A is for Music

An Introduction

Used to be, when someone asked me what music I liked, I had trouble remembering them, so I created a mnemonic to help with my recall: I memorized my favorite bands according to the alphabet. I've accumulated enough music now that I cover most of the 26 letters, and for my idea of fun, I enjoy running through my mental list just to see how many letters I can make, which of course loses its luster after the first 20 times I do it.

So, to extend the life of my alphabetical list of favorite bands, I'm starting this A is for Music, partly to document my list in a tangible form (as tangible as the Interweb can be), and partly to practice writing music reviews, partly to reasses my collectiona nd also to expand it, since I'm very much lacking in the following letters: I, J, N, Q, R, U, V, W, X, Y, Z. (And typing that all out, it looks like I'm way too short to realistically accomplish this project, but dammit, let me wave my ego around.) So if you have a suggestion, don't hesitate at all to recommend me Zappa or the Q and Not U or Neu! or some band that I've not gotten around to hearing.

I'll be focusing on my favorite album(s) by these alphabetical artists on this blog as sort of my own definitive Top 26 albums list.

My method: each week/letter, I'll post one album that I love with a brief description, and copping yet another idea gotten from Soi Disantra, I'll rank my five favorite tracks on it and my least favorite tracks, each with its own individual write-up. Eligible albums have to be studio recorded -- no live albums, no best-of compilations. After 26 weeks (and hopefully 26 entries), I'll go through the alphabet again, though I'll allow myself to skip over those old trouble letters. I'm not sure if I'll allow multiple albums by a single artist yet -- we'll see, I suppose.

I briefly considered limiting albums that have been released no earlier than 2001 for that 5-year Hall of Fame waiting criterion to make sure that I actually like the album a lot -- but for me, this sort of waiting period is arbitrary, especially since I search out music in a very belated and slow fashion. For instance, I've listened to PJ Harvey way longer than I have anything by Can -- so why should Uh Huh Her be disqualified even though I've more familiar with it than Tago Mago? (Note: Uh Huh Her actually sucks.) Anyway, I also believe that such lists -- as much as I love them -- are hardly eternal and unchanging creatures, so instituting any 5-year rule in the name of objectivity won't pass muster with me.

TV Rating: America's Next Top Model (Cycle 3) - "The Girl With the Secret

posted by Leee @ 10:03 PM