Super Random Delicious Shuffle Challenge 2
I enjoyed the ruskie roulette style randomness of the shuffle challenge so here is round two. Please don’t find my Scarlett Johansson tracks. I mean seriously why didn’t she make a sex tape like any other attention craved starlet. Press Play……
Alice in Chains – “Over Now (Unplugged Version)”
Outstanding, I haven’t listened to any AiC in a while but I have certainly put some burn marks on their discs over the years. They are my favorite band from the grunge era and produced a lot of great tracks before Layne Staley died. His death reminds of a bit from Denis Leary asking how come only the good musicians die when you could lock Motley Crew in a room with all the drugs in the world and they would come out with new double length live album. Anyway, the track is the acoustic version from the unplugged series which turned out awesome. The lyrics have a redemption and resolution theme and the line that wraps it up for me is, “we pay our debt sometime” which is repeated often throughout the track. Another verse that I like a lot says “When it’s all gone wrong, it’s hard to be so strong”. This was why I said that I thought of redemption since it indicates contriteness rather than an attitude of letting passing time absolve a crisis.
10 Kickass Youtube Videos
We have expanded on our 10 Kickass Youtube Video idea and added it to the sidebar. I just finished adding my first 10 to the list. Now to give you some background, this isn’t a best of list. The only criteria is a good fucking live song on Youtube.
That means the list is highly debatable and very subjective. I don’t think you will have too look to close at the list I put up tonight to figure out I was in a dark aggressive mood.
Antimatter will love the Oasis song and Salviad will love the Pink Floyd and Neil Diamond songs but I love them all. This list is gonna change often so send us your favorite live youtube performances. Make sure they are live. You can email us here. One last thing. Make sure the sound and video are decent quality. None of us want to hear our favorite song recorded from a cell phone in the upper deck.
Artic Monkeys – “Favorite Worst Nightmare”
This is an excellent album that I have had for a while although I haven’t really listened to it much yet. For some unknown reason, I tend to buy like ten albums at one so a lot of times something gets lost in the shuffle. Well, this morning I was looking for something to listen to and decided on this album. I don’t remember where I heard about the band but I’m thinking I saw them perform at Glastonbury. Usually when I first listen to an album, the first thing that I pay attention to is the music to see if it interests me or not. Then I start to notice the lyrics more and more and usually a song will have like a great line or chorus that I catch onto so I will start to play that track over and over and listen more closely.
I know the music is in my wheelhouse so I’m ready to put a little more of the puzzle together. To do something a little bit different in this post since I have just really started paying attention to this album, I’m going to pick one line from each track that initially stands out. Also, I am going to resist the urge to look up the lyrics so if I am wrong here then that will just be a part of the process.
Brianstorm
“Some want to kiss, some want to kick you.”
Teddy Picker
“Who would want to be a man of the people when they’re people like you?”
D is for Dangerous
“I think that you should know you’re his favorite worst nightmare.”
Balaclava
“And the daggers are drawn, who is the crook in this crime?”
Fluorescent Adolescent
“You used to get it in your fishnets, now you only get it in your night dress”
Only Ones Who Know
“I bet she told a million people that she’d stay in touch but all the little promises that don’t mean much when there memories to be made”
Do Me a Favour
“Curiosity becomes a heavy load, to heavy to hold.”
This House is a Circus
“Like a search for murder clues in dead man’s eyes”
If You Were There, Beware
“I wouldn’t have said it if I would have known”
The Bad Thing
“She said it’s the red wine this time but that is no excuse”
Old Yellow Bricks
“You’re such a fugitive but you don’t know what you’re running for”
505
“I’d probably still adore you with your hands around my neck”
Super Random Delicious Shuffle Challenge
First things first, yes I got the title for this post from a Japanese game show from the late 90s but I have a limited amount of creativity and didn’t want to blow my wad on a title. Moving on, I am going to set my gigabeat to shuffle all tracks and then comment on the first track played regardless of how good, bad or indifferent the track is. (This is also fun at parties where people have their media players although not quite as enjoyable as passing around each others media players and picking out tracks from each others library to play…..and then ridicule the respective owner.) So please fate, don’t reveal my secret fondness for 80’s hair band ballads. Press Play…….
Snow Patrol – “You’re All I Have”
My first impression is that I am not too familiar with the track so this should be interesting. I saw this band perform on Later with Jools Holland and they did a track featuring Martha Wainwright called “ Set the Fire to the Third Bar” which I thought was really great so I purchased the album. They also have a song that is pretty popular called “Chasing Cars” that they performed as well. On a completely random thought, the only thing that I couldn’t stand about the performance was how the lead singer and Martha act like they are fighting off a seizure when singing. Anyway, now as I listen to the track, I am starting to remember that it was one of the more memorable tracks on the album other than the two I just mentioned. The band is a soft rock group with catchy beats and an emphasis on love and relationships in their lyrics so it isn’t hard to figure out what the track is about given the title. There is some impending doom and a guy wants to spend one more night with his gal since he now realizes her importance. Overall, “You’re All I Have” is not a bad track but it also isn’t one that I would put on a favorites list. If not for the creepy lyric, “under your skin feels like home”, it might could have been on a romantic playlist but that is a little too “Dexter” for me.
Charlie Daniels - “Long Haired Country Boy”
Wicked invited me to post on his blog about my musical tastes a few days ago and I’ve been struggling as to what song I would post about first. My tastes in music are quite eclectic and range from classic rock, to new age, country, techno, and yes, even polka. I tend to not like the newer country as is sounds too produced and I can’t tell one artist from another. The season of the year also highly influences my taste in music, such as being a hardcore Parrothead in the summer.
I was perusing my Gigabeat yesterday and ran across this classic. “Long Haired Country Boy” is a song that takes me immediately back to my youth and the carefree summers of my teenage years. It reminds me of camping, fishing, and just general hell raising with my buddies. It also sings to my hippie side that I am always struggling to keep in check.
So, if you have a long haired country boy in your youth and you haven’t heard this song, check it out.
Merle Haggard - “The Fightin’ Side of Me”
The best thing about this song is that when someone doesn’t like it is usually because they believe they are some superior intellect who is capable of understanding the world in ways the poor dumb masses can’t yet if not for those same sons of bitches they despise, their fucking asses wouldn’t be sitting in beamers drinking lattes and gossiping about who fucked the bosses wife. Everyone has their own opinions on what is best for a country and no country is perfect or above reproach but I hate when people don’t understand history or logic. There will always be war so you might as well pick a fucking side .
“Heaven’s Gonna Burn Your Eyes”
How the hell could a song with a title like that not be awesome? It couldn’t….when the artist is Thievery Corporation. These guys are very creative and have some really great music. This is one of my top three of four tracks though for sure. Their music has a relaxing feel to it but with an energizing twist so I like to listen to it when I’m stressed out or just trying to unwind. I am constantly amazed at how easily they make it seem to infuse various musical styles and backgrounds into their style. Listening to their albums is like a musical review of exotic methods.
Also as a side note, they have a really interesting album, “Cosmic Game” where they collaborate with some other great musicians like The Flaming Lips, Perry Farrell, and David Byrne.
Neko Case - Hold on, Hold on
This is one of those songs you hear one time and then you can’t stop thinking about it. I don’t mean hearing it in your head like some annoying jingle. I mean putting it on repeat and listening to the words over and over each time wondering if you have the meaning right.
Neko Case certainly had a difficult past and you can feel it in her music. Fox Confessor Brings The Flood is a very good CD with some great songs on it. The lyrics are deliciously dark and that voice of hers commands you to show her respect.
Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings The Flood - “Hold on, Hold on” Lyrics
THE MOST TENDER PLACE IN MY HEART IS FOR STRANGERS
I KNOW IT’S UNKIND BUT MY OWN BLOOD IS MUCH TOO DANGEROUS
HANGIN’ ROUND THE CEILING HALF THE TIMECOMPARED TO SOME I’VE BEEN AROUND
BUT I REALLY TRIED SO HARD
THAT ECHO CHORUS LIED TO ME WITH ITS “HOLD ON, HOLD ON, HOLD ON, HOLD ON”
IN THE END I WAS THE MEAN GIRL
OR SOMEBODY’S IN-BETWEEN GIRL
NOW IT’S THE DEVIL I LOVE
AND THAT’S AS FUNNY AS REAL LOVEI LEAVE THE PARTY AT THREE A.M.
ALONE, THANK GOD
WITH A VALIUM FROM THE BRIDE
IT’S THE DEVIL I LOVE
AND THAT’S AS FUNNY AS REAL LOVE
AND THAT’S AS REAL AS TRUE LOVETHAT ECHO CHORUS LIED TO ME WITH ITS “HOLD ON, HOLD ON, HOLD ON, HOLD ON”
Top 10 Tracks on Rhapsody 4-27-08
1) Lil Wayne - “Lollipop” Ok, this song does have a catchy little beat and I like the chorus but I looked at the time left around 3 minutes into the song and was struck dumb that it had 2 miuntes to go. This song was good at 2 minutes. At 5 minutes I was curious what it would feel like to stick a screwdriver up my nose.
2) Leona Lewis - “Bleeding Love” Ok, lets forget the Simon Cowell factor. This is a solid song and I enjoyed it.
3) Lil Wayne - “Milli” You have got to be shitting me. The only thing that comes to my mind when listening to this song is “Stupid is as stupid does”.
4) Usher - “Love In This Club” Ok, now I like this. It started out with the same 70’s vibe I got from James Blunt’s new album. This isn’t as strong as some of Ushers other monster good songs but this is a solid song.
5) Mariah Carey - “Touch My Body” This is a good news bad news kinda deal. The good news is I would love to touch her body. The bad news is I damn sure hope I don’t have to hear this song when I do it.
6) Scarlett Johansson - “Falling Down” Are you fucking shitting me? Peter Frampton sang through less mechanical devices when he sang “Do You Feel Like We Do” and still sounded better than this. The only thing good about this song is it makes me think I still have a shot at being a singer.
7) Jordin Sparks with Chris Brown - “No Air” Not bad. This song kinda grows on me. It doesn’t hurt that she is singing with Chris Brown though.
Madonna - “4 Minutes” I like it, but come on. Justin Timberlake and Timbaland could make those songs we had to sing in elementary school sound hot.
9) Billy Joel - “Only The Good Die Young” Ummm….I am confused. Rhapsody, this is the 9th top track on your service? Seriously? I mean I rebooted twice to see if maybe I was stupid or something. This is really number 9?
10) Bonnie Tyler - “Total Eclipse of the Heart” Ok seriously, what is going on Rhapsody? Last time I checked this wasn’t 1985.
This day blows, can I have another?
My fellow cube monkeys, I am having a hard time getting motivated this morning. Things are slow at work, my house is a disaster zone from “acts of god”, and even though I slept like 9 hours last night I feel like I have been shot in the ass with a horse tranquilizer. It is so bad that I sat and stared at my monitor for about an hour before I thought to turn on my Gigabeat…….but now I have remembered and I think I need to pull out some heavy hitters to get me back on track. This isn’t a morning for a shuffle or listening to a few full albums, today begs for some serious cherry picking of my current listening favs in no particular order.
Razorlight – “Golden Touch”
Kaiser Chiefs – “The Angry Mob”
Oasis – “Don’t Look Back in Anger”
Wilco – “Spiders (Kidsmoke)”
Silvershun Pickups – “Lazy Eye”
Theivery Corporation – “Lebanese Blonde”
Gnarles Barkley – “Smiley Faces”
