Listening Post

Word is this video took well over a year to make, mostly because director Paul Thomas Anderson had to stop halfway through it to go shoot The Master.

Admittedly, Fiona Apple has never looked better, but I'm going to violate critical conventional wisdom and say that as Apple's gotten more and more adventurous as an artist, I've enjoyed her music less and less. This isn't to say that some of it isn't very good, only that I still remember my reaction to hearing the languid loveliness of Tidal for the first time -- I put the headphones on at the former Virgin Megastore on Sunset here in L.A. and honestly felt my knees go weak -- and I miss that from Fiona.

Here's Hot Knife.

Listening Post

One of those rare covers that's actually better than the original.

Here's Fiona Apple, doing Across the Universe.

Listening Post

I've never really given much thought to whether I have a "favorite" song. Different music affects me in different ways and what I love to hear usually depends on the mood I'm in.

But after stumbling across this on my iPod the other day and listening to it for the first time in a very long time, I realized that it might be a serious contender for my all-time favorite song -- mostly because it moves me in ways I simply can't describe. Every moment of it -- every note, every word, every melody -- just hurts and heals and makes you believe you could physically drift away on it. This is the rarest of music: the kind you can feel -- and feel in the deepest parts of your soul.

Although this isn't a professional video, it barely matters what the visuals are. Just close your eyes and listen.

Here's Fiona Apple's Sullen Girl.