This could easily turn into something lengthy and unreadable so I'll put on my Matt Woods face and get right to it. These are albums I find myself listening to on the dark, cold winter nights. These are in no order.
I guess if there was to be an order to this, this would make number one. I've listened to this album with headphones in my bed upwards of 100 times this winter. A new friend recommended it to me and it's great!
This album is probably the most unlike any of the others, yet I still can't seem to deviate away from synthetic, pulsating punk the colder it gets. For anyone actually reading these blog posts, I'm currently working on something secret that sounds a lot like "The Screams" (with much more drums) off this album.
I'm still relatively new to these guys, but it was an instant love! The track "When the Sun Hits" may be one of my top 10 favorite songs ever. Maintaining the sort of sleepy winter drone to it, this one is an album everyone should listen to.
This is the extra disc to David Bowie's latest release "The Next Day" and it's on here specifically for the track "Love is Lost- Hello Steve Reich mix" because it is fucking AMAZING. This is one I simply can't simplify my explanation on why I'm posting it. Music to me brings me back to specific places more than photos. This album came out right as a relationship of mine was ending and the original version this song (which is entirely different musically) instantly struck a vein with me. Hearing this song go from a full band to a stripped down piano and synth track gave me goosebumps.
You HAVE to watch the video for this. His facial expressions in the video along with the lyrics honestly made me cry. The video couldn't have painted a more accurate description of where I was at when I heard this album. That hallway where he looks lost as fuck looks sad and scared of his surroundings looks identical to my studio's hallway and it gets me every time I watch this. The entire video his facial expressions look so sincerely sad and lost. I can't express enough how much this song and video does for me. (I will say though that the ending is a little cheesy when the puppet starts going along with the song...)
An old favorite. This cassette actually got stuck in my first car back in high school and it was all I could listen to for a few weeks straight one winter. I've always liked New Order more than Joy Division and this album is exactly why. I don't really know what it has to do with "winter listens" really, but I've been listening to it a lot lately.
This would probably be number two if there was an order to this. This soundtrack was actually written specifically to sound "cold" for the theme of the movie with the same title. Anyone who knows me knows that anything that Trent Reznor touches is something I've listened to and dissected over and over. In my opinion, this is the last interesting thing Trent has put out. The Social Network soundtrack was great, too. This is usually on in the background at my studio when I'm painting or reading. Something about this soundtrack makes me go instantly into workaholic mode.
This album has made all kinds of posts on here for me. It's currently the CD in my car and has been for a few days straight now. It's also been on albums of the year, most listened to, albums of the week and so on. This doesn't really have much to do with "winter listens" but it is winter and I am listening to it.. so it's on here. Deal with it
This was something I posted about a little over a year ago. I specifically bought this on vinyl for the cover art and the fact that the back listed every instrument used in production (which of course was all synths and drum machines) so I HAD to buy it. Jean Michel has an extensive discography that I am now quite found of and you should be, too.
Before this gets too long and weird, I'll end it here. If you've read this far, mention that you have and I will buy you a taco :)
-Novak