New Old Music

So my entire musical collection is on my Zune (Microsoft's answer to the iPod) which among other cool things has led me to start listen to more of my "older" music. Bear in mind that I'm woefully out of the music scene since about 2000. While friends are playing me bits of Modest Mouse, Mngmt, and Arcade Fire...I'm still stuck on Jurassic 5 and Radiohead. Lately however I've been hittin' the "oldies" and re-finding gems. Here are a few

1. Big Country - The Crossing (album): These guys came out in the mid-80s with a debut album without much fanfare and are long considered one-hit-wonders with "In a Big Country". That's probably the worst song on the album and it plains rocks....the kind you used to leave in the tape player in your car back in the real old days. I remembered this album so fondly I went back and downloaded it the other day and it brought me back. Try a few clips like "Inwards", "Porroh Man" and "Angle Park".

2. Counting Crows - August and Everything After (album): The guys who brought you "Mr. Jones" in the early 90s actually put out a nice album that contains mellow work like "Perfect Blue Buildings" and "Sullivan Street" and the moving "Anna Begins". The band kinda sputtered to small-time fame in the late 90s but this album will always be a classic.

3. Depeche Mode - Violater (album): I remember the moody Depeche Mode from the Black Celebration days and the synth movement of which they were kings but this album runs straight through with great music. Some might remember "Personal Jesus" and "Enjoy the Silence" from MTV days but to me "Clean" is a masterpiece and "Halo" and "World in My Eye" are right up there.

4. Led Zepplin - Led Zepplin 1: This just might be the best initial release every made...just listen to it through and you'll get my drift. Blues influenced and emotional from a band that defined the late 60s early 70s rock arena style band rock movement. Can't name a bad tune on the album.

Speaking of good music never dies: I allow my students to play music in class every once in a while and a student on mine was playing stff with Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald singing together.....I found myself moved to ask what album it was from and where I could GET IT!!!!