Review: A Lot of Love. A Lot of Blood (EP) by Florence and the Machine

A Lot of Love. A Lot of Blood (EP) by Florence and the Machine

My rating: 8 out of 10

                This happens to be a lovely little sampling of the talented Florence Welch.  Each of her 4 songs on this EP has its own flavor:  “Kiss With a Fist” is a kick-ass rock ‘n roll tune with a twisted love story.  “Dog Days are Over” is my personal favorite.  Florence really shows of her singing abilities.  It’s such a happy and high-spirited song.; “Can you hear the horses, because here they come!”

                “You’ve Got the Love” has elements of both the previous songs.  It rocks and it soars along with Florence Welch’s vocals.  I would really recommend the XX remix of this song also.  “Hospital Beds” loses me a little bit with slightly melodramatic lyrics and a too-strong focus on the lyrics.

                Overall, a lovely little EP, and a superb teaser for Florence and the Machine.

The Environment is a Value to Man (not the other way around)

A Blog for my Brother

                My brother claims that man should “be seen as valuable (to the environment) as long as we are valuable to it.”  The environment is not capable of valuing anything, and is not a value in and of itself.  Man is the only being that can pursue his values rationally.  Therefore, the environment becomes a value when man decides that he wishes to gain something from it.  If he wants oil, he has the right to dig it out of the ground.  If he wants to hunt and eat deer, there is no reason to stop him.  If he wants to clear land to live on, he should do that too. 

                Any argument to stop man from claiming the Earth is mysticism.  There is no rational or moral argument for environmentalism, biodiversity, or the cap and trade bill congress is considering.    The line is drawn when land has been claimed by another man, or if harm can be proved on an individual basis as a result of man’s actions.

                For instance, one plank of the Green movement is that carbon emissions should be regulated.  Factory smog is not a valid reason to regulate emissions.  Factories support every single modern economy.  To claim that they need to reduce productivity in the name of environmentalism is economic suicide.  If someone doesn’t want to live in a city with smog, he can move.  There’s plenty of space in rural America.  Only when harm can be proved on an individual basis is it legitimate to sue over pollution.  Man is the Supreme Being in the world, not the environment.

Review: Colour Green by Sibylle Baier

Colour Green by Sibylle Baier

My rating: 7 out of 10

                 Sibylle Baier didn’t make this music to be heard by the general public, her son released it more than 30 years after it was recorded).  She made this music for herself and those close to her. Her style of music is very personal folk; sparse musically and rich emotionally.  Every song but the last is just Baier and her guitar, making music that reaches down into her soul.  The stories that she tells always make the song worth listening to; “William must have a chorus in his heart and lilacs in his shoes/ William is the sweetest boy I ever saw.”- “William”

                All of the songs are very short; the entire album of 14 songs is only 33 minutes long.  Despite their brevity, the tracks pack powerful punches.  Here are the lyrics for “Remember the Day”-  “I no longer thought of what is good or what is not / there simply was the water’s smell and remoteness/ I only stood and watched that old cold ocean / in tender and bright, full, unspeakable emotion.”  The songs are not terribly different stylistically, but each one has its own tenderness.

                My girlfriend introduced me to Sybille Baier with the song, “I Lost Something in the Hills” because of the similarities to Nick Drake.  “Colour Green” certainly does remind me of the moving “Pink Moon.”  However, this album is not “Pink Moon”.  Sibylle Baier is a commendable song writer, but does not have the versatility of Nick Drake.  After a few songs, you know exactly what you can expect from the entire album.  I don’t mind that too much, but it can be tiring to listen to “Colour Green” all at once.  Overall, I am very happy that my girlfriend introduced me to Sibylle Baier and her potent music.

Favorite Tracks: I Lost Something in the Hills, William, Driving

Review: The Blackened Air by Nina Nastasia

The Blackened Air by Nina Nastasia 

Release Date: April 9, 2002

My rating: 6.5 out of 10

                When I listened to the first two songs on “The Blackened Air”, I thought I was going to be blown away by the rest of the album.  These two songs (“Run All You…” and “I Go With Him”) have such a dense, incredible sound to them that I thought they would be an introduction to an intriguing collection of rock guitar, intricate percussion, and howling violins.

                But “The Blackened Air” never quite got me feeling like I had been successfully polluted (sorry, had to say it).  The Most of the songs are less than 2 and half minutes long.  This is not a bad thing in and of itself, but it seems like Nastasia never reveals what I know she is capable of musically (her album “Dogs” is fantastic.).

                    The first song on the album that doesn’t feel incomplete is painfully repetitive (“This is what it is.”)  Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy this album and I’m happy with my purchase, but my main criticism is that I just want more! 

                     Nina Nastasia is an incredible musician, and “The Blackened Air” is a testament to that statement. This album does have its moments.  The six minute “Ocean” is far reaching in scope and emotion, “I Go With Him” is poignant, “Rosemary” is dark and sweet; but I feel a little unsatisfied with the album as a whole.  It’s still a great display of Nina Nastasia’s song-writing abilities, to make music that is at once both delicate and imposing.

Favorite Tracks:  I Go With Him, Little Angel

Review: Andorra by Caribou

Andorra by Caribou

Release Date: August 21, 2007

My rating: 9 out of 10

     The opening track of Andorra, “Melody Day,” is a fantastic sample of what Caribou is capable of; a dreamy atmosphere, a great use of electronica, and music that is not easy to forget. Combining electronica with the Beach Boys, Caribou creates luscious sounds and makes music that is instantly enjoyable.  The songs “Melody day”, “After Hours”, and “Sundialing” are upbeat, fun, and danceable.  Other songs like “Sandy”, and “Desiree” are reminiscent of sixties bands like the Byrds, and  the Mamas and the Papas; but the guitar, drums, and poppy electronica keep the sound very modern.  The looping of “do”s on She’s the One is surprisingly fascinating, and gives the song a complex texture.

     The lyrics are sometimes very personal, “There’s nothing left I can say/To stop it ending this way/I think you wanted me here/To watch it all disappear”, and add emotion to an already powerful collection of songs.  At other times, the lyrics are a little too abstract; ”And in your summer sky and in the air/Have you forgotten how you got us here/While I remember how much I care.”  But when listening to Caribou, one doesn’t focus too much on the words; the instrumentation is what makes Andorra such a delight and Daniel Snaiths’s vocals(while quite good in their own right) are more like an afterthought to the delicious sounds. 

     The light sounds of this album are refreshing, and full of inspiration.

Favorite tracks:  Melody Day, Sundialing, Eli

An empty threat from Barack Obama

A week ago, Obama said he would not campaign for any democrats who voted no on health care.

Just recently, he changed his mind.  Democratic strategist David Plouffe said Obama would certainly be campaigning for democrats who vote no, as well as for those who vote yes.  Obama certainly seems like a silly fist shaker. 

The bully pulpit is only effective if you keep your promises.  We’ll see what he does come November.