Checkpoint: March (Heavy Rotation)

A brief word on what we're digging into right now. Seems like a transitional and kinda weird time for all. The weather's changing, daylight savings is coming (losing an hour when sleeping patterns are already fucked up to begin with), and a protracted campaign is wearing on us all. How are we getting through it?

Mark-

1) Beach House, Devotion - Deceptive album. I put it on to be washed away and end up more wide awake and freaked out.

2) Bon Iver, For Emma, Forever Ago - Stunning album. Beautiful voice and songwriting. And so unsettled, as the times go.

3) Cat Power, Jukebox - Huge blues without wailing in my face. Possibly my favorite Cat Power release ever. "Metal Heart" yeah! I want my dad to listen to this.

4) My Morning Jacket, Z - I'm just coming to this one and it's immensely enjoyable. It makes me rock out on the subway.

5) The last three tracks on Vampire Weekend's Vampire Weekend - The whole album is fun but these songs work really well and I don't really need the rest. I'm not tweaked out over these guys but I like Paul Simon and its nice to have something that's just a lot of fun to listen to. As an aside, "M79" is the most conscious attempt to get oneself onto a Wes Anderson soundtrack I've ever witnessed.

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Seth -

1) Samamidon, All is Well - Gorgeous detailed arrangements giving old folk classics room to breathe and find new life. Amidon's voice is perfectly suited for these dark tales of heartbreak.

2) Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE/SMiLE Bootleg (Sea of Tunes)/Smiling Pets - A Tribute to the Beach Boys: Brian Wilson obsession? Comparing original recordings with the 2004 release and again with other experimental artist's interpretations of the work is nerdy, yes, but also incredibly informative as to what makes these magical compositions tick.

3) Bob Dylan, The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan - Winter melting away always brings this album out. How does it still reveal new depths?

4) Brian Eno, Here Come The Warm Jets - I have been currently obsessed with how Eno uses oddly abstracted but incredibly specific (and often hilarious) lyrics to highlight his dense musical landscapes.

5) Atlas Sound, Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel - Sounds worlds away from Deerhunter hype of last year, Cox uses his love of Eno and other ambient artists to craft his own beautiful and mournful world.