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7 Compact Discs For Your Desk Job by jamie flam Over the course of the past week or so I have brought seven CD's into work to listen to at my desk. As receptionist I am the first point of contact for visitors, which means I must use some discretion when selecting which albums to blast on my computer speakers. Not that too many of my records are blatantly offensive or especially displeasing to the ear. Some are just simply more conducive to the office environment here. At the office. So here are the seven CD's I have here currently, with a brief description of how they have worked within the confines of the front desk of a design studio.  Tortoise-Millions Now Living Will Never Die As a purely instrumental album, "Millions Now Living" is a pretty safe bet. The only song that may cause trouble is "Dear Grandma and Grandpa" which is just a series of weird spacey beats and sounds that make me think of a weird, scary, space sewer. Someone on their way out to lunch may pass by my desk, hear the music and think that I am at my desk thinking of weird, scary space sewers or something, and we just don't want that. But all things considered, the 2 minutes 43 seconds of the song aren't enough of a reason not to listen to the 40 minutes and 17 seconds of the rest of this mind blowing record. If someone wants to think of me as the kind of guy that thinks about weird, scary, space sewers all day, then so be it. I think of these sewers proudly.  Versus-Hurrah The driving theme of this album seems to be lost innocence. In fact, some might say it is the driving theme of the band. In any case, they speak of this lost innocence using "metaphors" and "allusions", so someone walking by to make copies or pick up a printout is unlikely to hear a line out of context and piece together the hidden meanings. Even if they did, lost innocence hardly seems like a subject that would cause any sort of controversy among myself and my co-workers. Musically, the songs on this album are pretty upbeat and poppy, mixed with a couple guitar driven ballads. I think they are about lost innocence. I particularly recommend "My Adidas" which starts out mellow and pretty but kicks in with a "good morning" type bang, "Eskimo" which is happiness all around, the bittersweet "Shang-ri-la" which may be the best song on the album, and "mermaid legs", which they opened up with the one time I saw them live and which closes the album perfectly melancholy. Hurrah has done an excellent job of keeping me awake this morning, and seems to generally lift the spirits of those who pass by to use the restroom. Overall a perfect work day fit.  The Sea and Cake-Nassau God bless this album. God bless the Sea and Cake. They consistenly put out work-friendly records that rock out, then slow down, then rock out some more. And when I say "rock out" I don't mean it in the lame balding 51 year old with a pony tail rocking out at the free KFOG sponsored local blues rock outfit concert kind of way. I mean it in the twenty-something at work, smiling uncontrollably because shit, I am a receptionist and I don't do shit but listen to music and write silly reviews for my friends all day kind of way. This album has the song "Parasol" on it, which my pal (and lunchboxing Bully) Noah put on a mix tape for me before I was a fan, which makes it nostalgically pleasing. But it's an amazing song in its own right, along with all 9 other tracks. Buy this album and listen to it at work. Then bring it home and listen to it there too.  Air-Moon Safari Another at work classic album here. Nothing but light French mood music to create a pretty little soundscape for your co-workers. If nothing else, the album cover, which features a drawing of the two guys in the group and is vaguely reminscent of the pictures you'd find in books made in the 60's and 70's catered to a teen audience, looks cool sitting on the side of your computer. I also reccomend downloading the "All I Need" video. I forget which site it's on, but Mike Senese can direct you to it online. It's sheer heaven and a nice little midday escape into an alternate reality. An alternate reality that looks like it was filmed in the San Fernando Valley and Malibu. My only complaint about this album (solely in the context of work) is that I did in fact get an interesting look from a co-worker who was doing some copying behind me when the second song on the CD, "Sexy Boy" came on. It is a brilliant song for sure, but maybe lends a little too much to the imagination for older co-workers trying to figure out why their supposedly heterosexual receptionist is listning to a song that repeats "Sexy Boy" over and over in between segments of singing in French over a slightly electroish beat. God bless volume control.  Stereolab-Sound-Dust This is the third albium on the list that John McEntire is involved with in one way or another. Of course he is the drummer for the Sea and Cake and Tortoise and figures heavily in the recording, producing, and mixing for any project he is involved with. I know this because I am a nerd. Also to point out the fact that being bored at a desk job offers one the opportunity to research any album one happens to be listening to. Assuming internet access is available. If not, bring a Smiths CD to work and just cry all day. Anyways, Sound-Dust is a solid album with many driving drum beats and creative production which makes it a good work listen. It also sounds like much of it is in French, like Air. I suppose I could go on the internet to confirm this fact right now. But facts make reviews boring. My favorite jam is "The Black Arts". Pretty.  Pixies-Bossanova To be perfectly honest, this is the one Pixies album I have listened to the least. Not because I don't like it, but more because it simply didn't immediately strike me as amazing like all their others. Sometimes that's just the way it goes, right? Well, luckily for my CD player here at the office, I have been listening to it a little more than I used to and I am finding it all the more enjoyable. I have found that when you listen to CD's at work all day you don't put the pressure on yourself to enjoy them in the same way as when you are in your car or at home after work. In those situations you know the mood you want to set for yourself, and you become very particluar about what you want to listen and sing along to. No time to waste on records that only might fulfill your needs. That makes work the perfect place to bring CD's that you may not be so familiar with or you never really liked. No pressure since you are sitting there "working" anyways. My final prognosis: Bossanova is good, and also good for work. And if someone who has never heard of them asks you who it is, just say "It's by the band that does the song featured at the end of Fight Club". They will nod appreciatively.  Mix CD by Noah Blumberg-"Jamie is Older Now" Mix CD's can be a good or bad thing in the work place. On the one hand, what could be better than a mix of songs made by your friend who has impeccably wonderful taste. On the other hand, the more songs, the more of a chance that there will be one or two extremely offensive songs that will get you fired within a matter of seconds. But not usually. And certainly not in the case of this ridiculously wonderful CD I got for my 24th birthday from Noah. It starts with the mellow and very work friendly Eric Matthews, followed by Josh Rouse and Damien Jurado, who are also quite conducive to the office environment. The Ropers pick up the pace with "You Have A Light", which smooths out again with the Red House Painters in rare non-depressing form with "Grace Cathedral Park". Electronic beetz and hip-hop keep things diverse with tracks from Nobody featuring Freestyle Fellowship,DJ Shadow from the Dark Days soundtrack, Papa M, and Aphex Twin. The CD finishes up with American Music Club, Bettie Serveert, Secret Stars and the Silver Jews, all of which make work fun for everyone within ear shot. Kudos blumberg! So there are the seven CD's I am currently rotating here at the desk. I think it's about time to bring in some new CD's. And get a cup of coffee. And order some pencils or something. |
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