[Cali Panthers Fan]

I have to go old school now and then because I rarely feel much when I listen to modern music. Now and then, great artists and great albums, but it's so few and far between. Here's a few artist I've been listening to a lot again lately:

Elvis Costello.

Never has someone combined such dark and disturbing lyrics with such up-beat, poppy punk music. Music comes and goes, but great lyricists change the world (See: Cohen, Leonard).

Just an example of this-Oliver's Army. Where he discusses the phenomenon of young and impoverished men conscripted into the military because there are no other options for them financially. Could say the same thing about what happens here in the States. Check out the high energy and upbeat sound that accompanies this song.



Talking Heads.

Art rock meets punk meets new wave. The Talking Heads had so many sounds in their career, and they rarely fit a mould. I always appreciated the song Psycho Killer both for the stripped down yet interesting music, but more for the daring lyrics at a time when it wasn't cool to talk about mental illness.




Thelonious Monk.

This one is purely musical since there is no lyrical content. However, you can infer so much of the mood from the bebop stylings of Monk. You don't need much more than the frenetic hammering of keys from him to discern what he's trying to get across to the audience on In Walked Bud. On certain tracks you can hear him muttering in the background of the track as the inspiration for the jazz comes to him.