Thursday, May 29, 2008

The Psychology of the City

Especially relevant since much of my recent discourse has revolved around a 'reading' of the city. Hat tip to Richard. This will have to be the best paragraph I read today. I know it's only 7 am but I had an early start.

Great cities attract ambitious people. You can sense it when you walk around one. In a hundred subtle ways, the city sends you a message: you could do more; you should try harder ... A city speaks to you mostly by accident—in things you see through windows, in conversations you overhear. It's not something you have to seek out, but something you can't turn off.

A most fascinating piece by Paul Graham. Read more here.

I Do: I Like HoneyHoney


HoneyHoney has a unique sound. The band which is comprised of Suzanne Santo and Ben Jaffe is characterized by a happy balance of folk sounds, indie rock traces, and informed lyrics.

Suzanne Santo hails from Ohio and she's yet another example of many solid artists to come out of the state. Columbus, OH is known for things other than the little thing call Ohio State. I know it's hard to believe this especially when the Bucks are playing and beating basically every team they play. But there is also a good indie scene in town. I have explored some and intend to do more soon. But that's another post and I digress.

HoneyHoney is unlike anything I'm listening to right now. My playlists have consisted of Starsailor, Muse, Italian contemporary rock, The Pet Shop Boys (Don't ask. I don't know why!), and Mr. Bob Dylan. So, HoneyHoney is a good diversion. A most welcome one, actually. If you're interested in the kind of music professionals can actually make, well, hurry and get their stuff. They won't disappoint. Their music relaxes and informs. It might be a tad melancholy in certain places but it's all in good measure.

I tend to stay away from the what I call the 'Nora Jones effect' not because I don't particularly like Jones' music but because it fails to match my usual pace of life. De gustibus non disputandum est, after all.
If you're already a folk fan, well, needless to say you'll be HoneyHoney-fied in no time.

Lastly, what I like about HoneyHoney is the fact that they can enlighten me musically in a quiet, totally-denuded-of-pretension sort of way.
And that's the kind of music I respond to. It's the kind any Bob Dylan fan would respond to, I suppose.

Here is a video.

graph per myspace
hat tip to youtube for the vid