Brothers By The Black Keys

Sometimes I like to try something a little different.  I wasn't sure what The Black Keys were about, so it was good to listen to something new without any expectations.  Even without expectations, Brothers, the Keys' 2010 release is entertaining, for the most part.  There are a few filler tracks, but for the most part, there was enough soul, hooks, and guitar work to keep my interest. 

Standout tracks:  "These Days", "She's Long Gone", and "Ten Cent Pistol".

Wrecking Ball- Bruce Springsteen

There are certain artists that I have just never been able to get into.  I never got into Bob Dylan and never understood why he was considered so great, and Bruce Springsteen falls into that class.  I never thought he was bad, but never got into his work, either solo or with the E Street Band, so I went into listening to Wrecking Ball with little expectation that I would like it.

Going in, I knew from reading online that some of the songs are dealing with the Great Recession. My hope was that Springsteen wouldn't go all John Mellencamp-heavy-handed with this album, and he didn't. Some of the songs are a bit cheesy in spots, like the opening song "We Take Care of Our Own" and "Land of Hopes and Dreams". Springsteen has his share of anthemic songs on Wrecking Ball, but I would recommend the album because of its quieter songs, such as the vulnerable,  down-and-out "This Depression" and the dead-people-talking "We Are Alive".

Love and Shame and Love by Peter Orner

Love and Shame and Love follows the Popper family for three generations, beginning with Seymour and Bernice around the time of World War II and concluding with Alexander Popper around the turn of the 21st century.  The book takes place around the Chicago area and Orner makes the area somewhat of a character in itself.  Orner uses short chapters (even part of one page in a couple of cases) to present snippets of the lives of the Poppers, and it's an effective tactic- it makes time and the novel seem to fly by.  Orner has an engaging, observational style that makes this not-too-dense reading, but definitely an engrossing read.   Highly recommended, especially for those who love family-based fiction.

Win Win

Win Win is the story of a smaller-town lawyer and wrestling coach (played by Paul Giamatti) whose practice serving the elderly appears to be falling on tough times.  Repairs are needed at the office, home life is getting more expensive, so some extra money would be nice.  Giamatti winds up with a case in which an older gentleman in the early stages of dementia needs a guardian, and it turns out this gentleman would pay $1500 a month.  So without telling his wife, Giamatti's character signs on as guardian.  The gentleman's grandson shows up, having runaway from home, and turns out to be a terrific wrestler.  The boy's mom is nowhere to be found but suddenly shows up, wanting to take both the boy and her father back to Ohio.

I highly recommend Win Win.  No one is perfect in the film, and while there are humorous moments, the film never goes over the top or cheesy with the humor, and there are winning performances from Paul Giamatti and Amy Ryan.

Keep Moving (Chatelet-Les-Halles)

At the bottom of Chatelet-Les-Halles, Paris
The voice in my head said
Keep moving, keep moving
But I don't know where to go
Keep moving, keep moving
And I'm deep, deep underground
Keep moving, you'll find it

I'd lost all direction
With one hundred pounds on my back
And briefly I turned to crying
Until the voice it returned calmly
Keep moving, keep moving
But I don't think there's a way out
Keep moving, keep moving

So I did what I was told
And though I felt physically weak, I did not fold
I lifted, I climbed, but strength I did find
And prouder I could not have been

Sometimes that voice still guides me
When my wits are stretched to their end
The time to rest will come later
Keep moving, keep moving
That voice is still my friend
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The Seeds We Sow- Lindsey Buckingham

The Seeds We Sow, the most recent album by Lindsey Buckingham, unravels almost exactly as I expected it would:

-several listenable songs with very pleasing guitar

-one absolutely cringeworthy song- in this case, it's "One Take"- with these lyrics: 

No I have no reputation
And I'm not on any list
That's because I've got a publicist
Who covers up the avarice of where I put my fist
and one spectacular song- in this case, "Stars Go Crazy", a haunting song with simple lyrics.

I pretty much knew what I was going to get, but to add "Stars Go Crazy" to my favorites list made The Seeds We Sow a worthwhile listen.