Paste that sticks

I'd say it was about 10 years ago. I'm not sure how or why it happened. But I swear an angel named Serious came from above and whacked me on the head with a galvanized-steel wand -- "Ba-doinnk!" -- proclaiming:

"Thou Shalt No Longer Listen to New or Original Music but Instead Shall Glue Your Ears Forever to NPR."

From that day on, I listened -- religiously -- to NPR. You know the lineup ... Morning Edition, Day to Day, Fresh Air, All Things Considered. You name it, if it talked in serious tones about the world's events, I listened. And I didn't listen to much else.

I'm a journalist, after all. I guess that's my excuse. And not to disparage NPR. God help us if we didn't have it.

But music? Nah, I didn't listen much. Oh, yeah ... occasionally I'd tune in to old rock songs. Some jazz. Rarely Top 40, though. Indie tunes? Huh?

But maybe a year ago, I swear another angel -- I like to think it was Serious's fun sibling, Lighten Up -- lovingly "ca-thunked!" me on the head with a foam-rubber Star Wars light saber and proclaimed:

"Thou Shalt Lighten Up -- With Music! Go Ye ... Seek Ye Some!"

It was a revelation. After all, I'd observed my kids, ears connected to Ipods, downloading stuff while I stuffily lectured about the illegality of it. I'd snap at them when Hip Hop would surface ... complain about the morals, the language, the gun shots.

To coin a Yoda phrase: "So rigid, I was!"

One of my more thunderous "ca-thunk" moments came during a walk through the woods along nearby Indian Creek. It was a brisk walk for exercise. I was plugged in to my new Nano Ipod, a gift. And I was listening to "Walking Among the Living" by Jon Randall, an artist I discovered when I first dippped my toe into the sea called ITunes. The power of the music and message hit me. Not to get maudlin, but it was so poignant and relevant, it brought tears.

At that moment, I realized that I'd let virtually a decade or more of music pass me by.

No longer. Today, I have a honkin' 8 gigabyte Ipod. And I'm a faithful subscriber of Paste Magazine, which I mentioned in my last post and which Cindy found for me in a bookstore when I started making noise about the lack of music in my soul. Paste takes you deep into today's music world -- past the predictable FM radio lineup to a broader variety of genres.

I've subscribed for eight months now, so I've received nine CDs, each with about 20 tunes on it. (Paste Nos. 40 through 48; No. 41 is missing because it took awhile for my subscription to kick in after getting the first issue from the racks.) It's music I've enjoyed and shared with some of those important to me.

It's not all stuff I like. But much of it I do. What follows is a sampling of one favorite from each disk, with a little explanation as to why. (Some of these song links are the the artists' My Space pages ... you'll click on the song there.)

Paste #48: Hymn #101 by Joe Pug
This 23-year-old songwriter from Chicago is by day a carpenter; by night, he's almost Dylanesque thanks to the complexity of the message and the maturity of his voice. I like this song because it speaks to a young man's search for answers -- about society, justice, God, love and more.
The song

Paste #47: We've Got the Power (Love Letter from America) by the Born Again Floozies.
Here's a politically charged song that's lots of fun ... mixing tubas, tap dancers, guitar and great vocals. By all means, don't miss the message.
The song (video)

Paste #46: How The Day Sounds by Greg Laswell.
Anyone who's experienced a rebirth, big or small, can appreciate the lyrics of this song. Laswell sings of a journey from darkness to light ... and how, once emerging, he "likes how the day sounds, through this new song."
The song

Paste #45: Cler Achel by Tinariwen.
This Paste set featured international music from a range of groups. Tinariwen, an African rock group, calls the Saharan region northeast of Timbuktu home. The music is haunting, rhythmic and hard to forget.
The song (video)

Paste #44: A Dream by Priscilla Ahn.
This work is a compelling and beautiful mix of voice, story and song. It is, at its most basic, the story of a young girl's passage through time. Ahn's voice is splendid and, yes, even perfect.
The song (video)

Paste #43: Late Last Night by Robby Hecht.
Hecht has received much praise for his soulful voice, and this is one of his most popular tracks. The message is obvious: Sometimes we show love by saying good-bye.
The song

Paste #42: Okay by Kaiser Cartel.
This Brooklyn, New York, duo -- Courtney Kaiser and Benjamin Cartel -- blend beautiful harmony around well-crafted lyrics.
The song

Paste #40: A&E by Goldfrapp
This acoustic effort from the British group features Alison Goldfrapp's vocals and a story of love likely lost. Goldfrapp's vocal range is amazing.
The song

Of course, there are plenty of other tunes on the CDs worth savoring. Ultimately, what I love about the magazine is its range and its suggestions of different paths to wander down.

Lighten Up, I think, is pleased. Serious? Well, he should quit his damn scowling.