Sunday, December 23, 2012

My year in music 2012

Fiona Apple:  musical artist of the year
My favorite albums of 2012:

#1.  Fiona Apple, The Idler Wheel . . .
#2.  Jack White, Blunderbuss

Others I've enjoyed:

Band of Horses, Mirage Rock
Sara Bareilles, Once Upon Another Time EP
Dave Matthews Band, Away from the World
Brandi Carlile, Bear Creek  (This is her most flawed album to date, however.)
Shake The Baron, Ghost Hits
Tori Amos, Gold Dust
Whispertown, Parallel EP

Then there are a bunch I need to hurry up and listen to in their entirety, such as releases from Bat For Lashes, David Byrne & St. Vincent, Bob Dylan, Benjamin Gibbard, Beth Orton, Amy Ray, and The Wallflowers.

My concert attendance:

Apr. 21st: Death Cab For Cutie with Magik*Magik Orchestra, Wang Theatre, Boston, MA
June 22nd:  Shawn Colvin, Ridgefield Playhouse, Ridgefield, CT
Conor Oberst in Boston, 12-6
June 29th:  Fiona Apple, Ives Concert Park, Danbury, CT
July 7th:  Shake The Baron, Great Scott, Boston, MA
July 27th:  Iron & Wine, Calvin Theatre, Northampton, MA
July 31st:  Wilco, Mass MoCA, North Adams, MA
Aug. 1st:  Wilco, Mortensen Hall at The Bushnell, Hartford, CT
Aug. 4th:  Brandi Carlile, Bank of America Pavilion, Boston, MA
Sept. 8th:  Shake The Baron, I AM Festival, New London, CT
Sept. 13th: Bon Iver, Bank of America Pavilion, Boston, MA
Sept. 28th:  Jack White, Agganis Arena, Boston, MA
Sept. 29th:  The Wallflowers, Paradise Rock Club, Boston, MA
Dec. 6th:  Conor Oberst, Orpheum Theater, Boston, MA
Dec. 9th:  Band of Horses, House of Blues, Boston, MA

Monday, December 17, 2012

On the Sandy Hook tragedy

I currently reside and work in close geographic proximity to Newtown.  The mass shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School stunned my coworkers and me last Friday as we hoped for minimal damage but instead heard that twenty-six had died.

I find "Oh Very Young" by Cat Stevens to be a fitting tribute to the twenty children, all six and seven years old, who lost their lives.


Oh very young, what will you leave us this time
You're only dancin' on this earth for a short while
And though your dreams may toss and turn you now
They will vanish away like your dad's best jeans
Denim blue, faded up to the sky
And though you want them to last forever
You know they never will
(you know they never will)
And the patches make the goodbye harder still.

Oh very young, what will you leave us this time
There'll never be a better chance to change your mind
And if you want this world to see a better day
Will you carry the words of love with you
Will you ride the great white bird into heaven
And though you want to last forever
You know you never will
(you know you never will)
And the goodbye makes the journey harder still.

Will you carry the words of love with you
Will you ride, oh, ooh

Oh very young, what will you leave us this time
You're only dancin' on this earth for a short while
Oh very young, what will you leave us this time

"Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.  I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.'" --The Bible, Mark 10:15.

For the teachers who protected the children in their care:  "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." --The Bible, John 15:13.