Music, among other things

There's a trailer for Nashville out. It looks like it might be popular, actually, kind of a hybrid between Smash and Dallas, perhaps? A musical soap opera, basically. I'm not that into it as a story, although the tension between "old" and "new" styles of country music is interesting in a sort of anthropological kind of way. Country as a genre seems to be just the right size for that kind of argument; not big enough that fans can just settle in separate camps and not even know the others exist, and not small enough that it's in everyone's self-interest to support as many other people working in the genre as possible. Thus extreme bitterness between two distinct camps. (Actually, I think it's not as clear-cut as that, and there are definitely fringe coalitions, like the really rootsy folks, or the more singer/songwritery folks, but the big divide does seem to be between the older stuff and the newer pop-crossover stuff.)

But anyway, it is rather exciting to see the skyline and assorted landmarks on teevee, like in the various shots of the main character and her husband(?) talking on the pedestrian bridge over the Cumberland. (Hush. We folks in flyover country don't get to see this kind of thing that often!) Also, I approve of the writers for writing the story so it revolves around two women who are obviously going to be frenemies, when that relationship so often goes to men.

Speaking of music, have some! Karine Polwart is releasing a new album this summer, and since I know she often puts songs up on streaming websites, I went a-digging and came up with treasure!

Cover Your Eyes - Many excellent lines here, from the opening ("I was Farrah Fawcett, you were Steve McQueen"), to my favorite, "Not even God himself/could stop the northerlies from blowing." I also like the xylophone or bells or whatever bell-tone instrument is featured here.

King of Birds - So beautiful. Apparently about the Occupy London protests; you can read a little more about it here.

Rags to Riches - Cover of a song by The Blue Nile, performed with the band Lau. Joyful and wonderful; possibly my favorite of these.

Salters Road - Also lovely.

Harder to Walk - This is a live cover of Karine's song by a new Canadian folk band called The Fretless. I love the fiddle accompaniment.

Also, I'll recommend Gregory Alan Isakov. His lyrics can be annoyingly nebulous (pretty, but vague), but he knows how to write some good music. He reminds me slightly of Mumford & Sons, if you like them. (Only better! Says someone who can't stand M&S, granted...)

That Moon Song - I do actually like the lyrics of this one, especially the chorus and the end. Plus the tune is great.

This Empty Northern Hemisphere - Starts slow, but picks up to awesome in the middle.

Idaho - Kind of bleak, but attractively so?

Garden - Love the chorus, creepy though it is.