what are you listening to lately?

I didn't say I preferred Los Lobos, I said it seemed that LLB were a little more entrenched in one sound than Los Lobos. I dont think I have listened to this LLB album enough to make a judgement of which I enjoy more. its good to see they are getting a widespread audience though. They were playing a music festical I was at this weekend and unfortunately I missed them, but I did see los lobos, and they were fantastic.

Recent enjoyable purchases (although I've spent much time listening to BB6 music over the Internet)..

Fountains of Wayne - Welcome Interstate Managers. Looks like this is the release that gets them wide exposure. Witty lyrics, incessant hooks, great musicianship - from 80's Cars thrum of Stacy's Mom, Alt-Country, and more. I especially like the sub-rockers, including "Hackensack", "Valley Winter Song," and the graceful, brief closure of Yours and mine (In about an hour/the sunlight's gonna fad/And you and me will divvy up the wine/Like everything else here/Yours and mine/Picking up the paper/Coffee's been made/It's Book Review and Face the Nation time/Two in the same mind/Yours and mine").

Bebel Gilberto - Tanto Tempo. Late to the party with her, but can't beat that languid summer sound of bossa nova and Brazilian beaches. Attracted to her disc as a follow-up from listening to the Getz/Gilberto recording.

Denison Wittmer - Recovered. Remakes of 70's so-cal/easy acoustic rock songs and others. Reinvention of some (especially Carole King's "So Far Away" as a synthesized melancholic dirge), but very faithful to many sounds - w/a voice that brings to mind Jackson Browne more than any. Revisits some more back catalog songs, too - including "Nightime" by Alex Chilton/Big Star (also covered nicely by Epic Soundtracks), "Songbird" from Fleetwood Mac, "Farther On" and "These Days" by Jackson Browne. Instrumentation recalls 70's sound too (steel guitar?)-

Mull Historical Society - Us. One man music machine (a la Todd Rundgren). Very Brit - that is to say, eccentric, and not easily pigeonholed.

Jazz, lot's and lot's of jazz. Diana Krall, The Rippingtons, Fatburger, Candy duffler, and Prafoul(?). I went from Metallica and Rage against the machine to Jazz, Go figure.

the new Dave Matthews solo album - Some Devil
Counting Crows - Recovering the Satalites (currently)
Alison Krause & Union Station - Live
YES - Talk
the new Steve Winwood album - About Time

I've got to chime in again, after listening to the new EmmyLou Harris CD today. It's really good, with that shimmery Lanois-like texture that her last CDs had. Different producer this time, not Lanois, but a friend of his. Also, I picked up the new Joan Baez CD and it's one of her best. She doesn't use her operatic voice that some didn't like (including Dylan). Maybe age has taken a toll on her instrument, but the mellow smoky voice on this CD, and her selection of other people's songs (esp. Greg Brown's Sleeper and Ryan Adams' If I Needed You) make this CD one of my very favorite recent purchases. By the way--both these discs sounded great on my ARC tube integrated. Very warm and detailed.