8.30.2002

 
Coldplaying

Actually, I was wrong. The Coldplay record is out in stores, and my pal Tricia in portland says it's very good -- very melodic and energetic. I look forward to it. Parachutes was a surprisingly good record, almost like a slower, more somber Travis. (N.B. The Amazon reviewer gushes over the new one. Maybe I'll pick it up this weekend...)

posted by Anon. 3:35 PM

8.28.2002

 
Oops

Archives have been down for God knows how long. Now they're up again. Thanks.

posted by Anon. 2:22 PM

 
Strange bedfellow department

The new Coldplay record is coming out this month. Recently, a friend caught their lead singer playing in an Amnesty International benefit here with Aimee Mann and Beth Orton. More, he was duetting with... Mos Def. And evidentally the unlikely pair covered... Bob Dylan's "Simple Twist of Fate," as well as an old Bill Withers song, and a Bob Marley number. Wacky!

posted by Anon. 12:04 PM

 
Forgotten treasures

David Baerwald is a name that might not mean too much to you at first glance, but odds are you've somewhere run into his work. Maybe in the 80s, when he recorded as part of David and David, whose "Welcome to the Boomtown" was a minor, minor hit. Maybe when you watched Moulin Rouge, as he co-wrote the one original song in the movie. Or maybe if you liked Sheryl Crow's Tuesday Night Music Club -- remember, originally that record wasn't supposed to be a Sheryl Crow album but this album by a group that'd get together on Tuesday nights and record music. Baerwald was the main guy behind that crew.

His own solo career has been spotty, but 1990's Bedtime Stories -- I'd give you the Amazon link, but evidentally it's out of print -- has some lovely songs. I found this album in a cut-out bin a few years ago, and if I did a cost-per-good song ratio for what I paid (probably $2.99), this album's good songs cost me a total of a quarter each. Not bad at all. Best is "Hello Mary," one of the best "running into an old love" songs this side of Willie Nelson's "Ain't It Funny How Time Slips Away." "All for You" and "The Best Inside You" are also two songs with great lyrics and melodies. The album's flaw is that occasionally it's over-produced. If you can find it, check it out.

posted by Anon. 12:01 PM