The aspens!*

Over at Utopian Turtle Top, John Shaw as created a charming, if out-of tune piece, based off of those the letter by Scooter Libby to the journalist Judy Miller -who you know fr0m the Plame Scandal and all that business. I am quite fond of the music - though, with all due respect for Mr. Shaw, more steady voice may lead to more appealing results.

If the voice were everything, Bob Dylan wouldnt exist. None the less, its hard for me to give you an idea of the music without turning to comparisons (which wont do justice to it). The music is lyrical, dreamy, very short, 1:38 short, to be precise, and the melodic line sounds vaguely turn-of-the-century French, with chromatic inflections and lush harmonies. The music expresses a yearning- and of course there are those wonderful and unexpected enharmonic shifts.

Its also quite humorous- the text doesnt exactly lend itself to singing in all places, but thats the joy.

But i save the best for last- Here is where you can listen to the music and These are the lyrics.

Could it be possible that this piece and my own work (Trent Lott's Porch)** represent some new, politically-infused Seattle-school? I will leave that decision for Mr. Shaw.

___
* i like exclaimation marks in titles!
** yes, i know its shameless self-promotion.