17 Comments on “A Pre-Election Sanity Break”

1. How come I’ve never heard of this woman before? Her music fits my auditory preferences like a glove. I’m definitely going to see if I can find her CDs in the stores now.

   Heck, I think there’s members of my family who’d also like it. My Christmas shopping just got easier.

   Meanwhile, I’ve been listening to Jonathan Coulton’s “Skullcrusher Mountain” a lot lately. Check it out; http://www.jonathancoulton.com/songdetails/Skullcrusher%20Mountain

2. Perfect, John. Thanks.

   Fletcher, you can find some good freebies here. Try “Harbor” next. I can enthusiastically recommend any of her three albums.

3. Yeah, I’m currently working my way through the list – actually, I’m listening to “Harbor” right now! Hopefully my local music store(s) will have some of her CDs – one of the downsides to living at the far end of the world is that the selection available is lower.

   Other artists I like include Sarah McLachlan, Enya, Bic Runga (who actually attended the same high school as me, so you probably won’t have heard of her, but she’s big in NZ), Dido (responsible for the theme song to /Roswell/), Anna Nalick (responsible for the theme song to /Gray’s Anatomy) and Patty Griffin (not responsible for any theme songs so far as I know, but “Someone Else’s Tomorrow” is /excellent/). I can heartily recommend all of the above; if you’ve any other names you think I might like, please do suggest them! :)

4. Vienna is great (and I’m not just saying that because she’s a friend of mine), so I’m glad to see her get a mention that might expose more people to her music. Even if I, personally, am no longer entirely fond of “Soon Love Soon,” since it’s the song she often does as the audience participation number when she plays live, and I’ve seen her play live….well, a lot.

5. Fletcher:

   “Bic Runga (who actually attended the same high school as me, so you probably won’t have heard of her, but she’s big in NZ)”

   As a devotee of NZ music, I’m offended — offended! — that you suggest I don’t know of Bic Runga. I like her stuff. I prefer Anika Moa, however, although I don’t know that she’s done anything new recently.

6. Then I beg your pardon for any offense I may have caused. I’m used to people from NZ being unknown to the rest of the world, you see. It’s pleasant to see that we’re not completely unknown. :)

   Personally, I’m not so fond of Anika Moa, myself.

7. Good gravy, Scalzi knows about Vienna Teng?!

   This is a conenected world…..

8. “Gravity” is my favorite Vienna Teng song–there’s a wonderful live version of it available on iTunes from WXPN.

9. Wow. Thanks. That’s really good.

   My employer will not be happy. I’m going to be spending the next half hour or so looking for some more Vienna Teng on the net.

10. do you ever have a day when you just need something and you can’t quite figure out what that something is? apparently what i needed was this song — thanks, john, and thanks to the others for pointing the way toward more!

11. Her “City Hall” makes me tear up on the subway. Though it is perhaps more election-related.

12. Vienna Teng is fantastic. Listen, immediately, to “Whatever You Want” off of her recent Dreaming Through the Noise, or “Homecoming” off of Warm Strangers.

13. I don’t know. Something about her songs rub me the wrong way… perhaps the earbug nature of them. I can’t even try to remember which song in particular I mean or I will never get it out.

14. @Fletcher: Sarah McLachlan, Enya, Dido, Vienna Teng. You don’t know it yet, but you’re an ectophile: http://ecto.org/ectophilia/ectophilia.html :)

    Loreena McKennit, Dar Williams, Joanna Newsom, Kris Delmhorst, Catie Curtis, Happy Rhodes, Jane Siberry, Jesca Hoop, Lorina Harding (‘nother kiwi), Wendy Rule… I could go on, but there’s already a website collecting a couple of thousand of them out there, so I won’t. :)

    @John: Anika’s latest was “In Swings the Tide”, which (afaik) has only been released in kiwiland so far (just saw her announcing her Australian release this month). More poppy than her previous albums, kinda bouncy, but very good.

15. Huge Vienna fan! Glad to see her getting some love here… all 3 of her excellent albums are highly recommended.

16. @Sander: Huh, so I finally have a label to put on my musical preferences. I didn’t think there was one. Hurrah! a box to call my own! I shall make a little fort.

    Also I went and ordered /Dreaming Through The Noise/ today – it’s not out down here, but the shop is getting it sent from America for me. It’s not so bad, living in the future. :)

17. Thanks for turning me on to Vienna Teng. I’m really enjoying her sample music from her site. I really like how she uses voices and piano. I’ll have to pass the tip on to my sons.