Music for Excel

The title is a compliment. Trust me.

I've started a new job and part of that job involves a fair bit of creating my own spreadsheets, editing others' spreadsheets, scouring spreadsheets for information, etc. It doesn't sound thrilling, and it isn't, but other aspects of the job really can be. So to counteract the dryness of this activity one needs the correct kind of music playing, softly and gently, in the background. 

I started with Elliot Smith, made my through Stephen Steinbrink and had nearly a whole week of hammering Nation of Language who, by the way, have produced one of the album's of the year. Right up your street if you like 80s icy cool. This week, however, I ended up stumbling on what I now think is the perfect record to Excel to. 

Sit Down for Dinner by Blonde Redhead isn't a punchy, bolshy record. It's lush and opulent but not in a garish way, it takes its time and unfurls, slowly and lovingly, like a extra long scarf knitted by a doting grandmother. The album cover depicts a strawberry and the sounds within are perfectly ripe as if biting into one containing the perfect amount of juiciness. 

Listening to it now is almost making me long to be back at work, in front of the computer, editing cell G1.