10 songs over 6 minutes in length...

According to my sources at Wikipedia, the "three-minute song" rule was likely derived from the original 78 rpm phonograph records that allowed between 3 and 5 minutes of recording per side. Now it is the norm and average song length for popular, radio singles. Here are ten songs over 6 minutes in length that are too good for the radio:

1. Achilles Last Stand - Led Zeppelin - 10:22
2. Roundabout - Yes - 8:32
3. Crush - Dave Matthews Band - 8:09
4. Us And Them - Pink Floyd - 7:51
5. Yes - Coldplay - 7:07
6. Blinded by the Light - Manfred Mann's Earth Band - 7:04
7. Beginnings - Chicago - 6:27
8. Selfless, Cold, and Composed - Ben Folds Five - 6:10
9. Chicago - Sufjan Stevens - 6:05
10. Don't Look Back - Boston - 6:00

What would you pick? No live performances and no combo songs either :)

*You can view all your songs over 6 minutes in length in iTunes by creating a Smart Playlist and choosing "time is greater than 5:59".

Way to Normal review

From the head-banging intro of "Hiroshima" (pun intended) to the symphonic sounds of "Cologne" and the electronic, synthetic experimentations of "Free Coffee", this may be Ben Folds most diverse album since The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner and with arguably more standouts.

I had the pleasure of hearing "Hiroshima (B B B Benny Hit His Head)" at Gonzaga's McCarthey Athletic Center when Ben was in town and thought it rocked then and it still rocks now, in a way only Ben Folds can rock. In terms of piano parts, I think this album most closely resembles his last endeavor Songs for Silverman but perhaps with more major chords and less syncopation (but I'll have to see the sheet music when it comes out to be sure). There's also a generally faster tempo to most of the songs which may make it more immediately likeable, but could also wear down its welcome sooner (it's still too early to tell, but a couple songs remind me of Speed Graphic's hyperactive "Dog", including the conspicuous "Errant Dog"). If you're anything like me, upbeat songs are more appealing immediately, but ballads grow on me over time, so my favorite songs from Songs for Silverman now are "Time, "Prison Food" and "You to Thank" (not really a ballad I know).

By all accounts, this is an engaging and impressive album from one of the most impressive musicians around. You can't deny he's got piano chops (maybe the best in the business) and he gets to show off a little (not like "Bastard" or "Philosophy" going way back...), but if you ever hear him in concert you know he's still got it. And though some may feel his lyrics leave something to be desired (my wife included) his songwriting is as fresh and original as ever with standouts "You Don't Know Me", "Effington" and "Cologne" (by the way, if you get the chance to listen to the "Piano Orchestra Version" of "Cologne", do; it's fantastic).

A little about Katie

I am currently a graduate student (as of yesterday!) in the beautiful city of Portland, Oregon. I was born and raised here in the Rose City but took a little hiatus to attend Whitworth College in Spokane, Washington and ended up staying there an extra year to figure out life. I ended up working at a newspaper writing obituaries, decided that wasn't my dream job, and moved back home.

Due to my mother's inability to explore music that was made after her high school and college years, I was raised on a steady stream of classic 70s: Fleetwood Mac, The Moody Blues, and The Eagles were constants, but other, less timeless artists, like Lobo, The Hues Corporation, K.C. & The Sunshine Band and many others also influenced my early years. My dad's tastes were a little more varied, and he introduced me to Billy Joel, R.E.M., Nirvana, Simply Red, and Chris Isaak. Although I still enjoy the music of my parents, I guess my taste in music these days would be classified somewhere in the indie/folk/acoustic/rock/alternative genres. I love finding new, unheard of bands. Though I usually gravitate there, I also really enjoy country and some R&B and soul. I am not a fan of death metal rock or hard core rap or polka.

I took piano lessons as a kid but quit after a year. I also learned to play several songs on the recorder. I now own a guitar but have no idea how to play it. I did sing in a choir for many years, though I was never a soloist, or even a duetist (that is not a word). Kyle says I should learn to the play the piano again, so I'm working on that. Until then, I have to get my musical fix by listening to others, which, luckily, doesn't take much skill.

10 artists you won't find on Katie's iPod...

This is a hard top 10 for me. Normally for top 10 music lists, I turn to my iPod for help. So, let's see, artists you won't find on my iPod (at least at the current moment):

1. Billy Idol
2. Tobymac
3. Counting Crows (only because I overdosed on them at one point...I'm sure they'll make it back on someday)
4. Sheryl Crow
5. Fleetwood Mac (also an overdose issue)
6. Lifehouse
7. Gavin DeGraw
8. Foreigner
9. Gretchen Wilson
10. Macy Gray

Also, I can't agree with Kyle on his statement that Britney Spears goes without saying. "Toxic" is totally on my iPod... :)

Local Show & Albums to Get Excited About

*Editor's Note: this was written on 3/10/08 for a previous blog by Katie, "On Shuffle" but has been updated for Kharmonious and the Big Easy is now the Knitting Factory.

On Sunday night Joshua Radin, Ingrid Michaelson, and Alexa Wilkinson performed at The Big Easy in Spokane, and it was one of the best concerts I'd seen in quite awhile.

If you have the chance to see any of these three artists live, take it. Each artist is great in recorded form, but on stage they each brought their unique personalities, stories, and improvisations, which only enhanced their beautiful music. Alexa, who is still fairly unknown, was able to captivate a fairly large crowd with her amazing voice, cheeky lyrics, and abundant energy. Ingrid is a true performer, breaking between her own cleverly written songs to cover Radiohead's "Creep" and the theme song from Fresh Prince of Bel Aire. Between songs, Joshua would tell the stories behind their creation (often about a bad breakup he experienced about six months ago and still is dealing with), opening up new meaning in songs you thought you had all figured out.

Also, if you've ever been to The Big Easy before, you probably know that the crowd can be a bit rude and obnoxious at times. The combination of a bit older crowd and a slightly less packed house than normal made enjoying this concert easy. Especially when mellow artists play at the Big Easy, they can often be drowned out by the chatter of the crowd at the bar. At this show, that wasn't a problem at all. When one of the three artists spoke or sang, the audience hushed. How refreshing!

The show's finale was a pair of duets between Joshua Radin and Ingrid Michaelson. The second of the two was "Sky," and I have included a clip of the performance below. Their voices are beautiful together, and if the little sample below isn't enough for you, you can download Sky, along with three other new releases from Joshua Radin's teaser album, Unclear Sky, on iTunes (more information on Joshua's site). He has said he expects to release a new, full-length album this summer.

Alexa will also be releasing a new album soon (this spring according to her website). Ingrid's music is popping up everywhere these days--from Old Navy commercials to Grey's Anatomy. Her second album, Girls and Boys, came out in 2007 and has been playing on repeat in my car since I purchased it two weeks ago from Target (check it out here).

If you only pick one song from each of these artists, these are my recommendations (though, by all means, I suggest getting much more than one):
1. Joshua Radin - "Today" (the version from First Between 3rd and 4th is my favorite, but We Were Here's version is good too)
2. Ingrid Michaelson - "The Hat"
3. Alexa Wilkinson - "Hitchcock in the Afternoon"

Happy listening!

About Kyle

I'm a 23 year old dink (double income no kids), born in South Korea and raised in Washington listening to the Western greats (Beethoven, Bach, Mozart, Tchaikovsky) and "Hooked on Classics" vinyls. Around the age of 12 I started listening to oldies and classic showtunes (I still listen to Franki Valli and the Four Seasons and Lovin' Spoonful). That progressed to classic rock, which led to alternative rock, a brief foray into pop and now I listen to mostly "alt/indie/folk rock" and a collection of the above. I don't believe in "eclectic" tastes and am firmly opposed to rap, death metal, techno, most country and all polka.

I took piano lessons for three years, played drums in band for seven, had violin lessons for six months and played trumpet in one middle school concert. Now I play Rock Band and piano (mostly Coldplay, Keane and Ben Folds) and I'm learning the guitar. I'm an awful composer, but I love consuming music - it's so easy to consume, I think it is the closest some people will ever get to art.

10 artists you won't find on Kyle's iPod...

I'm no superfan, but I have a huge amount of respect for the Beatles and one thing I won't tolerate is solo careers. Here are ten artists you won't find on my iPod (bypassing the obvious Eminem, Britney Spears, KoЯn or any other 90s fad):

1. John Lennon
2. Paul McCartney & Wings
3. Nickelback
4. Fall Out Boy
5. Sheryl Crow
6. Jason Mraz
7. Jack Johnson
8. Three Doors Down
9. Linkin Park
10. Various Artists

Totally joking with the last one, not a real band as far as I know. Should be though. When I start a band, it'll be called "Various Artists". What artists won't be found on your iPod?