Perfect segues across genres

Thursday morning, and strangely not as dark on the way in.  Also not wet; no complaints.  The forecast calls for clear skies and moderately cold weather (highs in the low 40's F, 5-ish C), with no measurable precipitation.  Which is good, because the morning skies had that peculiar orangish horizon-lighting (light that seems to flow up from the horizon rather than appearing front or back-lit) that often signals approaching snow.  Not sure if that makes any sense to anyone but me, but that's how it looks from my eye sockets this morning.

Longish day ahead, with a special Board meeting in the early evening to announce and introduce our new president.  Looking forward to that, but it does extend the day noticeably when I also get in as early as I do.  That bit is mostly my fault, so no complaints there either.

Today's iPod scramble was another of those mixes where each tune seems to have been tailor-made to segue into the next.  Even across very different musical styles, the trailing notes of one tune were complimented, in each case, by the initial notes of the next.  Its one thing for songs to work well next to each other, but quite another when they also seem to blend with this kind of sounds-crafted flow.

The first track is from a collection titled, Tango Tomorrow, which is comprised of various artists doing modern interpretations of tango music.  Think of it as modern electronica meets Antonio Carlos Jobim (I know that's really Bossa Nova more than Tango, but the flavor is right for this comparison).  Strong base lines and almost-hip-hop cadence, usually in a minor key.  Very compelling.

The Augustana track was the first tune I ever heard from the band and the one that caused me to explore their music more.  A great group, usually categorized as 'alternative' (whatever that means any more!).  Then The Low Anthem came back for the second or third time this week, from the same Oh My God, Charlie Darwin album. I have noticed that the iPod's shuffle songs mode likes to toss up a couple of tracks from each album, usually not too far from each other. I often get a song on the drive home from the same album as one I heard on the way in.

Party, by Boston, would seem a jarring choice to follow To The Ghosts Who Write History Books, except that it has a soft and acoustic guitar intro that created a perfect transition between the two.  That Sinatra could follow Boston with equal elegance is something I don't even want to try and explain.  I'm just sayin' it worked well here; trust me.

 - L.A.Thomas: Obscure B.A.

 - Augustana: Stars and Boulevards

 - The Low Anthem: To The Ghosts Who Write History Books

 - Boston:Party

 - Frank Sinatra: Night And Day