Music That I have Been Listening To Lately....

I am working on various projects at the same time and this here is my soundtrack.  Of course at the end of the year I try to make a top ten list, but I have some problems with that.   One, I very rarely listen to new music.  This should not be a comment about contemporary pop right now, but more to the fact that I just don't care about current music.  I think it is more me than them.  if that is a problem, but I don't think so....

Nevertheless here are some albums that have been changing my world (lately):

Julian Casablancas' "Phrazes for the Young."Yes, this is sort of a surprise for me as well!  For one, I don't think I ever heard a Strokes album in my life.  And the bits and pieces of their music I have heard in a record store (remember them?) didn't leave an impression.  But I heard this pop record  by him called "Old Hollywood" which is fantastic. Haunting, beautiful melody, and electronics that melts then more than anything.  Very passionate.  It took me a while to get pass that one song to the rest of the album - oh, and I don't think "Old Hollywood" is officially part of "Phrazes for the..."   It's on a bonus cd that comes with the album?   That is what's wrong with the Internet, the identity thing disappears.  Nevertheless I like his solo work.  

"Very Special World of Lee Hazelwood" by Lee Hazelwood.   The Arizona/Hollywood Serge Gainsbourg?  A lot of my friends are into him and his music, but I never fell for his charms - except for his duet work with Ms. Nancy Sinatra.  This may be his first solo recordings - I don't know its history, but I love the songs on it.  It's very late 1965 Los Angeles sound to me. Now I am a fan!  its very bright, very dry, and kind of moody all at once.  The song here that captured me is "My Autumns Gone."  A slow dreamy ballad that one can imagine Frank Sinatra recording it.  The beauty of Hazelwood is that he's always himself.  In many ways it is the ultimate middle-age pop.  Includes his version of "These Boots Are Made For Walking."

Manfred Mann's "Instrumental Assassination" French E.P.   One of my favorite British bands from the 1960's and here we have an odd release of just only their instrumentals.  I don't know its history  Jazzy, junky, throw-away recordings that sometimes shows what the band is really thinking about.  Very unusual, and for sure not really commercial, but the music on this e.p. will sound great in a club.