Chick Music to Be Moody By

I love music of all kinds, especially if it meets one criteria: It’s good. Good is a relative term, but for me, music must not necessarily be hyper-melodic, it must convey a mood and sometimes a message. Gone are the days of Dick Clark and American Bandstand, when the teen reviewers’ favorite description of music is that “it has a good beat, and you can dance to it.” Duh!

I recently listened to Fiona Apple’s latest CD/DVD Extraordinary Machine and I found it quite compelling. Her music is a blend of Marilyn Monroe in Bus Stop and the best of experimental Beatles during the early 70s. Her music could be described as atonal by some, but her offbeat rhythms and unexpected lyrics keep you just enough on edge to keep listening. You cannot predict this girl! Which, I imagine, is the whole point with Fiona. She’s never been a sell-out to commercialism. I love that. Music anarchy is the best kind of music (not that I don’t like my pop music now and then) I liked the CD and it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. But I think it’s worth a listen. (Doesn’t the cover look like little alien babies or praying mantis? They are really flower buds, but still….Creepy!)