Musings 1:Jack Kerouac, my bus trip and Beach House

Kerouac's classic novel about the beatnik subculture, hitch hiking and the alternative american dream has been essential rereading for me recently due to the fact that I am flying to Boston in 10 days time. When I land in Boston I have to get a bus to Chicago, it is quite a trip I am told. I could just change my flights it would be cheaper I think. I am going by bus just so one day I can say to someone at a party; 'funny story; I was on a bus from Boston to Chicago........'

I am going to Chicago for three months and am only bringing a small bag as I prefer to travel light. I hope to have a decent book and my I-Pod fully charged for the trip. I have downloaded 200 albums by artists I have never previously encountered for the trip. I plan to just listen through it all. As back-up I am throwing a few playlists and albums of stuff I know I like.

Most of my thinking is dominated by the looming trip abroad and so I guess in some way my musical choices right now might reflect this. That is really only a bullshit clause to allow me to now ramble about a few songs I am really digging right now. I would never say 'digging' in person, ever.

Inspired by Kerouacs novels Ben Gibbard and Jay Farrar's release; 'One Fast Move And I'm Gone' has been given the old college try. That is such a strange little phrase, I mean how is a college try different from a school try or a chinese try or an enthused try? Bizarre, odd and confusing that. Gibbard in case you didn't know is that high voice behind Death Cab For Cutie. I appreciate that a lot of people really like his voice, for me however it sounds like a chipmunk crossed with Sinead O'Connor, on helium. The albums lyrics are taken from the novel 'Big Sur'. That gets me so hard, I love that sort of stuff. Sadly however it disappointed me it was for me an interminable wail of neutrality. The highlight for me was 'Big Sur'. With Ben on piano and Jay on guitar it is a pleasant acoustic ballad laden with bluesy harmonica..

Ben Gibbard & Jay Farrar - Big Sur

I have rediscovered Beach House recently via the Zebra EP. I was aware of the song 'The Arrangement from a hypem blog release almost a year ago. I absolutely loved the song from first listen. Once again the ceaseless beauty of Victoria Legrand's dreamy vocals simply blew me away. I enjoyed that chorus lyric too; 'the arrangement of lies'. It is an interesting concept how lies are arranged and compliment each other. Her vocals, subtly Nico-like as always are complimented by a unobtrusive flowing keyboard piece which works well.

The highlight of the EP for me is 10 Mile Stereo (Cough Syrup Remix). I would not normally be a fan of cheesy slowed down remixes. In some ways that is exactly what it is but this is dream pop and this does reach inception-al levels of dreaminess. The organ riff is so goldenly heavy with reverb one can almost feel it smooth over one's shoulders! Forgive me I may have gotten a little geeky.

Peace

Nosferatu Man