Filed under: Monday Morning Shuffle | Tags: Johnny Cash, Monday Morning Shuffle, Pearl Jam, Sufjan Stevens, The Neville Brothers
As i hinted last week, this will be the last Monday Morning Shuffle. It’s been a good run — tomorrow marks the anniversary of the very first MMS ever – it has been a lot of fun, we’ve had some good talks, heard some good music and shared some good stories that connected with that music. But recently, it’s become kind of a chore and has stopped seeming so original, at least to me. The algorithms in iTunes do a really shitty job of actually shuffling the songs, so we get a lot of repeats and blah, blah, blah, you don’t care my reasons. Anyway, it’s over. May it rest in peace.
In it’s place, i’m going to emphasize something i said in the above paragraph, that being the part about ”…shared some good stories…” I think this is one of the most important things about music, how it is so interconnected and intertwined with moments in our lives, etc. So i’m introducing “Soundtrack Stories” which, as it sounds, will be a discussion of how music is the soundtrack of our lives. I’m going to pick a song, album or band that reminds me of a particular setting or moment and i’m going to focus on the song and my memories that associate with it and basically write a part review and a part personal narrative. This should be an interesting writing exercise for me as i don’t usually write about myself (but have been more often of late) and it will probably divulge some pretty personal thoughts that i’ve decided to not be so hesitant to share. Hopefully it turns out to be a good read. We will see.
Also, for all you Radiohead fans, the internet is all twitterpated with the way they’re releasing their new album…read about it here.
On with the shuffle (for the last time):
1. Romulus – Sufjan Stevens, off of Greetings From Michigan: The Great Lake State
Sufjan Stevens is planning to write one album about each state in America…Michigan came out in 2003 and Illinois came out in 2005. Stevens is 32. So at an average rate of 1 album every 2 years and with 48 more states to go, he’ll roughly be 129 years old when he wraps this project up. Good luck Sufjan.
2. I don’t Know Much, But i Know i Love You – The Neville Brothers
My freshman roommate at CU – Boulder loved this song so much so that it became our song. Yup, it was a terrific joke that you absolutely had to be there for but yeah, you can imagine what it would be like to walk into our dorm room, full of mountain bikes and snowboards and posters of half naked ladies on the walls and hear this song playing. We could have made a living off of irony…
3. Flushed From the Bathroom of Your Heart – Johnny Cash, off of Live from Folsom Prison
This is a terrific song and just exactly what you’d expect from a Johnny Cash concert at a prison. It’s hilarious. Just listen to it. My favorite: “At the elevator of your future, i’ve been shafted.”
4. Nothingman – Pearl Jam
This is one of my favorite Pearl Jam songs of all time and i’m glad it decided to pop up here today. The lyrics are pretty basic and almost obvious at some points (Once divided, nothing left to subtract…or, You could have been something, nothingman.), but they’re only obvious because they make so much sense you’re probably pissed at yourself for not thinking of them. Sometimes, beauty lies in simplicity…
5. I’m going to hand select this one because it’s the last song(s) we’ll be shuffling, a Top 5 list of the best “Goodbye” songs.
5. 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover – Paul Simon
4. So Hard to Say Goodbye – Boyz II Men
3. Say Goodbye – Dave Mathews Band
2. Goodbye Sky Harbor – Jimmy Eat World
1. Babe, I’m Gonna Leave You – Led Zeppelin
Alright, that’ll do it. I hope you guys have enjoyed reading the last year as much as i’ve enjoyed writing it. Stay tuned for the next big thing.
Filed under: Guster, Monday Morning Shuffle, Norah Jones, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Shins | Tags: Guster, Monday Morning Shuffle, Norah Jones, RHCP, Sublime, The Shins
The designer for my company is a great guy who is super talented and also loves music. We’re lucky because we have a small office in an empty building and we can pretty much blast music all the time and never worry about bothering anyone. The only problem with this is that the kid plays music constantly, and when you work with someone 40-50 hours a week and he’s really feeling one CD, you get to listen to it 50 times that week. Now, i didn’t care when he got into The Shins, but in the last 2 weeks i’ve heard the following without stopping: Fall Out Boy, Kanye, Maroon 5 and a mash-up of Kanye lyrics over Fall Out Boy tracks… Suffice to say, I’m about to throw his speakers (and maybe him) out the window. UPDATE: We’ve been listening to Maroon 5 over and over since 8 a.m. I FUCKING HATE MAROON 5. Adam Levine can fuck himself.
I added some new music this weekend: Arctic Monkeys, Band of Horses, LCD Soundsystem, Bloc Party and some really weird DJ music that i got at the POOL show a while back. Hopefully some of it will inspire my designer to switch it up a bit from now on…
On with the Shuffle:
1. Cisco Kid - Sublime, off of Robbin’ The Hood
This is by far the weirdest Sublime album ever. It’s not great, but it’s raw and the exact opposite of the relatively overproduced albums that made them famous (aside from the genius career move that is ”death by heroin OD”). Well the most interesting thing about this album are the “Raleigh Soliloquy’s”…Apparently someone’s brother spent some time in a mental hospital and taped his conversations with this guy Raleigh who is insane and would just ramble on…it sounds like a scene from a movie but it’s not, it’s just this guy spouting off. It’s like listening to a homeless guy talking to himself as he walks down the street. It’s pretty weird but abstractly fascinating.
2. Sunrise – Norah Jones, off of Feels Like Home
I’m pretty confident that i’ve already talked about this song before and even if i haven’t the only thing i would say is that it’s the best song on this CD…everything else is pretty mediocre unfortunately. But while we’re on the subject, i might as well discuss her song “Creepin’ In” which is maybe my favorite song from her ever. And here’s why that’s weird, because it’s straight country and i don’t like country. But there’s something about the catchiness of the song paired with the fact that her voice is so eclectic. Well, download it for yourself, because it’s good. And Dolly Parton’s vocals are also amazing.
3. Cabron – Red Hot Chili Pepper, off of By The Way
Cabron means asshole in Spanish, which, when listening to this chorus makes it extra funny to sing along to. Go ahead, sing along in the English translation, it’s funny.
4. Sea Legs - The Shins, off of Wincing the Night Away
They’re playing at Celebrity Theater October 9th…anyone want to go with me?
The only other interesting thing i can think to say is that i have 3 of their albums and yet this is the only one that ever comes up in the Shuffle. I’m telling you, this Shuffle is a weird thing. (I’m also thinking that it has just about ran it’s course…it’s been a year, i think we need something new. Thoughts?)
5. So Long - Guster, off of Lost and Gone Forever
I haven’t listened to these guys in a long time but i’m kinda feeling like i need to make some time for them in the near future. I listened to a few songs while running this weekend and, like always, i’m just a big fan. They’re a perfect mix of fun, upbeat songs and semi-melancholy, thought-provoking tracks, they’re good to run to, good to chill too, good to pay attention to, good to ignore. It was like they were made perfectly just for me.
Alright, that’s enough for now. Have a good week.
R.I.P. Big Matt
Filed under: Everclear, Jet, Monday Morning Shuffle, Neutral Milk Hotel, Talib Kweli, U2
Not a lot to share from my weekend other than my fantasy team sucks and i’m just so glad football is back so let’s get right down to it.
On with the Shuffle:
1. Are You Gonna Be My Girl – Jet, off of Get Born
Normally i’d skip this song because i’m just so bloody sick of it but i let it play and you know what? This song was really damn good. I mean, its awesome. But it just got overplayed and beat to hell and took a place on the list of overplayed songs right along with Creed “My Own Prison”, Nickelback “How You Remind Me” and Lenny Kravitz “Fly.” Too bad really.
The rest of the CD was pretty decent as well, although kinda gets exhausting towards the end.
2. Unemployed Boyfriend – Everclear
“This is going to sound a little obsessive…” but i was thinking about her just this morning. She always had a knack for finding these random songs off of mainstream band’s albums. I have a lot of them on my iPod still. It’s been a really long time since we’ve talked and lately, i’ve really been thinking about how much i could really use a conversation with her. Some people are just like that right? They stick in your brain and never go away no matter how long it has been since you’ve talked. I don’t know if that’ll ever change.
Anyway, this is a really random song (i guess you’d expect that from Everclear) but a good and catchy pop tune with a funny/random/ridiculous storyline in the lyrics, interjected with this girl talking on a friends answering machine about how she met a guy at the unemployment office. It’s weird for sure, but hey, don’t take my word for it. Right click on the link and listen for yourself.
3. Walk On – U2, off of All That You Can’t Leave Behind
I’m really ambivalent about U2, to be perfectly honest. Sometimes i just love them and cheer for Bono and would love to see them live and all that and sometimes i’m just over them. There is this air of pretension that throws me off sometimes. I think i missed them age-wise by about 2-3 years. Joshua Tree just wasn’t aimed at my demographic, and correct me if i’m wrong U2 fans, but i think that was the album that was make or break for most people.
4. Communist Daughter – Neutral Milk Hotel, off of In The Aeroplane Over the Sea
Some people think Neutral Milk Hotel is the most amazing thing since sliced bread…and of course, i missed the boat on these guys too. I like the songs i listen to, but i haven’t heard one complete album that just drops my jaw to the floor like some people claim.
Here’s my problem though…between The Decemberists, Arcade Fire, Arctic Monkeys, Plain White T’s, OK Go, Sufjan Stevens and all these other “hipster” bands…how do you keep them all straight? I know you purists (Courtney) will think i’m a moron, but it’s hard to seperate them even in their own genre. I know they have different sounds, that’s not what i’m saying, but they all evoke the same kind of emotional response from me so at any given moment what’s making me listen to Arcade Fire over Neutral Milk Hotel or the Decemberists? I don’t have an answer to that question other than i listen to them when the shuffle randomly falls on that song, and it doesn’t give me any real rush or reason to dig any deeper into the album. It is what it is and that’s the end of it…and anyone who has read this blog for more than a week or two knows that just doesn’t cut it for me.
5. Oh My Stars – Talib Kweli, off of Ear Drum
I’m loving the new Kweli and loving even more that i got it leaked early and didn’t pay for it (sorry Talib…). So far the album is pretty rocking…the beats are good, but not great, and the lyrics are spectacular. My favorite line so far is, “Silence is golden but violence is platinum.” and i’m sure there are about 500 more that i haven’t picked up yet.
My only complaint about Kweli albums — and i guess rap albums in general — is that they’re too damn long. I want a CD to either leave me completely satisfied or wanting more, not exhausted. Take for instance The Shins – Wincing the Night Away…when i get to the last song on that CD i mentally say to myself, “Oh, it’s over already? Damn.” everytime. I’ve listened to that CD 50 times, and everytime i’m bummed it’s already over. I haven’t been able to listen to Ear Drum one time straight through without clicking next at least 3-4 times. Since the beats aren’t all amazing, they start to run together after a while. This is a problem.
Alright, hope everyone has fun with the new Kanye and new 50 Cent albums tomorrow…i’ve had them both for 2 weeks, suckers. HAHA.
Filed under: Ben Harper, Crosby Stills and Nash, Jimmy Eat World, Monday Morning Shuffle, The Roots
Yesterday was a holiday, and i treated it as such. So the Shuffle is on Tuesday, makes more sense anyway.
So i’ve dug a little deeper into these Torrent programs and man is that a better way to steal music than anything else. I found some amazing stuff and got some things that have leaked and aren’t released yet. In the past 4 days i got the new Common, the relatively new Modest Mouse, the new Talib Kweli and in the greatest move of all time, found someone who was posting every Radiohead song ever. So i downloaded 20 albums, live stuff, unmastered, mastered, remastered, side projects, b-sides, everything. A couple hundred songs easily. So even though i’ve never been a huge fan of them i can now back my opinions up.
On with the shuffle,
1. Cautioners – Jimmy Eat World, off of Bleed American
I love this song. The bass track is so infectious and the drum beat so simple, it’s just a good song all around. Jim Atkins vocals are as haunting as the lyrics are poignant. And they have a new CD coming out in October, or so i’m told.
2. Almost Cut My Hair – Crosby, Stills and Nash
This is one of those protest songs we’ve chatted about before and our generation really misses out on the symbolism of this one. Cutting your hair was a big deal at the time…short hair meant you were a square, you sold out to the man, etc. And this song embodies a lot of the frustration in the movement at the time, a subject which those of you apart of our Vox blog will know, i’ve experienced a bit of lately myself.
3. 3 Libras – A Perfect Circle (Massive Attack remix)
This is my favorite APC song and the remix is kinda crazy…if Massive Attack was in fact involved in this, kudos to them. I like them. There’s not a whole lot else to say about this really.
4. Sexual Healing – Ben Harper, off of Live from Mars
Can you think of a better cover for Ben Harper to do? Is there a better combination of talents, music and latent sex appeal? I say no.
5. Rhymes and Ammo – The Roots, off of Phrenology
This song would usually be semi-annoying to me because of the hook, but you got Kweli doing it up on the track and it actually comes through as a pretty good tune when it’s all said and done. Kweli and The Roots together…man, that’s pretty epic.
Alright, have a good short week.
Filed under: Ben Folds Five, Coheed, Joanna Newsom, Monday Morning Shuffle, Sade, Sublime
I’m off to Vegas for the POOL/MAGIC apparel trade shows today and i’m more excited about hanging out and talking music with Ron than i am about any of the other stuff we have planned. There’s a lot to talk about, especially the new Common CD which i’ll be digging into during the drive out there. The first line of the CD is “Ladies and Gentlemen, it’s the C-O-Double M-O-N.” and that just set s a good tone right off the bat.
Anyway, on with the shuffle:
(#1 should have been A Boy Named Sue by Johnny Cash and i love that song with all my heart but i’m skipping it because we had a Cash song last week and he’s been on the shuffle like 20 times…trying to keep it fresh for ya.)
1. Cuts Marked in the March of Men (acoustic) – Coheed & Cambria
For as much good work as these guys do using electronic guitars and sounds, their acoustic stuff comes through pretty amazingly. I think that’s an important mark of a good musician…can you make an acoustic guitar dance like you do an electric one?
Raise your hand if you’re excited for their new CD!
2. April 29, 1992 – Sublime, off of Sublime
This is definitely one of my favorite Sublime songs of all time. And for those of you who don’t know, April 29 was the date of the Rodney King verdict in Los Angeles and the song deals with the subsequent riots which Brad Nowell claims to have participated in. Good times!
3. Sawdust & Diamonds – Joanna Newsom, off of Ys
Laura, who used to have a music blog herself, sent me this album way back when and actually made her first post about it. Ms. Newsom is strange, let’s just get that out of the way right now. When you first hear her voice you’ll want to stick thumbtacks in your eyes…but then for some reason it grows on you…and the music and melodies are just so friggin fantastic, that you just forget about impaling yourself on a railroad spike and you actually start liking it. She plays the harp and sings and the music is just gorgeous.
This is the type of music and musician that i typically despise…and yet, for some reason, i like her. Go figure.
4. Gracie – Ben Folds, off of Songs for Silverman
This song is about Ben’s daughter and it’s one of the only songs i really liked on this album. And that’s about all their is to say about it. Listen to it, like it, just don’t try and write a blog post about it.
5. Smooth Operator – Sade, off of The Best of Sade
This absolutely has to be one of the most random CDs on my entire iTunes…i mean, it doesn’t fit at all. And it’s even more random, because i took it from my mom’s music collection. You can’t say that about many songs in my collection.
Still Sade deserves her spot. The music is jazzy, new age, the kind of crap you’d hear on the Coyote, but there is also something undeniable about her voice and her lyrical content. It’s baby-making music, i’m not going to lie.
Alright, have a good week. Enjoy the tunes. I’m off to Sin City.
Filed under: Johnny Cash, Monday Morning Shuffle, Queen, Saul Williams, iron and wine, yellowcard
Coming this week will be some big site changes…I’m finally done building the web site that i wanted to build a year ago. From now on, www.adammackwright.com will be the location of everything i do…my clothing line, all of my blogs and anything else i decide is worthy…You won’t see the 9 different blogs or whatever i had before…i’m ditching blogger, moving over to WordPress and i’ll be posting the shuffle, today’s sign of the apocalypse and even some more sports-related stuff that i’ve been neglecting, all in this place. Anyway, i hope that makes life easer and it’ll certainly make all of the “friend link” sections in all of your blogs a little less cluttered. Besides, i love the new layout and art of this site…praise be to Ruggy, the K&W designer for making it happen for me. Check out more of his work at www.k-wpromotions.com and www.kwblack.com.
So let me know what you think of all this and be sure to update your favorites, your RSS readers (use adammackwright.wordpress.com for the feed), your own blogs and anything else you can think of. And definitely let me know what you think of the new situation, i’m sure there will be a lot of kinks to work out so your feedback is much appreciated.
On with the shuffle…
1. Fat Bottom Girls – Queen
I can’t think of a better song to start a Monday with honestly. I know i say that a lot, but seriously, name one. I dare you. Such a fun song.
It’s also interesting to listen to the lyrics of songs like this and AC/DC’s Big Balls and think of how upset parents and congressmen would be if they came out today. I mean, we are so sensitive about that crap today and bands 10-30 years ago were writing and singing about the exact same thing. Listen to this song and you think, “Man, that’s such a classic. What a good song.” And then realize that they’re singing about humping fat chicks…i’m just saying.
I think the crucial difference is the way these songs were phrased…they used more analogy and metaphoric language to talk about sexual acts…i mean, the song Afternoon Delight is about how much better it is to have sex in the afternoon…it takes one listen of that song to know what it’s about, but since they never say stuff like “I’m gonna f— you in broad daylight.” It’s a cute song instead of a Parental Advisory sticker. Always interesting to think about.
2. Twenty Three – Yellowcard, off of Ocean Avenue
Remember when these guys were cool and good? Seems like a long time ago doesn’t it? This was actually one of the only songs i liked on this album because i was all angsty when it came out and i liked one of the angry lyrics…silly me.
Anyway, it needs to be pointed out that i have an unusual amount of songs on my Itunes that reference the number 23…has anyone else noticed this? There’s this song, 2 songs by Jimmy Eat World, a Project 86 song, it’s the name of a Tristan Prettyman album and Vigniti-Tres by Tool is 23 in Latin… I’m pretty sure all of these songs are about different things. Can someone make a list of all the songs that refer to 23 and try and come up with a reason? This, in my mind, is what the internet’s sole purpose is…
3. Bird Stealing Bread – Iron & Wine, off of The Creek Drank The Cradle
YAAAAAWWWWNNNNNNN….ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
4. I’m Free From The Chain Gang Now – Johnny Cash, off of American V: A Hundred Highways
No offense to Mr. Cash, but this song isn’t doing anything to wake me up either.
5. Tao of Now – Saul Williams
Now this is a track i can get behind. I love the cello intro and the woman’s voice from the sample.
I know i’ve talked about Saul before but this man absolutely rules at poetry. He’s mind-blowing. Read his books, buy his albums, put Slam on your Netflix qeue, go see him if he’s on tour…it will be a life-changing experience. I know i’ve told this story before but i saw him in Boulder, CO when i lived there and we weren’t sure whether he’d just read poetry or talk or do his full-band music thing…his openers were Roots-type hiphop bands with live bands and MCs and everyone was very pumped up, standing and dancing and sweaty and Saul walks out in Chuck Taylor’s (before they were cool again) and a canvas messenger bag and tells everyone to sit down and relax because the only music he’d be playing tonight would be “between the lines…” and he pulls a little journal out of his bag, leans the bag against the mic stand and just reads poetry and answers questions for 2 hours…just one of those moments, you know?
I just don’t see how you can afford to not have heard him and read his thoughts.
Alright, that’s enough for today. I hope everyone enjoys the new layout here and i think having the one-stop shop will make life a whole lot easier for everyone involved.
Filed under: Aerosmith, Matisyahu, Monday Morning Shuffle, Rage Against the Machine, The Shins, Tool
Sorry for the absence last week, there’s not a ton of internet access up here:.JPG)
However, i did take my iPod and although i tried to spend most of my time listening to the sounds of nature, i did fall asleep each night to The Shins and The Decemberists. They were instrumental in drowning out the waterfall that we camped next to (i don’t care what they put on those relaxation CDs, listening to pounding water for 8 hours sucks.) and also my father’s snoring. Good times!
On with the shuffle:
1. Chop ‘Em Down – Matisyahu, off of Shake Off the Dust…Arise
Maybe it’s my Hebrew roots, maybe it’s the fact that a Hesidic Jew in full garb is singing reggae, rapping and beat boxing, or maybe it’s just because i like good music, but Matisyahu is terrific.
I mean after a weekend of watching Making the Band 4 with my sister, do you realize how rare it is for a musician like this to be noticed and become even the slightest bit mainstream? Just read his Wikipedia entry…this guy has been everywhere, done everything and somehow has become a famous musician while interjecting Old Testament ideas and thoughts into his lyrics…tell me what the odds of that are in today’s musical climate??
2. Jambi – Tool, off of 10,000 Days
This is a song to get you jacked up on a Monday Morning. If i was driving (and i guess everyone on the 101 should be glad that i’m not…) i would be drumming on my steering wheel and full on rocking out to this song while stuck in traffic. This is a perfect Monday Morning Shuffle song.
I especially like the voice-box guitar solo towards the end of the song…very Frampton.
3. Eat The Rich – Aerosmith, off of Get a Grip
I believe this is Aerosmith’s first turn on the Shuffle…strange how long that took…
So this is one of those teenage-angst anthems i loved in Middle School because of the swear words and that fact that my mom absolutely hated the album cover (the pierced cow udder anyone?) I used to rock out to this song, knew the lyrics by heart and would pump my fist during the ubiquitous “take that Grey Poupon my friend and shove it up your ass!” climax of the song.
Then one day, i looked around at my surroundings and realized, “hey, i’m not living such an under-privileged life here…” and then that lead into my thinking, “Hey, Steven Tyler’s probably got some money lying around too…why the hell is he singing about rich people when he’s loaded?” And the whole thing just got really hypocritical real fast.
And although i think he was talking about the blueblood, Lifestyles of The Rich And Famous type people and not just people who had a few bucks and although i still love the song and the sentiment, it just got a little weird for me to consider it my anthem.
4. Gone for Good – The Shins, off of Chutes Too Narrow
Of course the shuffle would play a song from a band i’ve already mentioned once…
Anyway, the thing i’m really starting to like about The Shins is the breadth of their influences. This song is straight country, steel guitar and everything and it’s the only song i’ve heard on 3 different albums that comes even close to sounding like this. You have to have a certain level of respect for a band that will sound completely different from song to song. I know they’re not the first ones to do it, but just like Matisyahu, it takes some balls to go that far from the norm. I’m just saying…
5. How I Could Just Kill A Man – Rage Against the Machine, off of Renegades
And now for something completely different… I love when the shuffle does this to me.
This CD was a cop-out full of cover songs but i have to admit that it really did expose me to some music that i never would have listened to otherwise. Rage could have gone with rap covers and some metal/punk stuff but they really dug deep for some of these songs. Some of the bands they covered on this album: Afrika Bambaataa and the Soul-Sonic Force, EPDM, E-40, Bruce Springsteen and Devo…that’s right, Devo..the same guys who wore the red pyramid hats and sang Whip It.
This is actually the live version of this song with Zach on stage with B-Real and Sen Dog from the original and mighty Cypress Hill. And before you get all caught up in the fact that i had to stop listening to Eat the Rich because the song was kinda, sorta about me but i can still nod my head to a song about killing cops…well, you’ll just have to figure that shit out for yourself.
Thanks for reading.
P.S. Are you guys downloading the music? Does it work? Do you like it? Anyone? Beuller?
Filed under: Monday Morning Shuffle, Norah Jones, Ozomatli, Paul Simon, REO Speedwagon, The Police
I’m about to head into the woods for a 6-day backpacking trip in Wyoming so i won’t be here next week. I’m not heading in until next Sunday so maybe i’ll try and write next week’s a little early or maybe we’ll just skip it. I’m not sure yet, we’ll see how it goes.
Here’s the major question…while i’m packing up my gear, i’m charging up my iPod. I’ve got some backup headphones that i usually use while running and i was thinking how nice it would be to have some tunes to accompany me on my 14+ mile hike into and out of the mountains…then again, maybe i should just enjoy the sound of the woods and being out with nature and talk with the people i’m going with. That’s the point of taking this trip isn’t it? To get out of the city life for a while and commune with nature? Kind of a pickle. What do you think? (I think i’m going to take it and not use it unless i absolutely need a pick me up or an escape…can’t hurt to have right?)
Oh yeah, and i’m adding a new wrinkle this week. You’ll see that the song names are linked now. Click on the links and it’ll allow you to actually download the song i’m talking about. Wow…only took me 8 months to figure that out…
Anyway, on with the shuffle:
1. Graceland – Paul Simon, off of Graceland
Due to the “You can Call Me Al” video, (“I can call you Betty, and Betty when you call me, you can call me Al”…seriously, yet another reference…) i can’t separate Paul Simon and Chevy Chase in my mind. I just imagine Chevy Chase doing something goofy throughout every song i hear.
This album also has “Diamonds on the Souls of Her Shoes” and a bunch of other recognizable songs on it. A good one to say the least.
2. Street Signs – Ozomatli, off of Street Signs
Apparently we’re only going to have title tracks today on the shuffle…
I fell in love with Ozo during the old J5/Chali 2na collaboration on Super Bowl Sundae (as opposed to Chocolate Covered Mondae…thanks Erin) which is still one of my favorite songs. This CD is heavy on the Latin flavor which makes it extremely fun to listen to and basically impossible to understand if you’re mono-lingual like me. If anyone can translate Te Estoy Buscando for me, i’d appreciate it.
I love the mix of Spanish sounds with the hip-hop roots…it a different sound than the boom-chick-boom-boom we’re so used to hearing on top 40 hip hop and rap. Street Signs isn’t their best album, but it’s pretty good. And these guys have been around forever too if you didn’t notice them before. They’ve shared the stage with Tribe, De La Soul and others in their careers. (And they have an interesting Wikipedia entry…)
3. What Am I To You? – Norah Jones, off of Feels Like Home
I’ve said this before but Norah still melts my heart… There’s just this warmth to her voice that feels like hot coco or whiskey or something. I know that you know what i’m talking about.
I’d like for her to call me and leave a voicemail in that voice. That would be spectacular. I need to date a musician. She would write songs about sleeping with me and make inside jokes for me in the liner notes of her album. This needs to happen…
4. Every Little Thing She Does is Magic - The Police, off of The Classics
Two stories:
1. I was watching Office reruns the other night and the episode where Phyllis gets married was on and Kevin’s band, “Scrantonicity” was playing…and all they played was Police songs. It killed me for some reason…partly because it was just so stereotypical of weddings and wedding bands, but also because they just didn’t have any other material. Top notch.
2. On April Fool’s Day every year, the ASU student newspaper, The State Press, released a joke edition called The Stale Mess, in which they’d do their best Onion impression and make up headlines about the school and make fun of the city, etc. So one year, instead of the usual Police Beat article, it was “The Police” beat…and every story tied in with a song…as in “A woman was arrested Tuesday night on suspicion of witchcraft. One eyewitness claimed that everything the woman did was magic, and everything she did just turned me on.
Someone was also charged with littering Tempe Town Lake after sending out a message in a bottle and then finding a hundred million bottles washed upon the shore…
Classic.
5. Keep On Loving You – REO Speedwagon
I can’t say anything about this song that will make it any better. Just download it (especially if you’re at the office) and turn up your speakers. EVERYONE wants to start their Monday morning with this song.
I just cranked up the speakers and i’m lip-syncing into a pen and i didn’t even bother to shut the door to my office.
If this doesn’t get you pumped up to be alive, then you’re probably dead and should call 911 immediately.
Have a good week(s). If i’m not back in two weeks, just wait longer.
Filed under: Ben Harper, Monday Morning Shuffle, NOFX, The Doors, Tool, further seems forever
Thanks to everyone that came to my party last week. When i made that post about the importance of it and the songs that were catching my ear leading up to it, i was shitting my pants, to say the least. The night turned out amazing. Everything went off completely as i had hoped and i had so much fun. I hope everyone that came had a great time too. The music was amazing…check out myspace.com/djtoad to hear a track or two from our DJ that night. And if you’re interested in the apparel at all, it’s all posted at kwblack.com.
On with the shuffle:
1. Wearing Thin – Further Seems Forever, off of The Moon is Down
Didn’t i just talk about songs that are intrinsically tied to moments a few weeks ago? This is another one.
I guess i hadn’t thought of this one in a while but i once made a valiant attempt to be honorable using the words to this song. It didn’t work out quite like i had planned, but i guess the offer still stands also. Ha ha. Yikes.
Anyway, this is a song from the Chris Caraba days of FSF and i gotta say, i liked those ones the best.
2. Scavenger Type – NOFX, off of Punk in Drublic
Oh, silly punk bands trying to be folky, how you amuse me.
But let’s be real for a second…NOFX was one of the better and more influential punk bands of our time. They made a lot of good music and talked about a lot of political and socio-economic statements (as the do in this song) that has really been missing in todays popular music. And Punk in Drublic was one of my first Punk albums, so there’s a spot in my heart for it. Take a look at this album if you can…it’ll only take you about 20 minutes to get through the entire thing…another beautiful thing about punk music…1:30 second songs!
3. Ticks & Leeches – Tool, off of Lateralus
Have i done my top 5 list of best musical screams ever? I know i’ve been thinking about it for a while, i guess i’ve just never gotten to it. Well, anyway, this song has an unhuman scream in it. How that sound came out of a man’s throat, i’ll never know.
Top 3 Screams Because i Can’t Think of 5:
5. My Heart – Paramore, off of All We Know Is Falling (at the 2:42 mark)
4.
3.
2. Ticks & Leaches – Tool (at the 1:10 mark)
1. Won’t Get Fooled Again – The Who (at the 7:45 mark)
2. Burn One Down – Ben Harper, off of Live from Mars
I don’t even smoke pot (cough, cough…anymore…cough) and i love this song. And without getting into too much of the argument about this natural occuring plant’s legality, he makes some good points in this song about the freedom to do what you want as long as you’re not messing with or hurting other people. Now, you could argue that you’re affecting others even if you’re sitting on your couch, stoned, demolishing a bag of doritos, but that’s another conversation for another time. For now, let’s just enjoy the hippy drum beats and singing out against the man.
1. Ghost Song – The Doors
Speaking of hippy songs…Well i went nuts to other day and downloaded a crap load of Doors songs because i didn’t think that i had enough in my collection. And this is definitely a weird one. It’s got the typical Doors sound but with this kinda upbeat new age melody going on with it and Mr. Morrison doing some kind of trippy incoherent spoken word thing. Yeah, i think i’ll find Light My Fire or Break on Through and stick to that…
Kevo and Ron are having a good conversation about the Top 10 hiphop albums over on their blogs so i’ll probably throw my hat into that ring some time this week. In the mean time, check out their posts.
