I promised an update on the Ryan Adams album after it was released. I’ve spent some time with it now. You know, it is really beautiful. There are a lot of sides to his songwriting and this album is definitely heavy on the sappy side. I tend to prefer the really angsty Ryan Adams on lots of speedballs or whatever it is he said he was on. Somewhere along the lines of “Come pick me up/ Take me out/ Fuck me up/ Steal my records/ Screw all my friends behind my back” or “Losering” or “Waiting to Derail.” I read some review that said this was the album people have been waiting for since Heartbreaker, but that is so ridiculous. He has had so many amazing albums (or at least songs, if you are super crotchety) since then. This is really his honeymoon album. He is all sober and in love and the songs reflect that. I mean, really, his work is always strong and I inevitably enjoy his albums no matter what the cranky critics (who could never write one of his songs) say. And despite my preference for a melodramatic Adams, this particular album does match my life now. It is quieter and easy to listen to while the baby is napping in the other room. The days when I would kind of get drunk and turn “Dance All Night” up as loud as my speakers would go are pretty much behind me. His move to L.A. (presumably) to be with Mandy Moore has clearly mellowed him out. He may not be totally relaxed and chill, but I chose “Invisible Riverside” because it seems to best reflect a happier confidence he has found living in by the ocean. (Photo: hubby took it a million years ago during the 12 at 12th days. I think he was getting cigarettes out the the machine.)
Ryan Adams- Invisible Riverside
She & Him- Sleigh Ride
They got me! They got me with the Christmases! I love me some Zooey Dechanel. How could you not love that hair? Best head of hair in Hollywood! But I’ve never been able to get into She & Him. They are definitely good, it was just too too, you know? But I think what doesn’t always work for me on a normal album is exactly what I want in a Christmas album. A little too joyful, a little too nostalgic with just a light sprinkling of melancholy. Her Judy Garland-y voice shines here, their tongue in cheek shimmery pop is perfectly evocative of a nice, cozy holiday. I got bananas for Christmas and now having a baby that I want to create traditions for, makes me even more committed to tinsel and snowflakes. I’m getting this album on vinyl so I can indulge in the homey feeling of putting on a record while we all get into the Christmas spirit. Cold outside, Christmas songs and homemade hot chocolate inside. Can’t wait.
Charlie Mars “Bay Springs Road”
A long, long time ago now, I went to get my purse to leave work and one of my co-workers left a paper flower he’d made me and a Charlie Mars CD in my bag. It was one of those semi-romantic gestures that basically worked. I may have gone down to meet him at The End at 2 in the morning, but I’m pretty sure we never actually went on a date. The Charlie Mars EP stayed in rotation long after that ridiculously brief romantic encounter ended. I particularly like “Bay Springs Road” because it references Guns N’ Roses, which I’ve noted before is like crack cocaine for me. Listening to it years later, I realize it is more alt-country than I would have thought at the time. He just twittered something about being boring and needing more pot. Now, y’all know I read US magazine and I know he was (at one point, at least) linked to Mary Louise Parker, so I’m thinkin finding some pot should not be a problem. People probably give her pot like they give Rupert Holmes pina coldas or Harry Nilsson limes and coconuts. Looks like he is due for a record this year, so we shall keep our ears peeled.
Warren Zanes “Dream Away”
I swear I am not writing about Warren Zane’s record because it is the first time I’ve ever made the album credits (!!!) or because my manly man co-produced the record. It is just really solid. There aren’t a ton of albums I enjoy listening to all the way through, or even halfway through. This is an exception. I listened to the demo for “Damage and Disaster” and “Everyone Has Their Day” on repeat for a few months, but when the album finally came out, I’ve found it very enjoyable as a whole. Warren is a cool guy with cool friends and a lot of cool things to say. He even had a cool band (The Del Fuegos) when most kids his age were decidedly uncool. The emotional center of the album is probably “Dream Away,” but I’ve chosen “Girl With No Surprises” as my pick because I pretty much can’t pass up a song with that much hard driving mandolin. Ok, nevermind, I just switched back to “Dream Away.” Well, that is my point: the whole album is ace and you shouldn’t pick just one song.
Guns N’ Roses “Estranged”
Where do I begin to discuss my love affair with Guns N’ Roses? It is long and deep and involves a very embarrassing fan letter sent (and returned) when I was 19. 19!!! I’d convinced myself I was the only woman on earth who could save Axl from himself. The first time I heard a GNR song was when I was six. I heard “Paradise City” while I was in a cab in Manhattan. Being a true city child, I assumed “where the grass is green” referred to Central Park because that was the only grass I knew of in the city. I’m sure I will write more on each and every GNR song, so get ready Rachel. I’ll start here with “Estranged.” This is kind of like the fall of Rome. It is over 9 minutes long. The video is all hubris and epic: SWAT teams, a suicide attempt thwarted by heroic dolphins, and, of course, Slash rising from the great sea (see 7:50 and on of the video). No one seems to know this song, but according to wikipedia, Axl just played it a few days ago in Vegas and said “I don’t think I’ve sung that song in 18 years.” All rejoice, “Estranged” no more.