what i'm listening to.

 {print by Mico Toledo from the Music Philosophy project}

Look, I don't claim to be some musical savant. I am rarely, if ever, ahead of the curve when it comes to what I'm listening to, and on the moments I am ahead of the game, credit can be given almost entirely to my younger sibling. My tastes are wide-ranged and varied. My radio station selection (because my car has neither satellite radio nor an iPod hook-up) is planted firmly on the local oldies station, and I've been known to dance to Bieber in my kitchen.

But I do like music, and since I bombard this blog with my reading tastes, I figured it was time to introduce you to the artists/songs/albums that are currently on replay on my iPod and in my car (which does happen to have a CD player). Without further ado...

Mumford & Sons, Sigh No More. I am pleased to say that Chet actually introduced me to this group long before they performed during February's Grammy awards, giving me a brief moment of relief that I am not, in fact, some musical tag-along. I've loved them since I first heard them; the music is both upbeat and melodic, part bluegrass, part... I don't know. Something else really good. And despite the fact that I am terrible at actually singing/remembering lyrics, there is a soft spot in my heart for the words of a song, the inspiration that creates such beautiful verses, and I think that's why I love Mumford & Sons so much. The words of their music are so thought-provoking, deep. Their songs are like poetry. (Good poetry, not half-baked poetry.) I could devote an entire blog post to my favorite lines, but here are a few, from "Roll Away Your Stone":

It seems as if all my bridges have been burned,

You say that’s exactly how this grace thing works

It’s not the long walk home that will change this heart,

But the welcome I receive at the restart

The Head and The Heart. Thanks to recommendations from fellow bloggers, I've been listening to The Head and The Heart's fabulous folk music for a few weeks now. They're perfect workday music. You could probably put them in the same genre as Mumford & Sons or the Avett Brothers, maybe softer. Apparently they haven't been around long, but they sound like they've been around forever. And I mean that in the absolute best of ways.

Adele, 21. Yes, yes. We all love Adele. No shock there; her voice is amazingly powerful and soulful, and sadly, you just don't hear many artists like that anymore. She reminds me of Ella and Billie, and I knew her new album would be no exception. Then, though, one night late last week, I saw her sing "unplugged" on VH1 (I'm sorry; am I the only one who didn't even know they did that anymore? Has it been that long since I've watched VH1?), and I was mesmerized. I got online to see when she was performing, and, news flash, she's sold out everywhere. Sold out. Everywhere. And it makes complete sense: girl's got talent.

Passion 2011, Here For You. Not everyone's into praise and worship music, and that's fine. I understand. I will say, though, that I can tell a significant difference in my mood when I've listened to a few worships songs before work. This collection, from Atlanta's Passion conference this winter, is packed with really incredible voices, all in the name of the One we worship. It's pretty fabulous, and I've got to tell you: Worshipping in my car has never sounded so good. My favorites? "All My Fountains," "Here For You," and "Carry Your Name." (Christy Nockels has the voice of an angel.)

Over the Rhine, "All My Favorite People." Okay, clearly I'm obsessed. I've tweeted about it. I've blogged about it. And now I'm telling you one last time: Please listen to this song (here).It's got that jazzy feel I love -- mmm, I enjoy some good piano music -- and the lyrics are perfection. Her voice is beautiful too, and  it just sounds like something that would play in a Southern pub or piano bar (did I just make that up? Is there such a thing? I have no idea). Whatever. Just please listen to this song. And if you don't like it, don't tell me. I don't really want to know. (Oh, and you can listen to more of Over the Rhine's music on their website, and it's all got this same haunting, soothing jazz tone... love it.)

So, your turn. What are you listening to that I should tune into?

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Thank you for all of your comments on yesterday's post. Because of your generosity, Jordan and I will be making an additional $95 donation to the Red Cross as they take aid to Japan. Let's continue to lift up that nation and its people in prayer. They need it desperately.