Lighter Than...Air?

One need only see the covers of CDs by French electronica duo Air to know one is dealing with some majorly hipster stuff. Why, just look at the cover of Air's 2007 release "Pocket Symphony," on which our heroes Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoît Dunckel have been transformed into little back-lit clear glass figurines. They pose and peer out from their coffee table perch, taking in (perhaps?) the utterly mundane urban apartment around them. It's a cool enough cover, don't get me wrong, but it's also more than a bit cutesy. The hipness gets magnified when one considers their occasional musical partners, artists such as Beck and Charlotte Gainsbourg.

Air is often written up in the music press and hailed as "Mood music for now people" (that comes courtesy of Spin magazine) and that is a fair enough description - if it actually means anything. "Pocket Symphony" (also a cutesy title, it sounds like an iPod app) has 12 tracks and they glided together seamlessly and pleasantly as I gave the CD a spin on my desktop computer. I'll say this - you won't get a headache from Air, in fact, there will be long stretches of time during which you will forget you are listening to the album. It isn't terrible, offensive or poorly executed - it's just...there. Like the coolest commercial jingle you've ever heard? Maybe what dentist office music sounds like in heaven?

The band sings in a variety of languages, primarily English on this album, but a smattering of French as well. My favorite track on this CD is "Mer du Japon," a song about the "sea of Japan" with a lyric consisting of one sentence - in French. It's got a driving, dance-floor groove that actually grabs your attention. If I had to describe Air's overall effect, it is that of expert curators who bring together a lot of icy-cool influences in a very smooth, subdued mix. Think: Bowie, Roxy, Eno, Moby - a few acoustic tracks even remind me of an ultra-serious Flight of the Conchords...But, if you want to be known for the relaxed, Euro vibe at your next cocktail party, I would definitely put Air on the playlist. Good for a romantic evening at home, too. John Hood, writing for Spin, called their live shows "a dreamy pastiche of swoon and sway," so if that sounds appealing, take the Air.

"He was a fiddler, and consequently a rogue." Jonathan Swift

And what better time to celebrate both the fiddler and his roguishness than mid-March, with Springtime in the air and St. Patrick's Day on the calendar?

Irish music is a divisive force in world culture. My overall sense is that you either "get it" or you don't. I can listen to all the variations of Irish music for hours, it just seems to be in my blood, but I know others who gripe that it's "all the same," the "heenely-heenely" of the fiddles, pipes and bodhráns (those are the Irish handheld drums). Or they moan that Irish tunes are depressing and morose, filled as they are with dead people and minor keys.

If your only impression of Irish music is pop superstars U2 or familiar singalongs like "When Irish Eyes are Smiling," our CD collection at DPPL can broaden your Celtic horizons. Stop by the third floor display, assembled by Readers' Services Assistant Laura Adler and titled, "Irish Music: Beyond U2 & The Clancy Brothers." You'll find public television heartthrobs Celtic Thunder, contemporary Celtic folk band Solas and varied collections full of authentically traditional jigs, reels and airs. You'll also find recordings by modern Irish rock bands like Snow Patrol and My Bloody Valentine.

I've only been able to travel to Ireland once, but I think even a few days there can help you understand why so much artistry has come out of this tiny island. The landscape is by turns lush and then stark, green and then grey. There's tremendous hardship in the history and yet, a love of laughter and story-telling, too. The pub culture of the cities and towns encourages performers and the dark, silent nights in the country provide plenty of time for reflection and creation. If you share a love for Irish music with me, then check out some CDs to begin your St. Patrick's Day celebration. If you're convinced Irish music is all the same, I think we can gently, or forcefully, sway your opinion.