Night listening 1: Neko Case

Ever since Toby was born (and even before that, really - maybe ever since Steph and I have been together) it's been hard for me to find the time to just sit down and listen to music. And in general, I have a hard time relaxing. But I can remember going home to my dad's house for winter break after a particularly rough semester at school and lying on the carpeted floor of the spare bedroom listening to Jeremy Enigk and other bands late into the night on a pair of headphones. It was very, very peaceful and soothing.

So tonight after Steph went to bed I stole upstairs to her studio and listened to some music on headphones for the first time in years. Some music is just meant to be heard this way. Neko Case's The Tigers Have Spoken is such music.

I can't believe how talented she is. Her voice is powerful and unassuming. And the selection of songs on that album is just fantastic. The Tigers Have Spoken (the song) is just one of the saddest and most moving songs I've ever heard. And lying there, on the couch, surrounded by the echo of this live recording and the swirl of the guitars and vocal harmonies, I was swept away and just... relaxed more than I have in a long, long time.

So whenever I can, I'm going to do this. And I'm going to write about what I'm listening to here on the blog under the heading "Night listening." So tonight, it's Neko Case. A fine way to start a fine, new tradition. You should check out her website. Her first blog post is great.

- Jesse Kates / the Sexy Accident > listen on iTunes