Oof. It's been a while!

Spent a busy couple of weeks - A came down to Ottawa on the 17th, and I visited her in Montreal last weekend. I listened to lots of music, but not very much made an enormous impression. Here's the stuff that did:

Radiohead's "There There" - this wasn't a standout when I was listening to the muddy unmastered version, but in high-fidelity, hoo boy! A perfect mix of rock and melancholia - I love those drums in the background - there's something absolutely wonderful about the way Thom sadly sings the first repetition of "Just cause you feel it / doesn't mean it's love." I've only seen the video in crabby Real format, but Ro assures me it's unsettling Wind-in-the-Willows wonderful when viewed on a teevee.

My Velvet Underground box-set came in the mail! Only $25 USD for five CDs - all of the velvets' LPs, and bonus material. Hooray! I am so glad Dan managed to get me to give these boys (and girls) another listen.

Broken Social Scene - You forgot it in People. This one just doesn't get old - varied, lush, intelligent... even just the sound of a few of the tracks (the vocals on "Stars and Sons", the guitar on "Late nineties bedroom rock for the missionaries") is enough to get me excited. Rumour has it BSS just scored a (big) label deal, they're at work on their follow-up, and a b-side record is on its way... I can't wait.

Nina Nastasia - "Superstar" (mp3). At first I didn't get it, but after successive listens, the slow-blossoming of this song has me head-over-heels. The Blackened Air was a beautiful, dark, imperfect album. I am so psyched for her new one - and what's more, she's coming to Ottawa for bluesfest (Yay!).

Beyonce Knowles ft. Jay-Z - "Crazy in Love". What The Flirtations' "Nothing but a Heartache" was supposed to be: horns stompmarch forward, affirm affirm affirm. Stripped of Destiny's Child's unnecessary melisma, this track is direct, confident, kick-ass. I dig it.

I bought the new Arab Strap, Monday at the Hug & Pint. First impressions are that it's beautiful - finally, a genuinely amazing album from a band that's long been genuinely amazing. Aidan Moffatt's mopey drinking-and-lusting monologues have been joined by some of the loveliest string arrangements this side of Damien Rice. Finally Arab Strap sounds beautiful - it's the breathing soul that lives in the drunken Scots.

Nick Drake - "Know". I've long known this song, but I had never really - really - listened to it, till it came on towards the end of a boring Nick Drake documentary. The film was mostly pretty shots of Tamworth-on-Arden, with Drake songs in the background: this sounds fine at first, but not after thirty-five minutes. Anyway, I shouldn't complain: I heard the genius of this song for the first time, as the camera rested interminably on a windblown tree. Everyone thinks of Nick Drake as a sad musician, but listening to "Know," the ache is almost painful. The uncaring, incessant pulse of the guitar, Nick's broken-and-bitter weariness, the almost angry way he sings the first line. Jeepers.