hyphens

I need new music.

I know, with Amirah's pre-Christmas pile, it was sort of like hitting the music jackpot. However, I didn't get any new favorites out of it. I like a bunch, sure--like The Weepies and Tilly and the Wall, but I am missing that put-in-anywhere-anytime stuff.

I think most audiophiles have an irrational allegiance to a handful of bands, to whom few others measure up. You know, the desert-island-top-five bands. I want something new, but I want to love it as much as those.

I went through a phase recently, kind of an accidental backlash to the barrage of indie music that friends who are cooler than me shared, no-strings-attatched. I listened to all my favorite stuff that I have had for five years--the U2, Coldplay, Counting Crows, Jimmy Eat World, David Gray, with the despicable nostalgia culminating in a little--wince--Matchbox 20 (please don't judge me). But now I am tired of it all, again.

There are two forces at work here. The first is the addict's greed where getting a little begets desperation for more, and the second is that retro-music backlash.

It turns out, I don't just want more music for curiosity's sake, but I want more I can keep. In wading through all this not-always-distinctive indie music, I am sort of holding auditions for new favorites.

Below is a list of music I still need, both out of addicted, curiosity-driven greed and classic-favorite replenishment.


Cassadaga by Bright Eyes
The End of History by Fionn Regan
The Shepherd's Dog by Iron & Wine
Who You Are by Cary Brothers
The Vastness of Space by Reid Anderson
On the Outside by Starsailor
Shine: The Best of the Early Years by David Gray
Born in the U.K. by Badly Drawn Boy
Remedy by David Crowder Band
Do You Like Rock Music? by British Sea Power
Some Cities by Doves
North by Elvis Costello
Picaresque by Decemberists
Illinois by Sufjan Stevens
Greetings From Michigan: The Great Lake State by Sufjan Stevens
Sky Blue Sky by Wilco
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot by Wilco
A Ghost Is Born by Wilco
Prog by The Bad Plus
Love Is Hell by Ryan Adams

And this probably isn't even all of it. Maybe I need help?