Belated Birthday Music

Pep wanted to get me Mike Doughty's new solo album for my birthday, but couldn't find it locally. Yesterday he downloaded it from iTunes, burned it and gave it to me. What a Sweetheart!

The name of the recording is Haughty Melodic and it is vastly sublime. I have loved Mike Doughty's unwinding, raspy voice since I first heard him singing "Sugar Free Jazz" as frontman for Soul Coughing several years ago. "Sugar Free Jazz" was on Ruby Vroom, and it is my fav recording from that band. I was seriously saddened when they broke up.

So, when I heard "Busting Up a Starbucks" about a month ago on WNRN, it was like falling in love all over again. Mike, I missed your voice, buddy! This morning I came to work and snapped Haughty Melodic into my Discman and went downstairs to shelve books. Librarians around here don't have to shelve books too often, but between semesters (like now) it sometimes happens. I was alone on that floor with hundreds of feet of slick linoleum aisles to dance in, so . . . what do you think I did?

You betcha! I cranked that Discman up and danced like Tom Cruise in Risky Business while I shelved books. I moonwalked, did spins, boogalooed down the stacks, and ran to slide on my knees for 12 feet easily. Ok - maybe I didn't do that last one. But I did dance, dance, dance, and I did it all fully clothed! I really don't think Library stacks have been utilized in movies as dance sets as much as they should. Somebody needs to write a musical set in a Library.

Anyway - what a great album. Most of the songs are actually not that danceable, but the few that are rock ON. And there are two especially beautiful songs that are . . . devotional. These are "Unsingable Name" and "His Truth is Marching On". I love them. That's Mac & Cheese to a mystic like me: satisfying comfort tunes.

If you ever liked Soul Coughing, you might want to check out Haughty Melodic. I'm sure Mike's voice isn't for everybody, but if he's your cup of chai, you'll love it like me.