Journal

I was going to go to bed early tonight, because I felt like I need it, and was just gonna listen a little to Acoustic Live. Just a the beginning of a few tracks, to hear what it's all about.

And god damn it, I heard what it's all about. There's no way I'm going to bed yet.

I've hardly even heard of Nils Lofgren before. I like Bruce Springsteen, a lot, just never been into the man enough to really dig out stuff on the E Street Band, so it was a pleasant surprise when I got a hold on Lofgrens latest solo album Sacred Weapon. I loved that one pretty much from the start, but it's nothing against this. And I say that without, as of these words, even having listened completly to the fourth track.

Amazing. I thought the first song, You, would break my soul.

Simply amazing.

I was looking through some old stuff today and stumbled upon All the Pain Money Can Buy, and I remembered how I loved The Way, the hit single, and felt pretty meh about the rest.

So it was with surprise I notice how much I actually enjoy it. Just listened to the whole album, for the first time in probably 6 or even 7 years, and it's really great. Whoddathunkit?!

Heard there were rumours about Fastball returning to the studio. Hope there's some truth to that, I'm quite curious as to how they sound now.

The chills this song brings down my spine is insane. I'm in love, again.

I never was a die hard fan of Tori Amos. Probably noticed her thanks to Neil Gaiman, listened and liked a lot, but never truly loved.

Well, not until now. I haven't gotten through A Piano: The Collection, but something about it hooked me from the first track on the first CD. Now I can't get enough of this box, I really can't and it's such a shame that my good headphones choose this time to start glitching now when I feel the need to bring it with me. Still, even with my cheap substitutes I can enjoy Tori while walking without losing to much. Yes, she's that good.

Yesterday I listened to Nellie McKays debut album for the first time in a very long time. It's still amazing.

I was somewhat disappointed by Pretty Little Head, though, a good album that i thought would grow more on me than it has, but it's missing something very vital. I'm not sure what that is yet, but I know Get Away From Me has it in spades and shovels.

And she's still cute as hell. What a smile on that pretty little head of hers!

Since my travels in the orient (okay, that was a filthy lie - the furthest I've been from Sweden is Poland, and that's basically around the block - in truth I've been commuting daily to a very boring place for a very boring unemployment assignment, but that's a story for someplace that isn't a music journal), I haven't been listening to music on my home computer much. I do listen, more than ever it seems, on my sexy little portable flash-based player, but it's a shame that there's no way to get the information on to Last.fm. So while I get my daily dose of Metric, Lisa Miskovsky, Lily Allen and Division of Laura Lee (and, quite possible, since I just started to get into the man, John Vanderslice), there's no way for anyone else to see! And my lists get stale.

It ain't easy being an on the road, constant traveler, man of the world, Last.fm addict.

In all honesty, I don't know if I ever heard all of Lisa Miskovsky's self-titled first album, but the hit single Driving One of Your Cars was played pretty heavily here in Sweden and I hated it. Really, really hated it. I still don't care much of the studio version, though the live version I heard in concert last year was actually great.

Much to my own surprise I fell in love with Lisa's second outing, Fallingwater, especially the first track - Lady Stardust. Which is the reason why I looked forward to here latest CD, Changes, released last week.

It did not disappoint.

While Changes doesn't have a Lady Stardust, it's overall a better and stronger album than Fallingwater. Lisa has grown quite a bit as an artist since the last time, and I think that she might finally have come into her own. I look forward to her next record even more, now.

Reviewing music is not an easy thing to do. I don't know if it's because, for me, music is so much more about those abstract things, like feelings, soul, spirit and emotions than, say, movies. Or maybe it's because I wasn't really into music. Always listened and liked it, of course, but only began to gain a genuin interest a couple of years ago.

I love movies. It's my great, big, passion in life. I can get deeply emotional about them, but also quite intellectual. My interest in movies has been around for a long time now, I've read, studied and reviewed on a semi-professional basis. I can make references to film history and cultural stuff in a way I don't quite can when listening to songs.

Maybe that's the big difference. I know movies but I feel music. Maybe that's about to change, as I keep listening and keep learning, soon I could know and feel both my passions. I hope so, because I would love to review albums on a regular basis, I just don't know how to.

Not yet, at least.