's a refresher of the original Help! scarf. Source And here's my version: a massive thing that I gave my sister for her birthday. In these shots, it's wrapped around her neck twice. I didn't measure the beast before I sent it to its new home, but it's probably about 8 feet long. Made with Caron yarn on size 8 needles, this tube scarf was 40 stitches in the round. Each block of color is 20 rows. The only tricky parts are getting a smooth transition between colors and what to do with the yarn ends inside the tube, but they are easy problems to solve. When you transitioning, knit a normal row with the new color, then pull tight the last stitch of the previous color. That last stitch shouldn't disappear entirely, but it will be close, and your problem will be solved. Then, because this scarf
Read more

Leavetaking by Eve Merriam

Image
Vacation is over; It's time to depart. I must leave behind (Although it breaks my heart) Tadpoles in the pond, A can of eels, A leaky rowboat, Abandoned car wheels; For I'm packing only Necessities: A month of sunsets And two apple trees. I'm packing today. What are you doing?
Read more