Cubicle Tunes - Week of August 27, 2007

I am trying something new with the cubicle tunes list this week. This used to be over on the right side column as a "quick-hitter" type of list. There was no room to explain why a particular album, especially an older one, was getting played. Maybe you're interested, maybe you're not, but I think it relevant.

1. Faithlift - Spirit of the West (1994)

Spirit of the West is a folk-rock band from Canada. I was driving around Detroit and listening to a radio station called The River, and I was shocked (and pleased) to hear "And If Venice is Sinking". I hadn't heard SOTW in a long time, and I quickly loaded the 4 albums I have onto the iPod.

2. Home Again, Home Again (EP) - Hem (2007)

Anyone who reads this with any regularity knows that Hem is one of my favorite bands. "The Part Where You Let Go" is another beautiful Hem track, and is used in the current ad campaign for Liberty Mutual Insurance.

3. St. Vincent - Marry Me (2007)

St. Vincent is multi-instrumentalist Annie Clark. I think of her as a folk version of Kate Bush. I wanted to hear her music because she is opening for The National on their current US tour, and I am seeing them in Cincinnati (well, Covington, KY anyway) on September 23.

4. Brian Vander Ark - Live At Eddie's Attic (2006)

Brian performs with pianist Randy Sly on this outstanding live recording. I saw the pair at the Kraftbrau Brewery in Kalamazoo back in June, and this album is a nice reminder of how great that show was. I've been working on a post about that show for a couple of months now, and I need to get it finished.

5. Shawn Colvin - Fat City (1992)

As you've read before, I never go long between listenings of Colvin's body of work. "Orion in the Sky" is one my all time favorite songs. This album also features the gorgeous and emotionally wrenching "Monopoly". If you knew falling in love would ever do that to you, you'd never do it.

I'm out-

KWass