Shooflypie

I haven't done one of these since mid-October 2011, which surprises me. Anyway, this is what I have been listening to the most over the last couple weeks... The Afghan Whigs/Gentlemen - This came out in 1993 but I didn't start listening to the band until a few years ago. Greg Dulli sings about sex and obsession and he does it in a very witty and filthy manner. His lyrics are definitely not for everyone but I think they're great. The music is pure rock - melodic in places and punishing in others. My air guitar and air drumming skills have been getting a workout each listen. While it's yet another album I'd like to slip back to my younger self, I'm still satisfied that I can crank it up during the present. Eels/Wonderful, Glorious - One reason I really like Spotify is that it lets me listen to albums that I'm not sure whether I want to buy or not. For whatever reason, I didn't get into End Times after loving Hombre Lobo and ended up not even picking ...

My desire to listen to podcasts greatly outweighed my consumption of them this year, which meant I often had a week's worth of podcasts that I hadn't listened to. Obviously, that's not a state I can sustain and I've recently winnowed what was built up, most likely losing some good interviews in the process. The following are the podcasts I did the best of keeping current with, which makes them my favorites... 1. NPR's All Songs Considered - Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton (and a host of others) offer a weekly look at new music and help to expand my musical horizons, even in genres I would typically not be interested in. The dynamic between the hosts is great and listening to it is just a great time. 2. iFanboy's Pick of the Week Podcast - Ron, Conor, and Josh (and sometimes Paul) gather each week to talk about the week's comics, answer e-mails and voice mails, and generally have a good time. I've learned enough about their tastes over the past couple y...