Jenn Martinelli Blogging in Boston

Thanks to Pandora I have found a number of new songs and artists I am trying out. (By the way, I fully realize they are not necessarily new to you, or the world at large... I am not on the cutting edge of the music scene. They are just new to me.) I'm going to try to post about them here regularly.

Here's what I just listened to, by Farewell Milwaukee (link goes directly the mp3 download at Amazon).

can’t you feel all the dirt from their money
the leather from their briefcase
the chill from their cold cold heart

Also, the band has uploaded the song to YouTube which I love. I like when bands share things for free. It encourages people to listen and decide to buy their music. It doesn't lose money for them. Bands that get this make me happy. Here it is on YouTube:

Rob's recommendations for Christmas songs are spot on. Two of my favorites as well!

A lot of great lines in the Pogues' song so it's hard to pick a favorite, but this is one of mine:

I could have been someone
(well so could anyone)

Nobody Knows Me At All: The Weepies

When I was a child everybody smiled, nobody knows me at all
Very late at night and in the morning light, nobody knows me at all

Now I got lots of friends, yes, but then again, nobody knows me at all
Kids and a wife, it's a beautiful life, nobody knows me at all

And oh when the lights are low
Oh with someone I don't know

I don't give a damn, I'm happy as a clam, nobody knows me at all
Ah, what can you do? There's nobody like you. Nobody knows me at all

I know how you feel, no secrets to reveal, nobody knows me at all
Very late at night and in the morning light, nobody knows me at all

Nobody knows me, nobody knows me, nobody knows me at all

My apologies for not posting this sooner, I really wanted to - like, in time for you to actually watch the live webcast. But anyway, better late than never.

Ben Folds and a bunch of other people that I'm too dumb to know who they are (really, I'm also too lazy) had the plan to write and record 8 songs in 8 hours. It actually proved slightly impossible so it ended up being 6 in 12 I think. But regardless, I think it's a really fun idea and I think you should check it out.

It's also awesome how they are releasing it.

Nighty Night by 8in8

Also you can follow updates about it on twitter with the hashtag #8in8.

No, it's not a hymn or a song about reindeer. I love Fairytale of New York by the Pogues. Of course, please do yourself a favor and just stick to the original version, don't subject yourself to a post-Kristy and post-Shawn-McGowan-having-teeth version.

Here you go, kids:

I love this little song, by Loudon Wainwright. Just listening to it now on my iPod:

Passion Play

It's a wonder and it's a miracle it turned out this way
After all this time I'm yours and you're mine, we're together today
I was such a fool to be so afraid of that thing they call love
I forgot my fear we're standing here, what was I afraid of?

Can't quite get enough so we strut our stuff acting our lives away
Life's a tragedy and it's a comedy but it should be a passion play
We're off of the book we're gonna leap and not look and what happens now is unknown
Yes I caved but I feel saved - now I'm not alone

Everything is crazy, tell me something new
Ceases to amaze me I'm standing here with you

In the final act I know it's a fact that the curtain will fall
When the play is through I'll be next to you
We'll be takin' our curtain call
We're gonna hang up the costumes, take off the make up, shut the dressing room door
Then it's me and you 1 disguised as 2 and twice as good as before

Everybody's crazy, tell me something new
Ceases to amaze me I'm standing here with you

It's a wonder and it's a miracle it turned out this way
After all this time I'm yours and you're mine, we're together today
I was such a fool to be so afraid of that crazy thing called love
I forgot my fear we're standing here, what was I afraid of?
I forgot my fear we're standing here, what was I afraid of?

So I was previously already obsessed with Ingrid Michaelson's song "The Way I Am" (but why are there scary clowns in this video???) from yes, an Old Navy sweater commercial. Sorry, but I loved the song.

If you were falling
then I would catch you
you need a light
I'll find a match

'cause I love
the way you say 'good morning'
and you take me the way I am

Anyway, so I bought it from iTunes. The other day I got an email from Borders about a performance by her at their #01 store in Ann Arbor Michigan and I clicked over and listened to it a bit.

Now my new obsession is her song "Breakable" which I also bought on iTunes. I probably will just end up buying the album.

And you fastened my seatbelt
because it is the law
in your two-ton death trap
I finally saw
a piece of love in your face
that bathed me in regret
then you drove me to places
I'll never forget

And we are so fragile
and our cracking bones make noise
and we are just breakable breakable breakable
girls and boys

It's very pretty, melodic music, and I like her voice a lot.

Check it out if you're interested.

For those of you who might not already know, this lady is ALL CLASS.

Holy crap, why in the world am I purposely leaving a terrible paid advertisement for some CD collection called "Flower Power" on the TV so I can hear 10 seconds of all the 70's songs? Why do I apparently not just like but love about 85% of this music? Granted, some is really terrible, but hello:

• Your Song - Elton John
• Somebody to Love - Jefferson Airplane
• What's Going On? - Marvin Gaye
• City of New Orleans - Arlo Guthrie
• Morning Has Broken - Cat Stevens
• Summer in the City - The Lovin' Spoonful
• San Francisco - Scott McKenzie
• Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison
• Here's To the Music - The Doobie Brothers
• California Dreamin' - The Mammas and the Pappas
• Abraham, Martin and John - Dion
• Leaving On a Jet Plane - Peter Paul and Mary
• Turn Turn Turn - The Byrds

I love this stuff! It's true.

Uh-oh, 50, you might have to retire. Apparently Kanye's album is outselling yours.

Too bad you felt the need to say this in Rolling Stone:

I'm King Kong. Kanye is human. Humans run when they see King Kong, because they're scared.

But who really thinks you're going to retire?