For the better part of the last year or so, I’ve listened to Sufjan Stevens’ For the Widows in Paradise, For The Fatherless in Ypsilanti every morning. On days like today, my body will not register that it is time to wake up and get productive until I hear this song. The songs I started most days in 2009 with:
It gets a little dark, but that’s okay. I’ve got a big place in my heart for sad music. I got into a Sufjan Stevens kick after visiting Chicago by myself last year. Most of that trip I spent moving around that city, headphones on. I realize now how much I let the music influence my impression of Chicago. I loved it there, in the same way you love someone when you’re heart’s a little broken.
In other news, recording is in a week and I have a lot to get done before then. I’m in the mood to say yes to everything, so I’ve been busy.
I had a meeting with a friend of mine who’s going to do the mixing and recording for the EP. It feels so good to make progress. Five to seven songs with vocals, guitar, indie kitsch casio keyboard and hand claps. Nothing solid for release date yet, but I have a good feeling that it won’t take a year. As far as what it looks like – I don’t know yet. I’m not sure if I have artists friends. Honestly. I’d like to have somebody I think is awesome create album art, but I’m so shy about bringing it up. There’s also the issue of what to call it. Working on it. I mean, I’m working on it, “working on it” isn’t the name. I’m pretty sure that’s a cop out.
Also, while putting this thing together, I’m paying a lot of attention to the mix of music I love. There are a couple albums I can’t stop listening to that are affecting my taste. Since January, I’ve been rotating through: The Blueprint 3 (Jay Z), Grand (Matt & Kim), The Fame Monster (Gaga), Realism (The Magnetic Fields), and the first eight or so songs from 69 Love Songs (Magnetic Feilds). I know, it is a little Magnet heavy. I saw them perform at the Wilbur in Boston a few weeks ago and the show was just incredible. One of the things I love about the Magnetic Fields is that they’re orchestral sound supports every song, regardless of the lyrical content. Whether it’s poetic, ironic, or as is often the case, both – the instrumentation supports the songwriting perfectly. As you can see, I’m pretty much in love with them right now.
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