Find out what the CL Music Team is jamming this fine Monday to rocket launch the work week. Click here to check out previous entries.
Shae – Justin Townes Earle, Harlem River Blues (2010)
When I woke up this morning, I couldn't wait for the drive to work. This is usually my most hated part of the day, but I knew I had Justin Townes Earle's album, Harlem River Blues, waiting for me. I've found the cure for road rage, a way to make driving in Tampa at rush hour a pleasant (enjoyable, even) experience instead of the nightmare it typically is. Instead of rolling my eyes, balling my fists and cursing my fellow commuters under my breath, I bopped along happily to JTE's blend of throwback '50s country (the rollicking, galloping drums and twangy guitar solos on Fender Telecasters), '80s country (I'm reminded, at times, of Dwight Yoakam) and '90s crooners (à la Marc Cohn's "Walking in Memphis"). My favorite songs, the ones I play ad infinitum at work, are the upbeat title track and "Ain't Waitin'," but as I let the entire album play, each song has its own charm, fueled by JTE's scruffy voice, irreverent, cocky attitude and dedication to "his baby," this nameless, beloved figure who gets mentioned in several songs. The one complaint I have is minor: the album goes by too quickly. If this were vinyl, it might get annoying to keep having to flip sides so often; fortunately, all I have to do is hit replay.
Shanna – Of Monsters and Men, "Little Talks" (2012)
Any video with a dragon in it already ranks high in my book. Throw in exploding meteors, floating blimp ships, ethereal iceberg landscapes, and the cutest little Icelandic hipster band ever to don war paint and stick legs, and I'm pretty sure this is both my new favorite video and awesome "Emiliani Torrini-meets-Fanfarlo-with-a-dash-of-Arcade-Fire" song of the year. Seriously, a must listen – and watch – after the jump.
This article appears in Jul 26 – Aug 1, 2012.