Albums to accompany oneself while driving from Montana town to Montana town
Having spent two weeks in September driving through Central
and Western Montana as part of a college
fair tour, I decided that for my October/November go-round, while visiting high
schools from Billings to Kalispell to Missoula (and a number of places in
between), I wouldn’t rely solely on the uncertainty of Montana’s radio signals
to provide my company. Below are CDs acquired
during my travels and thoughts thus related, in no particular order.
Johnathan Rice- Further North. ** An alt-country album I’d hoped would
inspire lyrical creativity, it being that when on the road for long periods of
time, my musician friends expect me to write more. The album has instead
reminded me of the saturation of the singer/songwriter genre and the difficulty
of not sounding like every other Dylan fan who has heartbreak to express.
Snow Patrol- Eyes Open. *** During the third verse of
“Hands Open” I hear a subtle siren that consistently startled me on each of Montana’s major
highways. Fun activity-- counting how many times the words “open” and
“shut” are utilized over the entirety of the album.
Snow Patrol- Final Straw.** Purchased at The
Border’s in Bozeman
because I didn’t want to pay what they were asking for Eyes Open. “Run” has been and continues to be a personal anthem.
Peter Bjorn &
John- Writer’s Block.*** Swedish
indie rock with melodies that I’m still warming up to, but rhythms that
inspire. “Young Folks” is brilliant. And I love how they pronounce “north.”
Kanye West- Graduation. **** The first hip-hop record
I’ve purchased, but the album to which I’ve listened most this fall. “Stronger”
was my soundtrack for pre-college-fair preparation.
Iron & Wine- The Shepherd’s Dog. ** Been a big fan
since Creek Drank the Cradle (even before "Such Great Heights" was covered on the Garden State soundtrack-- important to clarify for any iota of indie cred I might have and want to maintain), but I'm still acclimating to the full-band version of Sam Beam.
The White Stripes- Icky Thump. ** The White Stripes hit
everyone’s radar during the heart of my college experience, so they have a
special place on my CD shelf. But... I put most of my energy during this trip
into the above-listed albums, in part because Icky Thump couldn’t convince me to do otherwise. Though “Effect
& Cause” is a fav.
Next related entry: "Albums to accompany oneself while
reading college applications."