I haven’t really written about CDs for a while now. That doesn’t mean that I haven’t been collecting though. My CD collection is starting to really pick up in size. For the most part, I’m really enjoying discovering new sounds that I haven’t been introduced to before. Every now and then I find band that I really wish I’d heard about earlier. Right now, I’m really getting into The Kills. I don’t know how this happened, but seriously this duo has become one of my new favourite bands.

So how did this happen? Well, you know how iTunes has a free track every week from a band that probably deserves more publicity? A while ago they posted Cheap and Cheerful from their album Midnight Boom. I downloaded it, but to be honest I didn’t bother to give it a listen before adding it to my iPod. While I was in the car with my iPod on shuffle the song suddenly came on. As I was listening, I thought “man…that’s kind of catchy…in some weird Toni Basil sort of way.” I kind of liked the lo-fi feel to the track. That was enough for me to go to the record store and get Midnight Boom. My first listen through was kind of tough; first listens through records generally are. I mean, the case is that often the brain’s just trying to figure out how to classify the new sounds. So, I put the CD for a little while. A week or two later I ripped it and put it in my play list. I gave the full CD a few more listens and to my surprise I started to really like it. After a few more listens, I started to really think “holy fuck, this is great!” It’s like something just clicked, and I got it.

Midnight Boom doesn’t have a polished feel, and yet, it works. The grittiness adds to the character of it. It’s all indie-rock, lo-fi and quite fantastic. I was telling a friend that the album evokes some strong imagery for me. When I listen to it, I envision being in a small dank basement with fluorescent lighting. There are a few amps in the corner and the pair playing music hypnotically. There’s a mattress in another corner, with a pair on there doing lines of coke. There’s a black cat just walking over their drugged out bodies. Strange, no?

Anyway somehow these two manage to be effortlessly sexy without it being overt. I can’t understand it. In any case, I recommend having a listen. If you don’t get it the first time, give it a few more listens. Maybe you’ll get that same light bulb moment I had too.

I’ve been lazy with these music notes entries. As a result, the CDs have been piling up. Now that I’m about to list them, the list is looking a bit ridiculous.

My Recent CD Purchases:

• Santana – Ultimate Santana
• Lily Allen – Alright, Still
• CSS – Cansei De Ser Sexy
• OneRepublic – Dreaming Out Loud
• Neverending White Lights – Act I: Goodbye Friends of the Heavenly Bodies
• Lenny Kravitz – It Is Time for a Love Revolution
• Feist – I Feel It All – EP
• Wintersleep – Welcome to the Night Sky
• k-os – Joyful Rebellion
• The Hives – The Black and White Album
• Die Mannequin – Unicorn Steak
• Paramore – Riot!
• Gorillaz – D-Sides
• The Trews – No Time for Later

My notes:

I was surprised by Lily Allen’s CD. It’s a lot of cheeky fun. Same with CSS. So silly. “Lick lick lick my art tit! Suck suck suck my art hole!” Ha!

I think I prefer Act II in comparison to Act I for Neverending White Lights only because there’s a consistent feel to the whole thing.

OneRepublic’s CD was interesting. I think I prefer their original arrangement of Apologize to Timbaland’s remix because of the added drama. Although, both have their merits, right?

I enjoyed Wintersleep’s album, though I’m not sure why. All in all, maybe it’s just that it’s an easy listen all the way through.

I purchased Joyful Rebellion a long while ago, but didn’t add import it for the longest time because I didn’t really pick up on it the first time. I popped the CD in again recently and was surprised by how much my attitude changed toward it. I really like it now. Funny how that happens. Last time I wrote music notes, I said I wasn’t feeling the latest from Alicia Keys. Now, I’m starting to like it.

I enjoyed the Do It or Die track from Die Mannequin. From that I bought the whole album. I’m not sure I’m liking the whole thing though. I need to give it a few more listens. Same deal for The Trews. I kind of liked Hold Me In Your Arms but the whole album didn’t really sit with me.

What I like about Die Mannequin and Paramore is that they’re both fronted by strong female voices. The contrast against a hard rock background is really intriguing.

From Gorillaz D-Sides, the Schtung Chinese New Year Remix of Dirty Harry really sticks out. It’s strangely awesome.

I didn’t know what to expect from The Hives. I only heard of them from Timbaland’s Shock Value. That was enough to make me find out more. I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed their garage punk sound. As a whole, the CD is entirely a lot of fun to listen to.