I'm late, I'm late, for a post appreciating Solange

Yeah, so what if I'm the last blogger on earth to post about Solange? I was just going to let it sail by, but the song is so catchy and wonderful I just have to post it. If you haven't heard it, or just want to hear it again, click below for Solange's "Losing You" from her album True.

Patience, young Jedi, one day you will love these songs

I wrote before about how I'm sometimes late to the party, either in hearing about an artist entirely, or in hearing a band, rejecting them and then re-discovering them later. Now that I know this about myself, I will often give a band that's hyped a second or even a third chance.

Now sometimes this just doesn't work out and I never really see the brilliance in a band that everyone else falls head over heels in love with. Like Arcade Fire. They're okay, but I don't see them as the most brilliant artist to come along in the last 20 years.

And sometimes I hear a band and I think, they have a cool sound, but the songs aren't grabbing me. And after a number of listens, the brilliance starts to show through. This is what happened to me in a big way with The National and Interpol. They have taught me that patience is a virtue, and reminded me of the fact that songs don't always show their brilliance with one listen. Sometimes songs take a while to show you their wonder. Their melodies unravel, layered musical parts show their beauty and lyrics reveal their imagery and meaning.

Here's a video from The National for "Conversation 16". I had previously posted a clip of them doing this song on Letterman. I love the song. And I really like the show Mad Men. Great TV show. And this video has the guy who plays Roger Sterling in it. So why do I hate this video? Who knows. Maybe it's brilliance will shine through after a number of listens.



I haven't been shy about my love of the song "Games for Days" from Paul Bank's solo project Julian Plenti. "This is how we learn."

Late to the Party

I'm often late to the party, so to speak, when it comes to new music. Like many people, it can take me some time to get into new music. It can take some time for new music to grow on me. When I first heard Oasis, I frankly didn't think much of them. I was, admittedly, a recovering metal-head and BritPop was not exactly the music that sounded too familiar at first blush. When it did, it sounded a bit too much like The Beatles for my taste.

Do you remember that scene in Pulp Fiction when Uma Thurman's character and John Travolta's character are sitting outside of Jack Rabbit Slims? Uma describes how everyone is either a Beatles man or an Elvis man? I disagree with this. I think that everyone is either Beatles or Rolling Stones. I think that those two bands are much more comparable and are much more contemporaries than the Beatles and Elvis. I've always ended up on the Rolling Stones side of the equation, which explains my reaction to the Beatles-tinged rock of Oasis.

But that was then. A couple of years after What's the Story Morning Glory and Definitely Maybe were released, I found my appreciation for Oasis. About 5 years ago, I had one of my most enjoyable moments on stage playing lead guitar on the track "Morning Glory".

This scenario repeats itself for many other bands. Either I manage to miss their emergence completely or I take a listen, am not really grabbed by what I hear, only to discover months or years later that I really like the band.

Although I'm late to several parties, I'm not usually last to the party. Mention of many of the bands that I've been listing to for quite a while now still elicits blank stares from many friends and acquaintances, even from those who try to keep their ear to the ground for new music.

What does this mean for this blog? Well, it means that there will be many times when I cover an artist that is new to me that may not be new to others. I don't profess to be first to the party, but I hope I'm not last too many times.