One to Spin: Melissa Etheridge's Skin.

Please forgive me
If I don't know what to do
It's an old fire
This familiar desire
But my skin is painfully new

I've followed Melissa Etheridge for a long time. While more recent outings have left me less impressed, her music continues to speak to me in a way that is not easily defined. In 2001, fresh from a breakup, she released Skin. Personally, I was in transition as well, a twenty-two year old living in a very harsh reality.

This album, its words, its tone, its very being touches me. It brings some very real emotions to the surface, identifies some things I can't speak. Opening with Lover Please, the story is put into motion. One of heartache, hope, fear, and empowerment. The peeling away of one's self and replacing it with something new.

By the closing lines of Heal Me, the listener is part of the journey. Down to one, moving forward, healing, ready to embrace the world again, the skin, painfully new. A highly recommended listen, and an album that transforms this sometimes lonely, sometimes battered soul into a more confident, ready to face the world individual.

Dancing in the Tweets.

Just a quick Monday morning update. Over the weekend, I discovered what at the moment is my favorite use of Twitter. I heartily endorse Disco Delivery for those into that kind of music (yours truly included), and the gentleman behind the site has started using Twitter. He updates frequently, as sharing music through a quick few words and a URL is far easier than writing a full review. A few highlights, directly from his tweets:

"I'm half a year behind, but a friend just introduced this to me. Swedes do everything right, even bland pop idol singers http://bit.ly/VqOw6"

"is starting to enjoy the new Benny & Björn song, in spite of it's dated production values.. http://bit.ly/MpEAr"

Just fantastic. More music for me to digest, and some great tunes that I would probably never have found on my own.

The List.

You know, flying all over for one week gave me some great experiences. It also had its moments of pure hell. Coming back from Manchester, NH on Southwest gave me the bulk of them.

For what I paid, I certainly can't complain, despite the gusts of wind I thought would tear the plane from the sky, their wonky seating system and the screaming children.

Additionally, I ended up next to a very nice gentleman coming back from New York. Being able to chat with him passed the time, and made the screaming child a little less annoying. (I wish I could say the same about the obviously overwhelmed parent.)

He was very passionate about music, especially Radiohead. As the flight continued, he asked if I would like suggestions on some music and produced the list pictured here. That chicken scratch is a list of artists, the albums I should listen to, the genre they fit in, and stars for the must listen ones. All in all, pretty impressive, since I never got his name. As for the list? Well, let me decipher it for you.

The List
• Radiohead (Ok Computer, In Rainbows) *
• Sufjan Stevens (Illinois)
• Magnetic Fields (69 Love Songs) *
• Final Fantasy (He Poos Clouds) *
• Grizzly Bear (Yellow House, ???)
• Department of Eagles (In Ear Park)
• M83 (Saturdays = Youth) *
• Talking Heads (Speaking in Tongues) *
• Panda Bear (Person Pitch)
• Yo La Tengo (I Am Not Afraid of You)
• Fleet Foxes (S/T)
• Elliott Smith (XO, Either/Or)
• The Velvet Underground (& Nico) *
• Animal Collective (Feels, Merriweather PP)
• The Notwist (Near Golden)
• Beach House
• My Bloody Valentine (Loveless)
• Joy Division (Closer)
• Pavement (Crooked Rain)
• Sigur Rós (Takk...) *

It's a pretty impressive list. I know 3-5 of the artists and actually have one of the above albums. Wow though, I guess between this guy and a few others, I've got a lot of ground to cover musically.