#101 Eclectic listening

what I've been listening to lately

Hello friend,

Sorry, I was out of action last week; I've been battling a terrible head and chest cold over the past ten days.

Most of my time has been spent coughing, wheezing and generally being unable to write anything vaguely coherent for anyone.

Thank goodness I'm feeling a great deal better now.

So, I thought I'd gradually get back into my groove by sharing some music I've been listening to lately.

I love listening to and writing about music, so I thought I’d share some of that with you too. Who knows perhaps we have similar tastes.

Last year, I started a playlist on Spotify dedicated to my eclectic listening tastes.

Still, with every post, the list got longer and longer, so I gave up trying to put it all together on one gigantic playlist.

Instead I will put together shorter monthly playlists to accompany these Eclectic Listening posts. 

I am always interested in seeing what other people are listening to.

Sometimes, you can discover new music through other people's suggestions.

Let me know if you'd be interested in this kind of thing instead of a mammoth single playlist.

I'm not a musician. I cannot play an instrument. I had piano lessons as a child, but I forgot them all.

I am a lover of words who are intimate friends with music.

Words and music attract one another; they complete one another. Words have their music if you place them in the proper order.

When words are together with music, they sing and become an orchestra of endless possibilities.

For me, a good song is about the right balance between the emotion or story it's telling, the lyrics and the sound as a whole. Like a good poem, it should go straight to the heart of an experience, show us some wisdom or distraction from the mundane and comfort us for a moment. 

A song is a kind of cathartic moment of joy, sadness, love, grief or any other significant universal experience we all go through. A good song touches something inside us and gives us comfort and connection. We never want to let go of our favourite songs; they become a part of our experiences. And that is something truly magical.

Listening to music is the closest we come to magic; a piece of music will put you in a good mood when you are depressed and will take you to a place or back to any time or memory you may have. Music can evoke the most intimate emotion or recollection in a strange incantation.

My eclectic listening is a journey through my hipster music taste; each piece is a part of my story of how I've discovered different musicians, fallen in love, and become obsessed and connected with them.

Today, this moment is an exciting time to be alive. The world is so interconnected; you only need an idea and a touch of individuality, and you can share your opinions with everyone. Creative expression is a tiny spark sent out into the world and can create a kindling fire in other people, warming their hearts with shared love and emotion.

My unique journey through life leads to randomly discovering and sharing amazing music with you. Eclectic listening is my musical desire, one song at a time.

Here are ten songs and artists I've been loving to listen to. I'm putting them on a new Eclectic listening playlist on Spotify and Apple Music for you to listen to.

1. Greta Van Fleet: Heat Above

I discovered this American group a few years ago and have been propelled back into the sound and vibe of 70s rock, a golden time in contemporary music. The sound of Led Zeppelin profoundly influences the lead singer, and I'm not complaining.

This is the kind of song you need to play really loud, let the vibe pulse through your bones and sing along like nobody is listening.

2. Warren Zevon: Mr Bad Example

I've always loved Warren Zevon and listened to his music without realising it. I love how some artists are always a part of your soundtrack, even though you might not know their names. I knew every word to Zevon-s iconic Werewolves of London as I picked them up with the radio on persistently in the background.

Mr Bad Example is filled with great wordplay and storytelling; its irreverent nature gives it unique energy. The sing-songy, country sound of the music helps the song get well and truly stuck in your head. The late great Warren Zevon's songs are all addictive to listen to, and he'll be featured in my regular listening, so be prepared to hear more of him in my eclectic listening choices.

3. Elvis Costello: I’ll wear it proudly

I first heard Elvis Costello when he played in Roy Orbison's big comeback Black and White Night concert in the '90s. He has a vast song catalogue and is influenced by everyone from Elvis to Orbison and big bands from the 50s and 60s. He is a wonderful collaborator and has written songs and performed with everyone from Tom Waits to Iggy Pop and Carmen Consoli. 

The I’ll wear it proudly from his album King of Fools is one of my favourites from him, a bittersweet tale of passionate, blind and crazy love. I happily listen to it on repeat for hours. He is an outstanding performer, lyricist and bard. In fact the whole album is simply wonderful.

He has a particular gift for writing love songs. His creations are iconic sounds used in some of the best romantic comedies ever made, true classics that build upon the traditions of country and classic American rock and roll.

4. Kings of Leon: Molly's Chambers

The Kings are one of my all-time American bands; I love lead singer Caleb Followill's voice. Some singers have such an instantly lovable quality to their timbers; his voice is iconic, laconic and warm like the sun.

Their cute little pop, folk, indy sound is very comforting to me, and I will sometimes pop on and listen to Molly-s Chambers whenever I need to cheer myself up, and it always does.

5. Nicotine Dolls: What makes you sad

I found this band a few years ago, thanks to Tiktok. Singer Sam Cieri has a deep, raspy, soulful, Joe Cocker-like sad voice that seems to be from another time. 

The band participated in American Got Talent but pulled out after conflicts with their artistic expression and interest.

The band releases their independent music these days, and Sam Cieri has a tremendous social media following. I love how they don't shy away from expressing sadness, anxiety and struggles with mental health. Their songs can be sad and dark, but they are ultimately a beautiful catharsis for anyone who is suffering.

6. Tom Petty: Somewhere under heaven

Tom Petty is one of my all-time favourite American singers. Of course, I discovered him through his involvement with the astoundingly legendary supergroup of the 90s, the Travelling Wilbury-s (together with Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Roy Orbison and Jeff Lynne). The Wilburys recorded a fantastic album while also simultaneously releasing their solo albums.

Tom Petty embodies the classic California sound of America. It makes me want to take a plane to LA, drive a Cadillac down Santa Monica Boulevard and take a selfie under the palm trees. Such a sense of freedom, hope and goodwill embodies the Tom Petty songbook. It's a pleasure to listen to it all.

7. Ren and Chinchilla: Chalk outlines

 Ren and Chinchilla are two artists I've discovered through social media; they both have epic followings on TikTok and YouTube. Ren writes, records and produces his own music that defies explanation or genre. Part spoken word, psychodrama, theatre performance, rap and storytelling, his work has a cult-like following. He is original, raw and stunning. He isn't shy to explore dark topics like his own struggle with mental health, drug use, suicide and violence. Listening to his songs is an experience like no other.

Chinchilla is a writer, performer, and producer of loud, powerful music and must listen to music with themes of mental health, relationships, and female empowerment.

Their duet, Chalk outlines, is about finding respite in a chaotic world and working through and living with inner demons. It is a beautiful, truthful, sensitive lullaby that soothes a troubled soul.

8. Rufus Wainwright: Hush, Little Baby

Rufus Wainwright is a fantastic artist who has been making and interpreting music for many decades. He sang everything from folk, alternative pop, show tunes, songs from the America civil war, Shakespeare’s sonnets to Kurt Weil.

I am in love with his folk album Folkocracy, where he has gathered together many folk songs from around the world. He has lovingly researched everyone and recorded with other collaborative artists like John Legend and David Byrne. This album is a spiritual journey through human experience rather than a mere listening experience.

I love his version of Hush Little Baby, as my mother used to sing this lullaby. 

According to Apple Music, Rufus Wainwright was my most listened-to artist, and rightly so. I am in love with his voice, his dedication to his art and his magical ability to communicate deeply emotionally. So, yes, be prepared for more Wainwright on my playlist.

9. Missy Higgins: 100 round the bends

I've been feeling very nostalgic lately. The voice and energy of Missy Higgins take me immediately back to Australia of the '90s and early 2000s—a place with a specific energy, poetry and beauty that I will always be in love with.

Missy was a part of my Australian soundtrack, and her songs will inevitably be connected to my experiences living and growing up down under.

I'd encourage everyone to take a trip to Australia through Missy Higgin's music.

10. Giorgio Gaber: Io non mi sento Italiano

Since I live in Italy, I cannot help but mention the music of Giorgio Garber. I discovered his unique cabaret style from the 60s, 70s and 80s to be something timelessly Italian.

I define him as an Italian Leonard Choen, a gifted observer of Italian culture, politics and psyche. His performances are delivered in a mixture of spoken word, cabaret, and cheek satire, which is genuinely a chef-kiss level of entertainment.

If you want to know more about the true nature of Italy, listen to Gaber.

I hope you get a moment to listen to this month's playlist. I will try to add a few more songs before February ends.

Happy Eclectic Listening to you.

From

Rochelle D.B

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