Last 7 Days is a series here on The Metronome that uses last.fm to chronicle the artists and albums that have made up the last week’s worth of listening for one of our staff members.
Spiritualized
(103 plays)
Remember when Spiritualized topped this list last week and I attributed it to first listens of their forthcoming Sweet Heart Sweet Light? Well, the volume of plays on this week’s chart should tell you all you need to know about their new material. Due on April 17, the new release from Jason Pierce’s shapeshifting Spiritualized is the type of record you’ll actually want to fork over cold, hard cash for. It’s that good.
Jeff Buckley
(30 plays)
Spoiler alert: one of our next big all-staff features is going to explore our favorite live albums. And is there one greater than Jeff Buckley’s seminal Live at Sin-é? Eternally one of my favorites, that’s what made it into this week’s rotation, propelled by a rather random story. Years ago I found a picture of Buckley beneath a large billboard which, in my mind’s eye, read “Adelyne.” For whatever reason, I was drawn to this picture, but after seeing it that first time I had trouble ever finding it again. I sifted through books, Google image searches, and the artist gallery on last.fm. I just couldn’t locate it. But this week I described it on Buckley’s last.fm and within minutes a user sent me a link to the long lost photo. The billboard says “Angelyne.”
The Magnetic Fields
(25 plays)
After taking the early part of 2012 easy in terms of new releases, this week I made it a point to check out some of the year’s early favorites. I didn’t come away from listening to Love at the Bottom of the Sea — which I spun twice — feeling totally engrossed, but it’s a fine little pop record nonetheless. For obvious reasons (check the byline), I could do without hearing “Andrew in Drag” ever again, but I kind of want to play “God Wants Us to Wait” over and over again.
Spectrum
(15 plays)
Thanks to the Spiritualized family tree — Spectrum is the project of Peter “Sonic Boom” Kember, who once upon a time filled a roster spot of Spacemen 3 — these 15 assorted tracks made it into my rotation this week. Actually, it was also thanks in part to the last.fm app built into Spotify (which I’m still totally in love with, by the way). Spectrum was the lead recommended artist and, though the songs don’t come close to the magnitude of Spiritualized, fit the bit for a decent midweek, midday excursion.
Cloud Nothings
(15 plays)
The theme of seeking out 2012 releases actually began with Cloud Nothings, who made my list last week as well. The truth is, everything I said last week applies here as well. That is to say: Attack on Memory is a very, very solid record. Don’t sleep on it like I did.
The Civil Wars
(14 plays)
I’d been reading about The Civil Wars all over the place — they sure do seem popular amongst many of my female Facebook friends — and finally decided to see what all the fuss was about. I don’t know that I’d use the word “impressed,” but certainly there’s something to this Nashville duo. Barton Hollow, which came out last year, is unquestionably a good record, but it’s one of layers and places a clear emphasis on lyrics. If I really want to form an opinion worth sharing, it’ll take a few more spins across some different settings.
Bruce Springsteen
(13 plays)
Within seconds of turning on Bruce Springsteen’s music, be it his new album, Wrecking Ball, which made up these 13 plays, or any of his other releases, I always feel an immediate sense of regret that I’m actually listening to Bruce Springsteen. Am I just too young to fully comprehend the heights this man once reached and the depths from which he rose to get there? Am I naive to his brilliance? Have I totally forgotten about Born to Run and Nebraska? I don’t know. I just can’t stand all the patriotic, good old boy, Wrangler jeans rock n’ roll. Wrecking Ball is obnoxiously Americana, to the point where I felt like I should just turn it off and listen to Toby Keith’s “Made in America” instead (that is the one where he sings about putting his boot up a terrorist’s ass, right?). We get it: Bruce has a blue collar lineage. I’m not saying he should sever all ties with his roots and embrace the fact that he’s now one filthy rich dude, but I can’t help but feel like the world doesn’t need another album by this guy. Celebrities using their notoriety to highlight issues that are important not just to them, but to society, is a good thing. But just because that’s what they’re doing doesn’t mean we throw out the grade book for artistic merit. It doesn’t help that every new Bruce Springsteen song sounds the same as all the old Bruce Springsteen songs.
Andrew Bird
(11 plays)
I’d read nothing but positive things about Break It Yourself, but the range of opinions still felt wide. Some of the praise was curbed, some of it was spinning out of control and into “his absolute best yet!” territory. After giving Andrew Bird’s new album a shot — admittedly only one so far — I can’t help but side with the former. It seems like a nice enough album and I quite enjoyed “Danse Caribe” and “Lusitania.” But it feels to me like, once it’s had a chance to take a greater hold, it’ll find itself as the fourth or fifth album on Bird’s already crowded discography depth chart.
