Music from the Cube: What Am I Listening To Today?
I declare this here LJ as a Wank-Free Zone (at least for today).
I also declare my LJ as a Cheer-Up Zone (at least for today) because, damn, there are a lot of people on my FList who seem to need the pick-me-up.
So you know what time it is, kiddoes?
MUSIC FROM THE CUBE!
And who is our guest artist for today?
Unh, um...
Heh.
Björk.
I know, I know, not the most cheer-uppy artist on the planet, but I'm keeping my heavy guns in reserve for Tax Weekend in the U.S. (that would be April 14 and 15, by the way), so I don't have my heavy-hitters lined up yet.
So, unh, Björk is what I got, so Björk is what I'm giving you.
Björk, Greatest Hits Rating=$$$
[Support the Artist, Artist's MySpace Page, Artist's Official Website]
How I Got This CD: Bought really cheap during Employee Appreciation Days during my Bordersverse sojourn.
I admit that Björk confuses me. No, not in the way you think (or in the way she confuses most people I suspect). Björk confuses me because I am absolutely convinced that I can't stand her music. Yet, the second I hear her music, I find myself grooving along and totally digging her crazy vibe. I immediately vow to buy more Björk in the very near future. Then about 5 seconds after I stop hearing her voice, I'm right back to being absolutely convinced that I can't stand her music. Again.
Très confusing, non?
The only reason why I own this CD is because it was playing on my store's overhead while I was raiding the music department during Borders Employee Appreciation Days (40% off retail, dudes!) You might say I bought this CD because Björk was literally singing in my ear.
What makes this whole mental Björk-block even stranger? I have more than once looked directly at this CD and wondered why I had it in my collection because, dude, I'm absolutely convinced that I can't stand Björk's stuff. I should just trade it off on LaLa because I will never listen to this CD.
*sigh*
Is there anyone out there who can explain this condition to me? Or does anyone have a name for the condition at least? Because, yeah, I don't get this.
Now that I've let out the Björk angst, what can I say about this CD? If you are a huge Björk fan, give it a miss because I guarantee that you already have all these tracks. On the other hand, it's perfect for people (like me) who suffer from Björk-block or people who sort of like Björk, but aren't big fans. Instead of investing in box sets or the whole collection, this Greatest Hits collection hits all the high notes and provides a good retrospective for her (then) decade-long run as the Queen of all Experimental Whatever-the-Hell-It-Is Music.
As an interesting sidenote, the Borders Music Guru I worked with told me that Björk had her fans vote on what tracks she should include on the CD. Despite listening to the hoi polloi, he said that the tracks on this CD was a pretty fair representation of Björk's career up to that point.
I have to admit, my favorite of the downloads below is 'Big Time Sensuality,' which has an upbeat tune and I think highlights Björk's voice in a way that it normally isn't. Definitely a cardio workout-worthy for someone who is seeking some good MP3s for that kind of mix. "Play Dead," IMHO is another standout download with its creepy lyrics that no amount of orchestration can quite wash away. "Hyperballad" is exactly as the song title suggests, while "Joga" is a farily laid-back affair that's good for a little trancing.
Sample Song Downloads: Hyperballad, Joga, Big Time Sensuality, Play Dead
You can download all files from the project page by clicking here.
***
To find previous thumbnail reviews, go to the Review Index.
After the donwload links expire, you can listen to streaming MP3 files linked with reviews at my Vox shadow blog for media.
***
Rating system:
None = Avoid at all cost. Worth cutting your ears off to avoid if someone threatens to play it for you. When faced with even the threat of its cellophane-wrapped presence, your best option is to RUN AWAY! RUN AWAY!
$= If you stumble across it for cheap in a used bin, it might, maybe, perhaps could be worth the buy, but only if you need a cheap coaster for your cold drinks or a cool-looking frisbee.
$$= You might want to give this CD/artist a try, but only if the sample track tickles your fancy. Don't bother buying this one new because the good tunes you'd get out of this one ain't worth that kind of money.
$$$ = Worth looking for on a casual basis and maybe even buying new, but no big rush.
$$$$ = Definitely worth having in the ol' CD collection and definitely worth buying new, but don't re-arrange your personal "must have" list to get your hands on it.
$$$$$ = Why haven't you bought this CD yet? Go. This is a "Want. Take. Have." situation because you so want this.
The management would love it if you comment, especially if you download any of the sample tracks.
Now Playing:
I also declare my LJ as a Cheer-Up Zone (at least for today) because, damn, there are a lot of people on my FList who seem to need the pick-me-up.
So you know what time it is, kiddoes?
MUSIC FROM THE CUBE!
And who is our guest artist for today?
Unh, um...
Heh.
Björk.
I know, I know, not the most cheer-uppy artist on the planet, but I'm keeping my heavy guns in reserve for Tax Weekend in the U.S. (that would be April 14 and 15, by the way), so I don't have my heavy-hitters lined up yet.
So, unh, Björk is what I got, so Björk is what I'm giving you.
Björk, Greatest Hits Rating=$$$
[Support the Artist, Artist's MySpace Page, Artist's Official Website]
How I Got This CD: Bought really cheap during Employee Appreciation Days during my Bordersverse sojourn.
I admit that Björk confuses me. No, not in the way you think (or in the way she confuses most people I suspect). Björk confuses me because I am absolutely convinced that I can't stand her music. Yet, the second I hear her music, I find myself grooving along and totally digging her crazy vibe. I immediately vow to buy more Björk in the very near future. Then about 5 seconds after I stop hearing her voice, I'm right back to being absolutely convinced that I can't stand her music. Again.
Très confusing, non?
The only reason why I own this CD is because it was playing on my store's overhead while I was raiding the music department during Borders Employee Appreciation Days (40% off retail, dudes!) You might say I bought this CD because Björk was literally singing in my ear.
What makes this whole mental Björk-block even stranger? I have more than once looked directly at this CD and wondered why I had it in my collection because, dude, I'm absolutely convinced that I can't stand Björk's stuff. I should just trade it off on LaLa because I will never listen to this CD.
*sigh*
Is there anyone out there who can explain this condition to me? Or does anyone have a name for the condition at least? Because, yeah, I don't get this.
Now that I've let out the Björk angst, what can I say about this CD? If you are a huge Björk fan, give it a miss because I guarantee that you already have all these tracks. On the other hand, it's perfect for people (like me) who suffer from Björk-block or people who sort of like Björk, but aren't big fans. Instead of investing in box sets or the whole collection, this Greatest Hits collection hits all the high notes and provides a good retrospective for her (then) decade-long run as the Queen of all Experimental Whatever-the-Hell-It-Is Music.
As an interesting sidenote, the Borders Music Guru I worked with told me that Björk had her fans vote on what tracks she should include on the CD. Despite listening to the hoi polloi, he said that the tracks on this CD was a pretty fair representation of Björk's career up to that point.
I have to admit, my favorite of the downloads below is 'Big Time Sensuality,' which has an upbeat tune and I think highlights Björk's voice in a way that it normally isn't. Definitely a cardio workout-worthy for someone who is seeking some good MP3s for that kind of mix. "Play Dead," IMHO is another standout download with its creepy lyrics that no amount of orchestration can quite wash away. "Hyperballad" is exactly as the song title suggests, while "Joga" is a farily laid-back affair that's good for a little trancing.
Sample Song Downloads: Hyperballad, Joga, Big Time Sensuality, Play Dead
You can download all files from the project page by clicking here.
***
To find previous thumbnail reviews, go to the Review Index.
After the donwload links expire, you can listen to streaming MP3 files linked with reviews at my Vox shadow blog for media.
***
Rating system:
None = Avoid at all cost. Worth cutting your ears off to avoid if someone threatens to play it for you. When faced with even the threat of its cellophane-wrapped presence, your best option is to RUN AWAY! RUN AWAY!
$= If you stumble across it for cheap in a used bin, it might, maybe, perhaps could be worth the buy, but only if you need a cheap coaster for your cold drinks or a cool-looking frisbee.
$$= You might want to give this CD/artist a try, but only if the sample track tickles your fancy. Don't bother buying this one new because the good tunes you'd get out of this one ain't worth that kind of money.
$$$ = Worth looking for on a casual basis and maybe even buying new, but no big rush.
$$$$ = Definitely worth having in the ol' CD collection and definitely worth buying new, but don't re-arrange your personal "must have" list to get your hands on it.
$$$$$ = Why haven't you bought this CD yet? Go. This is a "Want. Take. Have." situation because you so want this.
The management would love it if you comment, especially if you download any of the sample tracks.
Now Playing: