Chris and Thomas - Land of Sea

This week’s standout record has to be Land of Sea by folk combo Chris and Thomas. Their debut album has a soulful playfulness reminiscent of Simon & Garfunkel. It’s the kind of album that coffeehouses everywhere will play endlessly, but don’t let that turn you off. This acoustic album features the duo’s simple harmonizing. It blends cellos with steel guitars and upright bass with mandolins and banjos. The two never break into solos so each voice plays off the other beautifully. Unfortunately my biggest complaints about this record are that no songs really stand out. That’s not to say that the songs are boring or not well written, it’s just that the album kind of bounces along in its own groove, one song effortlessly flowing into the next. Overall Land of Sea is a very solid and highly enjoyable album devoid of pretentiousness. It’s some of the best folk music released this year. Cheers!

RATING: * * *

My IPOD Problem

Alrighty, the following is a true story.

It started off busy, from the get-go. I clocked in and, BOOM! The work load hits me and I begin working. Thing is, I get through about twenty minutes and I realize something. No music. I begin to rummage through my pockets, and my bag I bring with me to work for my Ipod and after 15 seconds, I come to the realization, “Shit, I left it in the dock back home”. Well… what’s a guy to do? The only thing I could do. I logged onto Yahoo from the work station close by, and accessed the Yahoo radio guide.

Now, I’ll admit, that I thought it was cool. You rate bands, albums, songs, and the better rating, the more you’ll hear those high rated items, and items that Yahoo thinks sounds like what you like. So, okay, have music now. Can work properly now. Right?

It’s typically not a good thing to hear the words, “Oh, the humanity” being screamed from the bowels of a hospital, but it happened. Apparently, every now and then, while you are streaming music, Yahoo likes to throw in an advertisement. But, you see, I was in a groove and didn’t register the advertisement. I reached for my remote to forward the bad song to the next song, and there was no remote. There was no IPOD! I didn’t have control over my music. I couldn’t assemble a playlist! Panic. The sudden urge to go running down the hall as if being chased by OJ came upon me.

I know this feeling. We’ve met before. Years ago after pops got the VCR, I began collecting movies. During that really slow part in Gremlins, I could fast forward. During that smoochie bullshit in a good action film, I could fast forward through it. I began watching more on the VCR than TV. The good stuff wasn’t on till late anyway and I could tape it and play it back. Commercials… yep! Fast forward! Then one day, in the middle of a Nightmare on Elm Street marathon on WDZL, a commercial came on with Barbra Streisand, and that was it. I grabbed the remote and pushed the fast forward button and nothing happened! I was watching TV and didn’t have control. A slave to my VCR. I remember that feeling. It was the same.

I understand now, that I must have become a slave to my Ipod. But, when did this happen. Perhaps somewhere between the main course and dessert. It’s like trying to nail Jell-O to a wall, confusion and then madness. KHAN!

12 steps, my ass!