Good Music

There is not enough good music around. Or wait, scratch that. There is too much BAD music around. That would be more accurate.
Last week I went to a couple of really nice concerts. First up was Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. They performed a two hours plus set at the Norwegian Wood festival in Frognerparken, Oslo. It is a terrific venue and one of my favorite festival stages in the country. The setlist had a few surprises, but there was a nice and even spread of both old and new. Having released one of 2008's best albums last March ("Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!") the focus was still on new material, but being a fan I could not have asked for a sweeter collection of songs. "Henry Lee", "Into my arms", "Stagger Lee" and many more classics found their way into the mix.
A few days later I attended an intimate show with American singer / songwriter Joshua Radin. I've mentioned him on this site before ("Essential November") and I think he is a massive talent with a wonderful voice. It was a wonderful show, played on the smaller stage at Garage, one of Oslo's many rock bars. As Radin himself pointed out, it was probably the smallest stage he had been on since starting out four years ago. The songs, mainly about ex-girlfriends and possible new ones, are elegant and poetic with beautiful melodies. After releasing his first album "We Were Here" in 2006 he left his major record label after being pushed towards making more "poppy" songs. His new album "Simple Times" is therefore the first release of the tiny and aptly named label Mom & Pop Records.
Being at a good concert is always a joy, and after seeing these two very different acts I found it thrilling to see musicians performing their own songs and delivering every word with convincing feeling. Take that MTV!