Can't hear everything II

Listening to Patty Larkin's "The Book I'm Not Reading" this morning reminded me that try as I might, I can't read everything I'd likely enjoy in this lifetime.  Similarly, it's impossible for me to hear every piece of music I might like.

This afternoon, however, another thought struck me.  I was listening to a station that was playing fairly decent singer-songwriter music.  After sampling multiple songs, however, I thought, "I don't dislike any of these songs.  Lyrically and melodically, they're all respectable.  None of them, however, are all that memorable."

I felt a little better, knowing that going back to sleep doesn't always mean missing out on the best music or books.  Sometimes, it just means missing out on some close-but-not-quite-compelling-enough-to-recommend efforts.

The allure of shuffle mode XCIII

When I want to hear music several hours before sunrise, I usually don't want to be startled with a barrage of high energy, manic tunes.  That's why I appreciated iTunes shuffle mode stringing these six songs together this morning, all taken from CDs I've bought over the years:

• I'll Come Over-The Kennedys
• The Week Before Easter-Martin Simpson
• Schlaff, Kindlein, Schlaff-Freyda Epstein
• Simple Gifts/Lovely Love-Barry Phillips & William Coulter
• One Place-Everything But The Girl
• Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most-Jane Monheit

Tasteful, subtle vocals and instrumentals get the morning off to a positive start, so I'm thankful that leaving my segues up to chance worked in my favor.

SiriusXM highlights CLXVIII

Seven standout tunes heard this afternoon:

Chill 

• Paradox-Nina Young (A steady midtempo beat and compelling vocals with echo propel this track.) 

Luna 

• Sierra Madre-Dave Valentin (Vibrant, upbeat jazz flute.)

Mosaic

• Be OK-Ingrid Michaelson (A frank acknowledgment that life takes its toll on everyone, and sometimes, you're just trying to get through the day.)

Real Jazz

• Moanin'-Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers (The compellingly sung Lambert, Hendricks & Ross rendition comes to mind first when I think of this tune, but this is Blakey's composition, which his band pulled off impressively.  The first 10 notes make up one of the most memorable jazz themes.) 

Smokey's Soul Town

• I'll Be Good To You-The Brothers Johnson (Instant atmosphere, from the opening notes.  Also recommended: "Strawberry Letter 23.")

The Village 

• Timberland-Tommy Emmanuel (A gripping downcast guitar instrumental.)

Watercolors

• Free To Be-Kim Scott (Sunny smooth jazz flute.)

Online radio sampler highlights CCXCII

Five standout songs heard this morning:

KCAT (Pine Bluff, AR) 

• Dry Your Eyes-Brenda & The Tabulations (Rhythmically and emotionally,. this 1967 R&B hit could segue with "It's Gonna Take A Miracle" by Deniece Williams.)

KCOU (Columbia, MO)

• Love Is Love-The Blackbyrds (The group's biggest hit, "Walking In Rhythm," has held up deservedly over the decades and is usually the track of theirs you're most likely to hear on the radio.  It was a pleasant surprise to hear this overlooked sunny keyboard/synthesizer instrumental for a change.) 

KUTX (Austin, TX)

• Major Tom-The Space Lady (Vocally and instrumentally, this is an impressively spacey rendition of Peter Schilling's 1983 hit.)

WAYO (Rochester, NY)  

• Molten Lava-Lord Echo featuring Leila Adu (An effective refrain, "walking by myself," anchors this well-sustained dance rhythm.)

WTJU (Charlottesville, VA)

• Big Earl's Last Ride-Jason Marsalis (This 2013 vibraphone track sounds like a throwback to a decades-earlier era of jazz.  Its compelling ending throbs.)

Context? CDXXVII

A radio commercial for a tuckpointing service touted its workers as "very polite, and they clean up after themselves."

I'd like to think that both of those of qualities would be a given in any business, but...

Only in college CXVIII

When I checked the office voicemail at KCOU, it was apparent that some students who could hear the station's Springfest '92 concert from their dorms weren't exactly fans.  Although we didn't get a ton of complaints, a handful of students left comments about the volume.

My favorite complaint was this one: "The one day a year I try to study, I can't because of your loud-@&&, crappy-@&& band!"

My unspoken reply: "Sorry if the concert prompted you to move your studying to the library or other campus venues for one day, but seriously, the one day a year you try to study...?" 

The pitfalls of shuffle mode XIV

Talk about a great pairing of high energy with ominous vocals.  Despite its discomforting lyrics about surveillance, I never tire of "Just A Job To Do" by Genesis.  It was only natural, then, that iTunes shuffle mode segued it this morning with...

...Peter, Paul & Mary's version of "This Land Is Your Land."  Who better to sing such inclusive, live-and-let-live lyrics than this noble folk trio?  I've always respected "This Land..." and play it on or before Independence Day every year.  It doesn't, however, mesh well with the gory bounty hunter scenario portrayed in "Just A Job To Do."

That's what I get, though, for leaving my segues up to chance.