Quick Hits, Vol. 122 (Strand of Oaks, Spoon, Norah Jones, Cornershop)

Strand of Oaks - Hard Love.  This dude came to ACL a few years ago, right after he had put out an album that had made a best of the year list or two.  So I remember really liking his last album (HEAL, and especially "Goshen '97"), and it is no surprise that I like this disc a lot too.  Straight rock and roll, with a little bit of a My Morning Jacket or Ryan Adams feel to it.  I've played it non-stop for two days now and don't see any reason to stop listening to this thing.  The top track is "Radio Kids," currently with 338k listens on Spotify.

And that opening line?  So perfect: "remember how it felt to listen, fumbling to press record." This was the story of my young childhood, trying to tape songs off the radio so that I could keep on listening on my own time or make mix tapes for my friends.  Back in those sweet halcyon days of only having the money to afford a few tapes or CDs and therefore listening them to death.  I can't decide whether I think we're actually better off having every song at our fingertips at all time, or if it was better back when I dedicated all of my listening time to devouring only a few select albums.  And the chorus also strikes a chord for my youth: "I got my headphones on, And my parents will never know, It's something that we had before we lost control, On the radio."  Great song of longing that fits well in my history.
The song I remember best like this was Eric Johnson's "Cliffs of Dover."  I had an entire session of summer camp where I couldn't get the song out of my brain, but of course I didn't own the tune, so when I came home I waited by the radio with my finger poised over the record button, just to get a copy of that opening lick of molten guitar flamethrower.  Anyway, this whole album is good.  You should check it out.  I'll keep it around for more.

Spoon - Hot Thoughts.  Spoon are great.  Love that we have another legit local rock and roll band that gets national attention.  The opening single off of this album, which has been getting radio play and opens the disc, is a sexy, slinky little nugget of danceable rock groove.

If that one doesn't make you bob your head a little and want to shake the caboose, then its time to get out of your chair and try again.  And loosen up a little.  AND QUIT BEING SUCH A DAMN JERKFACE!!!  <breathing exercises>  Literally, back when I was at my first job out of college, a big Internet company, they made us take breathing exercise classes one day. Something about centering yourself when times got stressful.  This was while working at a company with a well used foosball table, ping pong tables, unlimited cokes and beers in coolers, and frequent leave-work-early happy hours.  Wish I remembered that breathing stuff now.
ANYWAY, the whole album is funky and fun rock that I like a lot.  Well, other than the 5 minutes of saxophone meandering that is "Us," at the end of the album.  I could have done without whatever that is supposed to be.  Check this one out, you'll probably like it.

Norah Jones - Day Breaks.  I want to like this one a lot more than I do.  I loved her first album (like everyone else in the entire world did), even though this type of jazzy piano music isn't really my normal cup of tea.  I've given this one a few chances, and it is still lovely music and all, but I can't say I'd need to keep going with it.  The hit is "Carry On," with 10.5 million streams.

Like I said, super pretty and soulful and nice, but I'm OK.  I'll toss this one back into the sea and carry on.

Cornershop - Hold On Its Easy.  No clue where I found this album of jazzy easy listening. Weirder than that is the bio for this band, who are apparently very popular, toured with Oasis, and had an older album named as Spin's album of the year.  Never heard of any of it. But I can do without this album, although I think I'll check out that older one.