bookmark_borderAcquired Music 2025

  1. Hans Zimmer, Dune Part 2 (2024)
  2. Laurie Anderson, Amelia (2024)
  3. Mogwai, The Bad Fire (2025)
  4. Jean Michel Jarre, Rendez-vous (1986)
  5. Michael Riesman, Powaqqatsi (1988)
  6. Elbow, Audio Vertigo (2024)
  7. Ottmar Liebert & Luna Negra, Borrasca (1991)
  8. Ottmar Liebert & Luna Negra, The Hours Between Night+ Day (1993)
  9. Ottmar Liebert & Luna Negra, Euphoria (1995)
  10. Ottmar Liebert & Luna Negra, Opium (1996)
  11. Vangelis, Chariots of Fire (2024)
  12. Yo-Yo Ma, Japanese Melodies (1984)

The Dune soundtrack is a perfectly fine extension of the Part 1 soundtrack. Amelia is an album-length presentation of the acts around the last flight of Amelia Earhart. It’s interesting but maybe not “entertaining”. The Bad Fire is very interesting because it came with a bonus CD of the demo versions of each of the tracks on the album. These demos are much more raw and a lot closer to the less “produced” sound of Mogwai’s earlier albums, and I think I actually like them better than the final versions. I found the Rendez-vous and Powaqqatsi in a discount bin someplace and could not pass them up. Michael Riesman is the conductor for the performance, but of course Philip Glass composed all of the music. Audio Vertigo is a heavy-hitting album, and an excellent showing from Elbow. I was leafing through the bin at the Goodwill, and found this whole stack of Ottmar Liebert albums. These are all great, and if you have not heard Ottmar Liebert’s German take on Spanish guitar music, you should look him up. I spent like $10 for five hours of music. We already had a copy of Chariots of Fire, but who knows if I’ll ever see another one. The Yo-Yo Ma album was a gift from Sweetie, and it’s a fascinating take on these traditional tunes. A Chinese guy playing Japanese music on a European instrument is a great expression of cosmopolitan art and performance.

Peer into the past: 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019

bookmark_borderAcquired Music 2024

  1. Zombi, ZOMBI & Friends, Volume 1 (2022)
  2. Art of Noise, In Visible Silence (1988)
  3. Moby, Resound NYC (2023)
  4. Moodswings, Psychedelicatessen (1997)
  5. Zombi, Direct Inject (2024)
  6. Tosca, Osam (2022)
  7. They Might Be Giants, Live at the Music Hall of Williamsburg (2015)
  8. MONO, Oath (2024)
  9. They Might Be Giants, Beast of Horns (2024)
  10. Polyphia, Remember That You Will Die (2022)
  11. Underworld, Barking (2010)
  12. William Orbit, The Painter (2022)
  13. Joe Satriani, Elephants of Mars (2022)
  14. Joe Satriani, Shapeshifting (2020)
  15. Gary Hoey, Dust & Bones (2016)

bookmark_borderThey Might Be Awesome

We actually went out to a real show in a real theater this week, basically the first time in forever. We went to see They Might Be Giants at Mr. Smalls on Thursday at the first of their three (3!) Pittsburgh shows at the beginning of their “Midwest” tour.

It was a great time. The crowd was enthusiastic and the overall mood was friendly and happy. The band was high energy, and they were clearly having fun. At one point, John F. gave away a copy of Book to a person right in front of the stage, and the crowd reaction was so wonderful, like we were all friends happy to see one friend give another friend a gift.

They played a number of tracks from Apollo 18, which brought me joy and made me feel very much at home. Considering that many in the crowd have been listening to that album for their entire life, it was welcomed by all.

Thank you John, John, Marty, and the rest of the Band for continuing to be awesome. Thank you also to friends Heather and Gwen for joining us.

bookmark_borderMusic Post 2023

Finally getting around to my annual post of all the music I bought during the year. Much of the year was concerned with catching up on the output of old friends The Orb, and Eric Johnson. The Orb and Sigur Ros released new albums, so there’s that.

The Orb

  • No Sounds Are Out of Bounds (2018)
  • The Abolition of the Royal Familia (2020)
  • Guillotine Remixes (The Abolition of the Royal Familia) (2021)
  • Prism (2023)

Eric Johnson

  • EJ Vol. II (2019)
  • The Book of Making (2021)
  • Yesterday Meets Today (2022)

Sigur Ros

  • Atta (2023)

Not a lot of music purchases overall. I should get into some new bands. Old friends Zombi are releasing a new album in a couple of months. That should be fun.

bookmark_borderMusic Post 2022

  • Hans Zimmer; Dune (2021)
  • Hans Zimmer; Dune Sketchbook, The (2021)
  • Godspeed You! Black Emperor; All Lights Fucked on the Hairy Amp Drooling (1994)
  • Godspeed You! Black Emperor; Gods Pee at State’s End (2021)
  • Moby; Reprise (2021)
  • Moby; All Visible Objects (2020)
  • Moby; Animal Rights (1996)
  • Elbow; Flying Dream 1 (2021)
  • Art of Noise; Below the Waste (1989)
  • Ma, Yo-Yo; 15 CD Box Set
    • Saint-Saëns and Lalo Cello Concertos (1980)
    • Cello Concertos (1985)
    • Strauss: Don Quixote; Schoenberg: Cello Concerto (1985)
    • Beethoven Sonata No. 4 (1986)
    • Brahms: Double Concerto (1988)
    • Cello Concerto & Symphonies for Cello and Orchestra (1989)
    • Brahms: Sonatas for Cello + Piano (1992)
    • Works for cello and orchestra (1992)
    • New York Album, The (1994)
    • Concertos From the New World (1995)
    • “Trout” Quintet / “Arpeggione” Sonata (1996)
    • Inspired by Bach: The Cello Suites (2 Discs) (1998)
    • Simply Baroque (1999)
    • Paris: La Belle Epoque (2003)
  • Trashmonk; Mona Lisa Overdrive (1999)
  • MONO; My Story. The Buraku Story (2022)

bookmark_borderPlaylist 2021

Each year, as I acquire new music, I add new tracks to a yearly playlist for occasional review and December retrospective use. This was 2021 (in order of acquisition):

ArtistYearAlbum TitleNotes
Linnell, John2021Roman SongsFun little disc of unintelligible babble
Mogwai2021As the Love ContinuesRock on, you Scottish punks
Zombi2021Liquid CrystalI hope they keep releasing an album every year
Wintergatan2013WintergatanFinally got this disc of earworms direct from Sweden
Sigur Ros2020Odin’s Raven MagicThis recording is a remarkable achievement
They Might Be Giants2021Secret Music: Volume 2You must be thinking of some other band
Orb, The1997Asylum (Singles and Remixes)Found this in a TheExchange and bought on a whim
Mono2021Pilgrimage of the SoulWould love to finally see these folks live
Ludwig Goransson2020TENETAmazing soundtrack to an amazing film
Gary Hoey2003Wake Up CallGary Hoey has kept putting out albums. Who knew?
Gary Hoey2006American MadeBesides all the Xmas stuff, I mean.
Stereolab1997Dots and Loops2019 remastered edition of this 1997 album
Stereolab1992Peng!Their first album, finally found one
Stereolab 2009Not MusicAt last, my collection is complete
They Might Be Giants2021BookBook edition and everything
Gary Hoey 2019Neon Highway BluesWhat it says on the tin: blues rock. Well done!
Playlist 2021

bookmark_borderOne Reason I Still Buy Music on CD

When you buy an actual physical CD from a band you want to support that doesn’t have their music in physical stores, they often include a thank-you note, which is a charming bit of memorabilia.

Thanks from Martin of Wintergatan
Thank You note

‘Wintergatan’ is a band from Sweden. Martin Molin is the composer of (all?) their music, and the designer/builder/operator of the musical Marble Machine in this now classic YouTube video. He is currently working on the next generation Marble Machine X, and posting videos of the whole process. I decided to buy a physical copy of their 2013 album to support the process while they can’t get into the studio to record their next album or go on tour.

Such exciting things come out of musicians these days, if you ask me.

bookmark_borderPlaylist 2020

Each year, as I acquire new music (Still mostly purchased on CD then ripped to MP3, though an increasing amount of music is only available as digital downloads.), I add new tracks to a yearly playlist for occasional review and December retrospective use. This was 2020 (in order of acquisition):

  1. Bladerunner 2049 Original Soundtrack
    Hans Zimmer and Benjamin Wallfisch
  2. Arrival Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
    Johann Johannsson
  3. The Blue Notebooks
    Max Richter
  4. Decksanddrumsandrockandroll
    Propellerheads
  5. Ad Astra Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
    Max Richter
  6. Asbury Park Live 8/8/13
    They Might Be Giants
  7. 2020
    Zombi
  8. Les Revenants
    Mogwai
  9. Beethoven or Bust
    Don Dorsey
  10. Chemical Chords
    Stereolab
  11. Cloud Atlas Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
    Tom Tykwer, Johnny Klimek, and Reinhold Heil
  12. Pieces in a Modern Style 2
    William Orbit
  13. Good
    Morphine
  14. Adrian Legg Live
    Adrian Legg
  15. Dead Bankers
    Adrian Legg
  16. The Ambient Collection
    Art of Noise
  17. Evans City
    Zombi
  18. Interstellar; Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
    Hans Zimmer

As usual, lots of soundtracks and old friends. Both Sharon and I adore the movie Arrival, which set off a big Max Richter kick for us this year. Some of the artists I like who have strong followings, but not large enough followings to interest major music outlets, have switched to online self-releasing, like They Might Be Giants and Adrian Legg. Zombi put out their first new album in years, followed by an EP of some work they did for a Night of the Living Dead (Filmed in Evans City, PA. Check out that “Sound Engineer” credit for Sharon’s dad.) tribute event. I also found an online site for a chain of stores in Maine that had a bunch of CDs that have been on my “Wanted” list for years, just to explain some of the older stuff (8 through 13) on here. The Art of Noise album was the only thing I saw that I wanted on the new Tower Records online store.

bookmark_borderWZUM

Pittsburgh has been without a Jazz radio station since Duquesne University sold WDUQ to a bunch of consultants who turned it into a talk radio station.

Now, we have WZUM at 101.1 which was founded by a passel of people from the old WDUQ stable. About jazzin’ time, if you ask me.