Yeah, hon.


power to the people

Where did Cat Power come from? They more or less appeared out of nowhere, and then all of a sudden they blew up. Three people recommended them, one of whom burned me their new cd, and got big press in Rolling Stone last week alone. They're okay; I think I need to give the CD a few more listens before I make a decision one way or the other.

Sufjan Steven's Illinois is still in heavy rotation. I loved these suggestions for his Maryland CD.

I have really strong associations with music. I often define periods of life by what I was listening to at the time; inversely, certain bands/albums are forever linked to a specific period of my life. The minute I hear Jewel's Christmas CD (which, fortunately, isn't very often) I immediately think of Christmas 1999. Phish, Pat McGee Band, The Thong Song=Summer 2000. Barenaked Ladies, Belle and Sebastian, The Wallflowers (shut up)=Fall-Winter 2000. Less Than Jake, U2=Spring/Summer 2001. 2002 and 2003 were a big blur, but Postal Service was definitely Spring 2003 (I also associate "such great heights" with Manray, having heard it for the first time on Saturday night in the main room when I was there with Isabel; she was wearing a red sweater, jeans and sneakers, and I was wearing a green shirt that was way too tight and had my weird sleeve-cut-off thing happening). And so on. It works with music I've sung, too. Faure's Pavane=Fall 1997; Brahms Requiem=Spring 2000 at Mr. Richardson's funeral. Sometimes it's multiple associations: The Supremes are early, early childhood and also impromptu dance parties at Molly's place on Peterborough (c.2002). Sometimes it's more of an association with a feeling or place: Gillian Welch = being really tired of and feeling broken by Harvard, Tori Amos = youthful depression and generally bleak, Annie Lennox=sweaty, probably drunk, Less Than Jake= driving into Annapolis down King George St, Stevie Wonder, I just called to say I love you=driving up to Maryland Hall in our old Pontiac station waggon at probably age 4 or 5 for gymnastics class.

I literally get flashbacks, often even feel like I'm transported back in time. It's particularly true of Belle and Sebastian, for some reason. Anytime I hear something from "Boy with the Arab Strap," or, "If You're Feeling Sinister," I go right back to being 19, peacoat on, discman in hand, walking to work at Tealuxe in Newton. Or standing on the footbridge to the Esplanade at 2:30, smoking a cigarette (or clove), drinking a diet coke, perking up in the middle of an all-nighter to finish a French/History/Policy paper. It's amazing how long ago that feels.

Music's power sort of scares me in that way...you never know when you might hear that one song that will trigger some long-forgotten memory you wanted to keep forgotten. Maybe that's why I often use music until I'm nearly sick of it and then move on without looking back--there are few cds that I can really revisit because the associations are so strong. I can't appreciate the music for what is it because I can't let go of what it meant at one time."

This is what happens when I listen to the "indie pop" "station" on Launchand Belle and Sebastian come on.




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