Ludovico Einaudi - Divenire

I've listened to this at least five times today. It came up in the Songza playlist of "Reddit's 100 Most Beautiful Songs". My sister played one of Italian composer Ludovico Einaudi's songs at her wedding last year, though I can't quite recall if this was one of them. P&G even used it during a commercial during last year's London Olympics.

It's strings and piano. That's it. And I will say without reservation that it is one of the most beautiful and moving pieces of music I have ever heard. I was at work, this song came up, and I was simply overwhelmed by the beauty for the full seven minutes. It honestly brought tears to my eyes.

The unresolved ending leaves much to the imagination, and the emotional power of this song reminds you, at least for a short while, that humanity is capable of truly wonderful things.

YouTube and Amazon MP3

Katy Perry - Teenage Dream (Digital Self Remix)

Look past the bubblegum lyrics. Look past the superstardom. Look past the mercurial celebrity. Sit back and listen. Or get up and dance and listen. Your call.

Tonight's selection is a (very) catchy remix of Katy Perry's pop hit "Teenage Dream" by British DJ/Producer Digital Self. Trance superstar ATB has been using this track in his sets for close to two years. If it's good enough for him, it's good enough for me.

I fell in love with this track the first time I heard it on an internet radio station. Curious, I Googled the lyrics, and to my surprise, discovered that this was a remix of none other than…Katy Perry!

"But, Adam," you ask, "Katy Perry? Are you sure?"

Yes, I'm sure.

Also, 27 million Twitter followers? That's pretty powerful.

Give it a spin; all it will cost you is a Facebook like.

YouTube and Facebook (visit downloads tab)

Keith Medley - Ancestors

And now, something you've never seen before.

Keith Medley, a Kentucky native and talented musician, created a 27-string guitar that he plays himself. The instrument is something like a combination of a bass guitar, autoharp, guitar, harp, maybe a dulcimer, or any number of lute-like instruments. It's really quite impressive to watch.

That was his song entitled "Ancestors" from the album Ride. He says that building the instrument was the easy part. Teaching himself to play this unique creation was the real challenge.

Want more? Watch him play Greig's "In The Hall of the Mountain King".

MP3

Simian Mobile Disco - I Believe

Ever wanted the perfect song to watch Mazdas drift in the snow? Then you'll love "I Believe" from the UK-based electronic duo of Simian Mobile Disco. Released on their debut album, "Attack Decay Sustain Release", this is a style of electronic music I'm not too familiar with. Regardless, I've recommended it to a few friends around the office, and it seemed to be well-received. Who knows, it might even work to watch Mazdas drift on dry pavement.

CD and MP3

BT - Last Moment of Clarity

I've been working on this little project of listening to all my CDs again, all 350+ of them. I'm maybe an sixth of the way there. I think it's a good project; I'm sure I haven't listened to many of them all the way through since they were purchased. Originally, I had intended to delay the purchase of an iPod Touch until this project was complete, but that idea fell through almost a year ago.

Of course, this project also includes re-importing my preferred songs at a higher bit rate now that storage has gotten so cheap, Thailand floods notwithstanding. Furthermore, I'm one of the obsessive types, which means that I like to keep a list of the CDs I own, along with ratings. Excel is fine for this, but I recently started using a site called Discogs, which keeps your collection in the cloud and lets you share it with other site members. It's sort of a LibraryThing for CDs.

Anyway, Emotional Technology by BT came up about a month ago in the aforementioned project, and I spent a late drive home listening to this "Last Moment of Clarity" track at imprudently elevated volumes. It sounded pretty good. I haven't given you one of these euphoric and enchanting electronica selections in a while, so here you go.

CD and MP3

BoomBox - Mr Boogie Man

BoomBox is a duo that originated in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Their second album, titled downriverelectric, was recommended to me by a friend, and currently available as a download only.

Mr Boogie Man highlights their creative and eclectic mixture of ~1970s jam band and modern electronic artistry, the former not surprising, given one of the duo's ties to the Grateful Dead.

Frankly, I'm not enough of an expert to place this music into any of the myriad, thinly sliced musical genres. It sounds catchy to me though. Give it a listen.

Album Download or MP3

U2 - The Hands That Built America

Tonight's post is in memory of Apple co-founder and former CEO, Steve Jobs. As you've no doubt heard by now, he passed away today after a long battle with cancer. So passionate was he about the company he built, he held an active role in the company until less than two months ago. As the company's official statement says, "his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple."

You may have heard today's featured song by U2, as it played over the final scene and end credits of Gangs of New York. I don't really have much to say about the song itself right now.

So why did I pick this song tonight?

Because of Steve Jobs' role in creating and nurturing one of America's most important industries. As well as the company has done, the mind boggles wondering what Apple might be today if Jobs had been able to pour all his energy into it instead of spending so many years fighting cancer.

Apple and the tech industry are creative, powerful, and inspiring. Jobs' vision of taking computers away from just guys like me and into the mainstream changed everything. America and the world are richer for it, and the industry that came from his and others' efforts and ingenuity represents our best and possibly last chance to maintain economic superiority.

Thanks for everything, Steve.

CD and MP3

It's because of him you can buy an MP3, by the way.

Clare Burson - Baby Boy

My musical tastes have changed quite a bit since I started this little project. Not that many years ago I was still in school, listening to Sirius on the way in each day, tuning in to some pretty lame music more frequently than I'd care to admit. More than a few CDs I bought during that period are hidden away in a drawer, safe from curious eyes. These days, I can barely stand listening to the garbage on FM radio, unless it's the classic stuff I was listening to a decade ago anyway.

I think I might be getting old. I don't even own a subwoofer anymore.

Not everything changes, though. I'm still a big fan of Van Morrison, and I still want the Yankees to win.

Shifting gears, it's time for another mellow acoustic selection: Clare Burson's "Baby Boy" from her Silver and Ash album. Exceptionally crisp vocals and a well-played acoustic guitar can be found here. I can't quite recall the circumstances, but I'm pretty sure I ran across her music on NPR. Or an NPR listener referred me.

What's most interesting about this song, and the album as a whole, is that it's an exploration of the artist's Jewish roots, as told through the eyes of her grandmother who fled Nazi Germany. I figured a remembrance of one's Jewish heritage would be appropriate for this week of High Holidays.

In case you were wondering, I did end up going to see The Weepies when they were in Boulder in late August, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

CD or MP3

The Weepies - World Spins Madly On

You know how sometimes you hear a bunch of songs you dig, and upon further research, they turn out to be from the same artist? That's what's happening with me and The Weepies lately. A husband-and-wife indie folk-pop duo, maybe they just have a good publicist, but listen and judge for yourself.

First, I heard their song "Can't Go Back Now" played over the final scene of the movie Adam, a film about a guy my age-ish that has Asperger's syndrome. Just a few days ago on Reddit (my 2010-present internet addiction), I ran across this gem of an animated video, set to the tune of their hit "World Spins Madly On", linked above.

And I just found out, thanks to a nifty link on YouTube, that they're playing in Boulder toward the end of the summer. I just might have to drop by. I haven't been to a show in years.

Hem - Leave Me Here

I'm still in love with the piano. In fact, this song is from the same album as "Half Acre" two posts below.

What a difference a year makes, no?

It's been at least that long since I've purchased a CD. In these days of iTunes and Amazon MP3, the economics of buying one or two good songs $15-20 just doesn't make sense anymore. It never really did, but what choice did we have? But that is a discussion for another day. And the calculation is quite different when you're dealing with an exceptional album.

So, what can you find here? Hauntingly beautiful melodies. Poetic lyrics. That oddball of the woodwind family, the oboe. And a song worth leaving on repeat.