Dean
07-26-2006, 04:11 PM
Today (http://matadorrecords.com/mpeg/jennifer_oconnor/jennifer_oconnor_today.mp3) is the second MP3 from Jennifer's upcoming Matador album, "Over The Mountain, Across The Valley And Back To The Stars," in stores August 22.
Rock and roll and all its many offshoots have, a good argument can be made, fallen into what nerds would call "A Baroque Period." We have concept albums about the Weimar Republic, multipart works peopled by casts larger than football teams. In spite of centuries of development in economic theory, nine-plus piece touring bands are a common sight (what are they bringing in every night, like five bucks apiece?). With all the pomp and extra percussionists, it's easy to forget what it is that makes music connect with listeners in the first place: honesty, empathy and guts. A few chords on an acoustic guitar, a lone voice, a song about missing someone, and Jennifer O'Connor shows she posseses these qualities by the ton.
Rock and roll and all its many offshoots have, a good argument can be made, fallen into what nerds would call "A Baroque Period." We have concept albums about the Weimar Republic, multipart works peopled by casts larger than football teams. In spite of centuries of development in economic theory, nine-plus piece touring bands are a common sight (what are they bringing in every night, like five bucks apiece?). With all the pomp and extra percussionists, it's easy to forget what it is that makes music connect with listeners in the first place: honesty, empathy and guts. A few chords on an acoustic guitar, a lone voice, a song about missing someone, and Jennifer O'Connor shows she posseses these qualities by the ton.