What I'm Listening To

I'm sitting at my computer working on a proposal for a potential client. It's a very exciting opportunity and focus is key.

Music inspires me. I need it on all the time.

My door is closed. I've got a pad of paper and lots of related documents spread out on my desk.

And the music is flowing.

What I listen to changes from time to time. I tend to listen to something until I burn myself out and I can't listen to it any more.

I use Rhapsody. I pay $12 bucks a month or so and I don't mind. For that I get access to everything I'd ever want to listen. Including everything new usually the day it gets released. I'm not doing a commercial for Rhapsody, it's just what I use. It's uninterrupted access to music at all times. They've even got an iPhone app now that let's me take my music with me.

Here's some of the music I'm playing right now as I work on this proposal (I've put links in case you want to listen via MySpace Music which is now like a free Rhapsody):

1. Monsters of Folk - Album: Monsters of Folk. This is a great album. It's a supergroup featuring many of the top dogs in the "new" alternative/folk movement including Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes), Jim James (My Morning Jacket), and M. Ward. On Rhapsody they bill this as a modern Traveling Wilburys which is dead on. I remember hearing the first Traveling Wilburys album back in the late 80's and it made me appreciate George Harrison, Bob Dylan, and Roy Orbison a lot more. This album makes me want to listen to more Bright Eyes and MMJ. http://bit.ly/21Su9

2. Silversun Pickups - Album: Swoon. My favorite album of the year. I was a huge fan of Smashing Pumpkins' first album, Gish. I must have listened to that album at full blast about a thousand times. It had a sonic quality that I had never heard. I remember working on albums later in my life and trying desperately to find a producer and mix engineer that could convey that same sonic quality. I liked Siamese Dream too but after a while I lost interest in Smashing Pumpkins. Well, this album, is reminiscent of how I felt when I used to listen to Gish. http://bit.ly/uqAUq

3. Guilty Pleasure #1 - Mika - Album: The Boy Who Knew too Much. I don't know how to properly describe this. Is it rock or is it pop? Is it disco or is it Broadway? Mika lies somewhere between Freddie Mercury / Queen and Lady Gaga. I like some of his last album which was definitely the second coming of Freddie Mercury but this one seems more complete. It's the kind of album you listen to and then you find yourself humming these songs when you're in the shower. http://bit.ly/14EzPp

4. Guilty Pleasure #2 - Paramore. I just love this band. I'm listening to the new album Brand New Eyes, but on Rhapsody they have this great feature where you can listen to "Top Tracks" which basically strings all 3 Paramore albums together. I can't get enough of Haley and her band. http://bit.ly/9x7WZ ; http://bit.ly/zqGzy (last album: Riot)

5. Mars Volta - Album: Octahedron. This is the band that was supposed to be the new Led Zeppelin. But their albums have been way too chaotic and uneven if you ask me. On this one, they really got it right. There are songs on this like "Since We've Been Wrong" that are mind blowing. I love this album!!! This is the perfect album to write a proposal too. It's dreamy but hard too. You can listen but still concentrate on what you are doing. http://bit.ly/ogqDq

Those are the ones that play over and over. A few weeks back I was playing Jay Z's Blueprint 3 ( http://bit.ly/KQHJK) a ton. And when I'm in the mood for Jay I spin this one and also tap the Top Tracks button on Rhapsody for the hits. I'm also trying to find time to listen to the new AFI album Crash Love (http://bit.ly/17evZt) I love these guys. Just haven't been able to break myself of playing some of the above mentioned albums to really focus in and see if I like this new one.

Finally there are two comfort bands that I come back to over and over. When I want to get pumped up for a presentation or just wake myself up, I put on Metallica; either Death Magnetic or Master of Puppets. I blogged about my love of Metallica last year. I wish I could point you to their albums online but alas, they haven't quite embraced the whole digital music thing just yet. But they have a good set list on their MySpace page in case you want to get a pickmeup like I often do. http://bit.ly/11wAjR. And when I want to hear great albums from start to finish, I go for Jimmy Eat World. Especially their last album Chase the Light (http://bit.ly/4pbtUJ) Damn this band writes and records great songs. And I personally believe their last album was one of their best though it didn't get the attention it deserved.

Now when you picture me writing this here blog, you'll have a good idea of what is playing in the background.