Good music makes the world go 'round.

I am VERY excited because the Alison Krauss + Robert Plant collaboration album entitled Raising Sand was released today!!! Buy it on iTunes or go out and get a copy. I have really been looking forward to this; in recent years I have developed a huge love of classic rock (specifically Led Zeppelin, as of late). I have always been a big Alison Krauss fan, so what could be better? Alison Krauss has an amazing voice, and Robert Plant is...well...Robert Plant. Judging from some of the clips I heard on the promo video (from songs "Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)," and "Please Read the Letter"), the album should be fabulous. I don't think anyone would hesitate to say it's an odd combination, but from what I've heard it's a very good one.

I was also very privileged to see/hear PJ Harvey live the other night on Jay Leno. She performed "Grow Grow Grow" off her recently released album entitled White Chalk. Despite the fact that I am a big fan of quirky artists like Tori Amos and Björk, I haven't listened to any PJ Harvey before. The album is very unique and I like the sound, which evidently is different from most of what she's done before. This review of White Chalk from amazon.com describes my thoughts entirely:

"There's a minor key, folksy feel to it, from the acoustic instruments to the restrained, whispery sound of PJ's matchless voice, the lyrics suggesting old murder ballads and overheard confessions. It's autumnal, just right for this time of year, spooky and haunting, a suite of sepia toned chamber music in the key of regret, nostalgia and dread. The same way a whisper makes you listen more actively than a shout,the quiet complexity of White Chalk remains intriguing -- there's something to it, something that moves and engages, shaded rather than hid, making the whole profound and real in a world that so often prefers sameness and plastic pretension." -James Agnew

Like that guy said, it's a perfect album for the fall season (which happens to be my favorite season second only to Christmas). So in conclusion, I am enjoying the pumpkin season along with some very good music. I recommend you spend the next few minutes giving these albums a listen online or wherever you choose to listen to clips from new albums. And here's the promo video for Raising Sand...a short insight into the making of the album.