On the playlist, or oh noes eMusic is infected with teh Sonyz!

While most people complain about the revised eMusic subscription plans, I have a sense the smaller quota will benefit me in the longer term, because then I won’t inundate myself with so much listening.

As for the encroachment of Sony catalog in what used to be a major label-free zone, let me just point you to this gem for sheer WTF?-ness.

  • ABC, How to be a Zillionaire! Finally discovering The Lexicon of Love made me nostalgic for this album, my first foray into the works of ABC.
  • Alfred Schnittke, Concerto Grosso I / Oboe Concerto / Piano Concerto Listening to Schnittke is like charting unpredictable stormy weather with music.
  • Alfred Schnittke, Chamber Music: Piano Quintet All the cloudy clusters of thick harmonies eventually part into something clear.
  • Alfred Schnittke, Epilogue – Works for Cello and Piano But instead of seeing blue skies, you get a glimpse to a bygone time in music history.
  • Aterciopleados, El Dorado "Florecita Rockera" and "Bolero Falaz" are two of the band’s greatest songs.
  • Benjamin Britten, War Requiem / Sinfonia da Requiem / Ballad of Heroes (London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus feat. conductor Richard Hickox) Here’s the problem with downloads of vocal works — what if I want to follow along with the text? Liner notes, dammit!
  • Department of Eagles, The Cold Nose Kind of scattershot. Prefer In Ear Park.
  • Dmitri Shostakovich, Symphony No. 10 Nope. Still like his string quartets more. I think I’ll try the 24 Preludes and Fugues next.
  • Eurythmics, Savage When Eurythmics went back to using synthesizers, it felt counter-intuitive to what was happening in general. New Wave was dead, if not dying, and the duo already recorded two albums with a live band. Still, one of their better works.
  • Girl in a Coma, Trio BC I can’t place who this band’s singer reminds me of.
  • Gloria Cheng, Piano Music of Salonen, Stucky and Lutoslawski The lushness of the Lutoslawski piece surprised me, but that’s only because I know only his string quartet. The Salonen pieces, though, have some bite.
  • Grizzly Bear, Veckatimest Nope. Still like Horn of Plenty the best.
  • Györgi Ligeti, Ligeti Edition 7: Chamber Music Complain all you want, you eMusic indie purist snobs. I’ll be in my corner digging Sony’s Ligeti Editions.
  • Hiroshima, East For utter ’80s fusion clap trap, this album was probably Hiroshima’s hardest. (I have it on vinyl.)
  • Kronos Quartet, Floodplain Probably some of Kronos’ most fiery performances in a while.
  • Philip Glass, Glassworks Anyone else think the instrumentation of the Philip Glass Ensemble is dry?
  • Philip Glass, Songs from the Liquid Days Because I think Glass really sounds better when all those arpeggios are parlayed to a full orchestra. Maybe I just listen to too much Kronos Quartet.
  • Quruli, Tamashii no Yukue Yeah, Quruli pretty much peaked with THE WORLD IS MINE.
  • Sasagawa Miwa, miwaMIRAGE A major label budget really does make a difference. Not recommended if you didn’t warm up to Amata or Yoake.
  • Shiina Ringo, Sanmon Gossip I’m slowly reaching the conclusion that I wish Tokyo Jihen albums sounded like this one.
  • Tomosaka Rie, Toridori Tomosaka Rie can never be considered a vocal powerhouse, but this album isn’t as tooth-rotting as her early century albums.
  • Yorico, Kioku I’m beginning to suspect Yorico peaked at second VERSE.