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Rae
12-29-2010, 04:02 PM
Okay, I'm lifting this concept from the estimable AV Club (http://www.avclub.com/features/random-rules/)... similar to "What Is Spinning". If you have an iPod or iTunes or any other digital playlist that has a shuffle function, the challenge is to list and comment on the first ten songs that come up. No cheating by skipping any songs. Play as often as you like.

~Rae

Rae
12-29-2010, 04:29 PM
The Posies - "Grant Hart"

Ahh, right off the bat one of my favorite songs. I referenced it in the title of the "nervous children making millions" thread. This song is an homage to the Minneapolis punk rocker and absolutely slays. I wish all of their stuff sounded like this.

Rob Crow - "Bam Bam"

The opening track off of the awesome Living Well album. Thank goodness for download codes. I love the picked guitar line that comes in at :35. Only a minute and a half long but still leaves an impression.

The Gits - "Second Skin"

Probably my favorite track off of their excellent Frenching the Bully album, the only proper LP they were able to record. Hearing late frontwoman Mia Zapata's howl of existential angst is rendered all the more heartbreaking knowing that she'd be murdered only a year later. Perhaps one of the most vulnerable songs to come out of the riot-grrrl movement.

Tenpole Tudor - "Swords of a Thousand Men"

Much lighter fare. I think I checked out this second-tier Stiff Records band on the suggestion of my friend Phil who does a radio show on WNUR in Evanston, IL. This is the only song of theirs that I can remember but it's a good one. Pretty standard pubrock stuff with a little bit of a mod sheen (although not fashionwise as the band always dressed in medieval garb IIRC).

Uncle Tupelo - "No Depression [1988 demo]"

A bonus track from the CD reissue of their seminal alt-country album. Gosh, I don't know why I saved this version. It's all right but they definitely improved upon it in the finished product.

Bikini Kill - "Anti-Pleasure Dissertation"

One of their 7" singles... sugary sweet on the verses and gloriously snotty in between. Featuring the immortal lyric "did you tell yr ****ing friends / how punk ****ing rock my pussy smells?" Tell 'em!

Jane's Addiction - "Had a Dad"

Okay, this is kind of embarrassing territory... not really, though. "There is no such thing as guilty pleasure, only pleasure." I remember listening to this album nonstop on my headphones at camp in Wisconsin when I was 12 or 13 years old. Still rocks!

Marnie Stern - "Simon Says"

My recent obsession. This one's from her sophomore album, This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and So Is That. All twisty guitar anthems. This one is particularly knotty but whenever it resolves and all the lines come together it's glorious.

Sun Ra and His Myth Science Arkestra - "Moon Dance"

Oh hey, this is from the recent secret santa comp that I got from noddin0ff! Very good. I've liked Sun Ra for as long as I can remember but I'll admit that there's not a ton in my collection. I think sticks sent me a copy of Space is the Place 3 or 4 years ago that got some regular spins but I don't have much else. Anyway, this is really welcome. I like the production that makes the drums and bass sound kind of distant and claustrophobic.

Superchunk - "Throwing Things"

Ha, I swear I'm not manipulating this. It's no secret that I went through a Superchunk phase this year. This particular track from their sophomore record No Pocky for Kitty strikes a good balance between their rocking side and their wistful side. It's actually hitting me off real well right now... how optimistic! "Head over heels, my hands on my heart / I'm making a promise, and that's a start" and then "somewhere along the way / dusk it turns back into day"... not a bad soundtrack to take into the new year.

Okay, now you go.

~Rae

recoveryone
12-29-2010, 04:54 PM
This sounds interesting, but I woiuld like to see what wouild come up if you just entered the artist name and see what plays. Many artist have written songs for other artist, but are listed as the composer and another angle is how many other artist have re-done another artist music. I do that with my Squeezebox and the surprises are pure joy.

bobsticks
12-29-2010, 11:23 PM
George Solti/Chicago Symphony~Gustav Mahler - Symphony No. 1 in D major 'Titan' - 02 - II. ...... Wie Falsenabgrund mir zu Füßen....from the epic 1971 recording, remastered at 24bit, 96 kHz; Mahler's additional brass (trumpets) and clarinets shine through; this movement picks up in the latter part of Goerthe's final scene of Faust; dynamically stunning.

Julio Voltio featuring Calle 13 'n' Three Six Mafia~Chulin Culin Chunfly Street RemixPa' mojarte los deditos en baby food ,Hey, no me patees que esto no es kung-fu ...hey, sometimes ya gots ta shake it like a rattlesnake...

Emmylou Harris & Mark Knopfler~Done With Bonaparte...off of the live disc, this and Postcards from Paraguay from Shangri-La had me worried that Mark was going a bit Bono on us; Knopfler and Emmylou have great chemistry and harmonize well and the instrumentation is superb; the diatonic accordian part wisks you away to a time when you stumbled off the Voie Georges Pompidou and begrudgingly choked down a regrettable café au lait utilizing the French Wi-Fi Nationale to email the girl that downloaded the Julio 'n' 36 onto your laptop about the inhumanly, inhospitably unsanitary condition of ol' Roissy...

The Little Willies' ~Tennessee Stud...classic redneck Romeo and Juliet tragedy with some strong fingerpickin' and slide; frankly Norah loses much of her sultry smokiness when in a support role...

Sade~Your Love is King...did I use the phrase "sultry smokiness" in conjunction with Norah...fuddeabboudit...over twenty five years after it's release and this single replete with it's English pop songwriting, lush atmospherics, chucking and clucking percussion and Stuart Matthewman's tasteful sax sounds alive with sizzling urgency...

Grandaddy~Guide Down Tonight...c'mon, everything off "Just Like the Fambly Cat" was solid but this one is a fave...Jason Lytle's semi-raspy and lugubrious vocs are sparse enough to let the Moog or Korg or whatever quarks and Fairchild's guitars chirp through...if they ever make a movie about an aging hipster in midlife crisis and Justin Theroux can tear himself away from Muse this tunage is the soundtrack for some foggy canal scene involving secondhand sweaters and really stupid hats...

Unknown~Brandenburg Concerto No.2 in F Major, Allegro ...well, I mean you'd think that the combination of Bach and the Naxos label would yield substantial results but...not so much; peppy enough but with far too recessed violins and a digital harshness...

Drake (featuring Nicki Minaj)~Thank Me Later...dammit Whitney!! D-Rizzy is the deep-voiced Weezie wannabe Brummy Prince...no he's not but Nicki sounds ghetto sexay with the sexy beezie swag on point...yeeeaaaahh...though them Trini chicks are, indeed, nuts without exception

Sonny Stitt~Easy To Love...Personal Appearance is generally regarded as sonically inferior to New York Jazz but by this point Sonny had broken free from Bird and was truly shining in his own right and by the second bar you just know it's a Cole Porter tune; Edgar Willis pilots the standup bass to ephemeral heights in an improvised solo section...

Wovenhand~Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars...this is really one of my least favorite tunes off of Ten Stones; it really is too derivative as if Wayne Hussey in a rare posh mood sat down at a piano with Burt Bacharach...and I just can't reconcile pauncey goth with wall-to-wall shag carpet and the lime green 1971 Chevy Vega Panel Express...

Right.

Troy
12-30-2010, 09:34 AM
Planet Claire- The B52s
Does this need an introduction? Classic opening track from the first 52s album. Space age punk, bursting with vitality and humor. Still the best B52s release.

Chartsengrafs- Grandaddy
A band turned on to me by this forum, lo those many years ago. Lo-fi, skronky retro and punky. Not my favorite track from this album (That dentist drill on the snare hits is annoying as hell), but I've come to really adore parts of this album.

Didn't I Blow Your Mind This Time- The Delfoics
Quite the segue. Lifted from the Jackie Brown soundtrack. A classic motown lovesong. Wonderfully spacious production.

Valley- The Doves
Another AV Club rec. Cool song, nice density, but I never warmed to the band, really.

Everybody's got Something To Hide Except Me and My Monkey- The Beatles
Needs no introduction. Again, not a favorite Beatles track from one of my least favorite Beatles albums. Random Rules at work.

Realside- 10 Seconds
Obscure oddity, bought for the Robert Fripp connection. Dense, intense propeller-head prog-metal. I like it.

Plat-Opus- Platypus
Dream Theater/Dregs/Kings X members team up to pull out all the stops for this retro-homage progrock instrumental from the early 2000s. Part Spooky Tooth, part Pink Floyd, Part Discipline-era King Crimson, all good. Great, but rare and hard to find album, sore to be a hit for genre fans.

Substitute Flesh- Bill Nelson's Red Noise
1979-vintage sci-fi-tinged new wave classic about having sex with robots. Funny, energetic and way ahead of it's time. Sound on Sound was a great album.

Sexual Adventures in Marriage- Pent-R Books
A 23 second clip from the soundtrack to a late 60s sex film. The narrator's accent is hilarious; The guy's voice makes women's skin crawl. I love the way he mispronounces clitoris. I have a bunch of these culled from a thing I snatched from the WFMU site.

All American Girl- Hall and Oates
From that Big Bam Boom album. Perky and harmless fun. Super tight back up band that shortly became the Saturday Night Live band.

recoveryone
12-30-2010, 12:12 PM
Mercy Mercy Me- Marvin Gaye
Greatest Hits Collections, One of his all time big hits after losing Tammie Terrell

You Are My Starship-Norman Connors Ft Micheal Henderson
Norman Connors, much like Quincy Jones was the force behind several artist during the late 70's early 80's with such ballads.

Fannie Mae-Fourplay
This put together jazz group did several albums during the 90's

The Way You Make Me Feel-Micheal Jackson
From the History Album, we all know the story no need to say more

Milkshake-LowKey
A one album/one hit wonder group from the 90's the hit song was "I got a thang for ya"
Another Teddy Riley new jack swing sounding group.

My Name is Charlie-Charlie Wilson
Former lead singer of the Gap band, has been doing hook lines for several rap artist recently as Mr Big (Ron Isley) has run into legal problems.

Isn't she lovely-Najee
Jazz saxophone player did a tribute album to the Stevie Wonder album In Songs from the keys of life.

Funky Cold Medina-Tone Loc
This 80's rapper that made one of the all time party jamz "Wildthang" went on to do voice over in cartoons and commercials.

Golden Lady-Stevie Wonder
From the Innervison album, does he have any bad songs? My birthday just past and that morning I woke up and started doing a search on my squeezebox just to find the Birthday song Stevie did for Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King, My wife just call me crazy!

Get on The Goodfoot-James Brown
The Godfather of soul, the most sampled artist in rap music

Rae
12-30-2010, 02:45 PM
My Name is Charlie-Charlie Wilson
Former lead singer of the Gap band, has been doing hook lines for several rap artist recently as Mr Big (Ron Isley) has run into legal problems.

Aw yeah, Uncle Charlie! I like his solo stuff. That one song talking about "I saw her in the food court conversatin' on her cell phone, looking so amazing" is my total jam.

~Rae

recoveryone
12-30-2010, 04:46 PM
Aw yeah, Uncle Charlie! I like his solo stuff. That one song talking about "I saw her in the food court conversatin' on her cell phone, looking so amazing" is my total jam.

~Rae

There Goes My Baby

poppachubby
12-31-2010, 06:12 AM
Great thread Rae!!


I have about 5000 songs, 2/3's is jazz. I use Media Monkey in Auto DJ mode.


Joe Pass - We'll Be Together Again taken from Virtuoso in New York

Joe Pass is a master of jazz guitar, like many of his solo recordings, he plays on this album by himself.

https://music.meteor.ie/prevfs/cms/universal/00025218097925/00025218097925_300x300.gif

Typical Pass. It's hard to not get drawn into his playing. There's so many angles that make him so great...technical skill, melody and a perfect sense of rhythm. This song is alot more laid back and a fun listen.


Paul Giger - Chlauseschuppel taken from Alpstein

http://pixhost.info/avaxhome/2008-06-12/PG.Car.jpg

Giger is a violinist and works in the free/improvised genre the most. This track has been grossly taken out of context. There's no discernable rhythm, and we are hearing percussive sounds which have a similarity to garbage cans being hit outdoors. ECM are indeed a fearless label.


Julie London - I Should Care taken from Julie Is Her Name

http://images.uulyrics.com/cover/j/julie-london/album-julie-is-her-name.jpg

This is something that 02audionoob got me into, and thank goodness for that. Just a gorgeous voice on this longing and sad sounding ballad. The only accompaniment is a guitar and bass...very minimal, even when the guitar takes a brief solo. Noob has all of her albums on vinyl.


Wayne Shorter - Armageddon taken from Night Dreamer

http://jazzsermon.com/wp-content/uploads//2009/05/wsndreamer1.jpg

The first few notes of this hit hard, especially after the last couple of moody tunes. It's welcomed. On this set Shorter used Coltrane's crew of lee Morgan, Reginald Workman and Elvin jones. Gorgeous playing from the master on this mid tempo swinger. The interplay with Morgan is perfect, both tonally and stylistically.


Stan Getz and Jimmy Raney - 'Tis Autumn taken from The Complete Sessions

http://pic.leech.it/i/79984/2f7f1d6810gahqs.jpg

A beautiful ballad mostly focused on Getz's lyrical and dreamy style. Makes me want to open a bottle of vino.


Buckethead - Slunk Parade aka Freaks in the Black taken from Crime Slunk Scene

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51ZSgl5EDFL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

Holy chit!!!! Wasn't expecting this. Auto DJ sure knows how to shake things up. Heavy as all hell with superb riffing from the virtuosic KFC lover. No vocals, just in your face music. Love this!


Kim Kashkashian and Robert Levine - Ralph Vaughn Williams taken from Elegies

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4033/5080379918_9b599698f9.jpg

All strings on this classical sounding number. Funny, I thought this was part of the Buckethead track as he is known for shaking things up. It was a strangely seamless gap. But there's nothing Buckethead-ish about this track. Kind of stuffy albeit dramatic. Perhaps for a different mood.


Chick Corea - Children's Song #15 taken from Friends

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_FewLWMpfsqk/SZWPhAuAqXI/AAAAAAAAAqk/3Xi3BPY5I1g/s400/Chick+Corea+-+Friends+(1991).jpg

A great and fun song. Very minimal. Piano with a flute soloist, much like his work with Gary Burton. At only 2:00 you are left wanting more.



Herbie Hancock - Speak Like a Child
taken from The Best of Herbie Hancock: Blue Note Years

http://images.uulyrics.com/cover/h/herbie-hancock/album-the-best-of-herbie-hancock-the-blue-note-years.jpg

Super mellow set which really focuses on Hancock's rhythm. Cool beat with lots of rim work matched with a real slinky bass sound. Hancock has a great style which fuses the rhythmic framework with a solo, all done in a real free way. This song is a nice venture away from textbook bop.



Dave Holland Quintet - What Goes Around taken from Not for Nuthin'

http://static.letsbuyit.com/filer/images/uk/products/original/138/98/not-for-nothin-13898266.jpeg

What a great way to "end" this segment. I have been on a Dave Holland kick lately. For anyone looking for great jazz Dave Holland really has it all. This track is no exception.

What begins like an ordered song quickly snaps into a modal frenzy. Don't be panicked, when I say frenzy, it's all very discernable. From there they bring it back to the intro feel, and begin taking turns soloing. Lots of twists and turns rhythmically. Just an excellent track from an excellent album. Potter and Eubanks are nothing short of amazing.

Personnel: Chris Potter: soprano, alto, and tenor saxophones; Robin Eubanks: trombone and cowbell; Steve Nelson: vibraphone and marimba; Billy Kilson: drums; Dave Holland: bass.

I prefer Holland in the quintet setting. His latest effort is an octet and while incredibly challenging work, it's simplicity I prefer.

And having said that, I will now call up the album in it's entirety.


This was alot of fun Rae!! I will play again. Certainly a great way to keep in touch with one's collection. I have a ton of ECM albums by many obscure artists which this post touched on. I SHOULD be listening more to them, but i don't. I bought a Squeezebox which has helped to get me back in touch with alot of stored music.

ForeverAutumn
12-31-2010, 09:39 AM
It's fun to see how different everyones collections are. Here's the 10 that played while I baked some cookies for tonight. :)

Starman - David Bowie - What can I say about David Bowie? Not much. Anything pre-1980 is pure gold IMO. Starman is a fantastic song off one of Bowie's best albums.

The Sun Also Sets - Ryan Adams - This is the first of two Ryans Adams song that came up in this set. A decent song but not one of my favourites.

Radar Love - Golden Earring - Yeah, overplayed classic rock. To be honest, I'm not even sure how this got on my iPod. I'm thinking that it was part of a collection CD. I don't think we own the album.

Disappear - Threshold - Progressive Rock. Great Progressive Rock! Nicely melodic as most Threshold tunes are. Alghough I find that their music works better in album format than on shuffle. Some albums I find are the opposite...tiresome as an album, but great individual songs for shuffle. That discussion could be a thread of it's own. :)

Apologies to Insect Life - British Sea Power - BSP is a band that I don't listen to enough. This song was a good reminder that I should set aside some time for a full on BSP listening session.

Heart of Gold - Neil Young - GAWD I HATE THIS SONG! Its on my iPod because in my first year of guitar lessons it was one of the songs that I learned. I forgot it was on there, but it's coming off the next time I sync.

Therapy - Finger Eleven - One of my all-time favourite Finger Eleven songs. I love this song with its slightly proggy tendencies. I think may have I included it on a group comp several years ago.

No Love Today - Chris Smither - The song title is a misnomer because I love Chris Smither and this is one my favourite of his songs. I've seen him perform it live and it is just outstanding to hear him mimic the old guy who used to walk down his street selling vegetables when he was growing up. Hearing this live was truly a highlight of all my live musical experiences.

Sky Blue Sky - Wilco - Ahhhhhh. Wilco. :)

Goodnight Hollywood Boulevard - Ryan Adams - Here's the second Ryan Adams tune from that session. I don't understand how the shuffle gods work. I've got something like 14 days worth of music and yet the shuffle feature always seems to repeat artists, even in short listening sessions. Great song though!

Spare Change - Rik Emmett - For those of you who are only familiar with Rik's work in Triumph, you wouldn't recognize this tune as his. He still puts out quality music, but it's much more easy listening type of stuff now.

jonnyhambone
12-31-2010, 11:32 AM
fun game for a New Yrs. Eve afternoon while my wife cooks up some spicy white chili and I wet my whistle with a Magic Hat #9...
*The False Husband by Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan (Ballad of Broken Seas)
a great album, stronger I think than the new one (Hawk) though they both have a great dusty, late night vibe.

*Tattoo - The Who (The Who Sell Out)
funny song! i got a tattoo this past summer and listened to this album as I drove to/from the needle dude. "Welcome to my life tattoo. We've a long time together me and you...Tattoo"

*Jack's Valentine - Over the Rhine (Good Dog, Bad Dog)
so good, haven't listened to this for a long time. I love when a hubbie/wife team make awesome music - (yo la tengo, Quasi (divorced...), gillian welch/david rawlings?, Sonic Youth, Superchunk...)

*Ain't That Peculiar - Japan (Gentlemen Take Polaroids)
good job shuffle!...no duds yet. I love David Sylvian...his voice, the music - even though slightly dated, has held up really well. I have Peter Gabriel doing a good version of this on a bootleg but this is still my fave version.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51i76JiIvkL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

*Pollo Asado - Ween (The Pod)
'I love guacamole'...so dumb but, all these years later, still funny and awesome.

*Freshly - Dillinger (Yabba You '72 - '77)
No idea who this is...pretty good roots reggae if a bit generic. Think it's off something I downloaded from Know Your Conjurer site (http://knowyourconjurer.blogspot.com/) - a great blog with frequent d/l's of live bootlegs and obscure 70's and 80's arty/punky bands.

*The Righteous Path - Drive-By Truckers (Brighter Than Creation's Dark)
great band that I still haven't seen live. Their albums are mostly good, I tend to like their first couple better though with this one, at least half the tunes were good to great.

*Free - Phish (Live in Hampton, VA '09)
uh oh. I admit I was really into these guys for awhile. I was in the right place/right time to discover them - upstate NY in the late '80's when they hadn't put out an album yet and were playing bars and college cafeterias. They befriended my roommate and ended up giving us rides to their shows, we'd help them set up for shows, spark 'em up now and then...It was fun to see them get huge but I probably haven't seen them play since '97. I got annoyed by this tune about 4 minutes in...

*Snowfall - Halo Benders (God Don't Make No Junk)
yea! I love this album...forget to listen to it usually. I love the crazy harmonizing btwn. Doug Martsch's warbling high voice and Calvin Johnson's almost comically deep baritone. Kinda quirky acoustic feeling album with some nice guitar flourishes from Martsch - I think Built To Spill couldn't have had more than a album or two under their belts when they did this.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41HZR51RAZL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

*1995 - Luna (Romantica)
I know Penthouse much better from Luna...pretty good tune, I feel like I'm hearing it for the first time frankly. Good band when they hit it...add Dean and Britta to the married/good music-makers list.
:thumbsup:

poppachubby
12-31-2010, 02:16 PM
Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers - Bu's Delight (Alternate take)
taken from Buhaina's Delight

Fuller and Hubbard are Messengers on this cut, what more needs to be said?

http://img.maniadb.com/images/album/159/159490_1_f.jpg

Clifford Brown - Tiny Capers
taken from The Complete Blue Note and Pacific Jazz Recordings

Great upbeat tune, excellent follow up to Blakey. Brown's star certainly shone bright, he has perfect timing and tone on this one.

http://share.musikid.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/28.jpg


Don Cherry - Prayer taken from Dona Nostra

Great vibe on this track. Tambla's open it up and are followed by some super smooth trumpet. Once the band kicks in, a real modal vibe comes in.

http://img.maniadb.com/images/album/244/244969_1_f.jpg


The Judas Kiss - Metallica taken from Death Magnetic

God damn....cool song but so f'n loud! Loud in a bad way. Zero dynamics...

http://www.golivewire.com/forums/img.cgi?i=73764


Clutch - Sleestack Lightning taken from Strange Cousins from The West

A really groovy track and a nice departure from Metallica. Reminds me of a cross between Sabbath and...actually I am not sure who.

http://www.buddyhead.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/clutch_scfw_albumcover1-300x264.jpg


Well I am out of time...gotta run!

poppachubby
01-04-2011, 04:47 AM
Well I am having my morning coffee and listening to music so here goes...

Stanley Turrentine - Midnight Blue as taken from A Chip Off The Ol Block

http://www.towerrecords.ie/redImages/large/690828.jpg

The king of sexy sax. Tons of organ work on this slow tempo number. Shirley Scott on the keys, she was his wife back then and cut several albums with him. Great track.


Them Crooked Vultures - Spinning in Daffodils as taken from their S/T

http://www.buddyhead.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/them-crooked-vultures.jpg

These guys were "ok" I guess. Nothing too exciting, and no replacement for their respective bands, certainly not Zeppelin. I would rather listen to QOTSA.


Gerry Mulligan with The Paul Desmond Quartet - Wintersong taken from S/T

http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/ciu/53/d2/61b8619009a027b0ff7e5110.L._SL500_AA300_.jpg

Nothing too interesting here either. Two West coast giants playing back and forth to some cool jazz. Pretty stock.


Hancock, Brecker and Hargrove - Naima taken from Directions in Music

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51fqnC6yREL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

Now this is a jam. This cconcert was live at Massey Hall in Toronto. I recall the date as tickets were an impossibility. Superb set by 3 giants paying homage to Miles and Coltrane.


Red Rodney - Round Midnight taken from Bird Lives!

http://www.srcweb.com/barry/discography/images/original/2100.jpg

We're on a roll now. Gorgeous interpretation by one of my favorite trumpeters. Backed by a superb band, this is a superb set. I ripped this from vinyl which also reminds me at how damn good my rips have become. Red Rodney infamously did time for dope charges and taught music to the guitar player from the MC5 while in the joint.


Slim Harpo - Baby Scratch My Back taken from The Best Of

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41JPC8BY2GL.jpg

I can only imagine how many back scratches Slim got from this one. Cool as a cucumber, he basically talks on this track. A fun number for sure. Excellent harmonica as always from this legend of the Blues.


Micheal Brecker - Dr Slate as taken from Time Is Of The Essence

http://hepcat1950.com/cmbessen.gif

Great track featuring Elvin Jones on drums and Metheny on guitar. Brecker blows huge on this one, really emotive yet playful and fun.


Evile - Schizophrenia taken from Enter The Grave

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_f-4VeCBbS9U/SkccsM1x4CI/AAAAAAAABcQ/tLY_sRgZsRs/s400/evile_enter_the_grave_cover.jpg

Whoa! I love when a metal track breaks up my little jazz tea party. These guys are from the UK and if you dig the old school thrash, they are for you. Great track, fast and furious.

Mr MidFi
01-04-2011, 07:10 AM
I love this sort of thread, and I think we should do this on a regular basis. It's the randomness that I love, and I really hope nobody is tempted to cheat in order to make their playlist sound "cooler". Anyway...

Neil Young -- Wrecking Ball
A somber but pretty piano-folk melody from his Freedom album, this track was later covered as the title track to a very interesting “crossover” album by Emmylou Harris.

Bruce Springsteen -- Darkness on the Edge of Town
This is the recently remastered version. I’ve always loved the dynamics on this song, and throughout the album. It’s an especially emotional track, from his own personal favorite album, which effectively summarizes the blue-collar ethos he’s trying to get across. “I’ll be there on time, and I’ll pay the cost.”

Tom Waits – The One That Got Away
The Shuffle gods are getting all singer-songwriter-y on me. This is a delightful bit of half-sung poetry and slice-of-life tomfoolery from the amazing Small Change album. “The stiff is froze / The case is closed / for the one that got away…”

Dawes – When My Time Comes
I’m unfamiliar with this song, and only half-aware of the band. This almost certainly came my way via free download with my Lollapalooza ticket.

REM – Chorus and the Ring
A slow-ish, pensive number from their underrated Reveal album, this one delivers a glancing blow to the psychology of religious devotion. “That's when the insults start to sting / you can't remember anything /
the chorus chiming, the Greek chorus / the machine of God, singing”

Mormon Tabernacle Choir -- Hallelujah Chorus
Ha! The closing track from my 2002 Xmas comp, which some of you may still be using as a coaster.

The Church -- When You Were Mine
A nice little nugget of 80s-style jangle-rock from Down Under, this one comes from their Under the Milkyway compilation.

Frightened Rabbit – Nothing Like You
I freakin’ love this song, and the album (The Winter of Mixed Drinks) has been on my buy-list for a long while now. Just a good, straight-up, hard-charging rock song.

AC Newman – Young Atlantis
I like this album, and I suspect that several of these songs (released in 2009) should have found a home on the New Pornographers’ latest one. This one sounds sort of like the NPs covering The Decemberists. Good, melodic art-pop.

Porcupine Tree – Fadeaway
A great, atmospheric, mood- and mind-altering track with a catchy little slide guitar riff that brings it all home. As with many Steven Wilson songs, I can’t tell if the lyrical protagonist is singing about being a ghost, or about being really, really high.

noddin0ff
01-04-2011, 07:14 AM
Ok. I did the full hard drive shuffle of some 17,000 ‘songs’

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The Purest Blue – Love and Rockets
Not the pick I would have liked from this album. A moody, noise experiment track that conveys some sense of space without any real rhythm or melody. On the album it’s snuggled between the excellent tracks of **** (Jungle Love), No Big Deal, and Motorcycle.

The HIV Song – Ween (Live at the McCarren Pool, August 2008)
Well, the studio version is better. Lyrically pretty simple. Thumping rhythm, simple punk like-stomp with Camper Van Beethoven-like hillbilly thrown in. Shouts “HIV” periodically. From the Live Music Archives (http://www.archive.org/details/etree)

Weapon of Choice – Black Rebel Motorcycle
From Swish’s Best of 2008 comp. Saves what was shaping up to be a series of disappointing tracks. Makes me wish I had a Harley, a girl in leather, something to run from, and an open road. Ah, fantasies, heh, like I'll ever have any of the above.

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My Cricket & Me – Willie Nelson, Alt version (Shotgun Willie)
Willie could pick his nose and it would sound good. I grew up in a land of AM radio country music and most of my listening came through the speakers of a 1965 Ford pickup, riding with my dad somewhere in the forests of either Utah, Idaho, or eastern Washington.

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Deus – Sugarcubes (Life’s too good)
I think this was one of my first non-pop CD purchases in the late '80s. I couldn’t resist the album title and certainly didn’t know what I was getting. Thus, I was introduced my to Bjork, who I think has the most amazing voice. I don’t know how she does it and I’m happy to see she’s remained unique ever since. Not a lot on this album makes sense. Deus has some comical, syrupy and/or androgynous Euro male talking through the song - “I said ‘Hi”… “He was squeaky clean”… I have no idea what this song is about.

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Blood in the Boardroom – Ani DiFranco (Puddle Dive)
Haven’t listen to Ani for a while. Another artist I really appreciate for her unique assertiveness and voice. I think a girlfriend at the time gave me a copy of this. She probably thought I was more comfortable with feminine details than I was. Lets just say the song isn’t about a male commando corporate raid. Still makes a good point and frankly, if you can’t listen to a song like this you may want to update to some progressive views.

Up and Down the Slope – The Loft (Finch Pallete’s Garious Groove 2008)
Hey, not a bad song! From the third disk of a massive 3-disk Finch comp. Nice swift beat and happening groove. My mind is blanking on the right genre. Reminds me of Young Fresh Fellows maybe. Not sure I ever got this far into the comp; I tend to listen in order and 3 disks is a bit long.

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Hate it Here – Wilco (Sky Blue Sky)
Slightly down tempo R&B styled track. Heart felt vocals, laid back musicianship with a tinge of regret and a tinge of get up off your butt and move on. Reminds me of Squeeze. I think I’ll listen to this album again after this. Think I first heard the track from Slosh’s 3/4 2007 Compilation and then picked up the album. That 3/4 comp is one of my fav’s from Slosh.

Crunchy Cuts Up – Bill Conners (Finch’s 2007 2-disk comp)
Hmmm. Random my ass. Another track from Finch. This time a 2007 2-disk comp. Not my thing, this one. Jazz guitar, fusion I suppose. Not bad playing, half jazz, half rock anthem, half elevator.

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I Miss You – Bjork (Post)
Hmmm. Random my ass. An excellent Bjork track. Techno stomp in the background that turns tribal and takes Bjork from a posture of being dumped on to ripping her heart out. Synth horns up the tension and still strike me as a little dorky, but with other sonic oddities they keep the song away in Bjork-land along with lyrics like

i miss you
but i haven't met you yet
so special
but it hasn't happened yet
you are gorgeous
but i haven't met you yet
i remember
but it hasn't happened yet

Bonus track number 11
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Everyone’s Victim – Lisa Germano (Happiness)
Lisa isn’t as happy as the album title suggests. Excellent rocking track from another artist who I totally respect for an original voice and style. Always a bit dreamy, a bit troubled, always interesting.


Kind of surprised none of my jazz or classical showed up. On the otherhand, happy to hear a bunch of tracks that I almost never hear. Clearly I didn't cheat. :-)

Troy
01-04-2011, 11:27 AM
20th Century Fox- the Doors
Certainly needs no introduction. Does it?

Here Come the Bastards- Primus
What a funny voice singing funny words. This track has a nice bounce to it, but I can only take this band in small doses.

Parade of Idiots- The Van Allen Belt
Instrumental symph-prog from one of my favorite bands. Lots of vibes. What ever happened to this band?

Rally Cry- Steve Morse
Ex- Dixie Dregs guitarist solo album. Instrumental jazz-rock. Pretty good genre exercise.

Pressure- Carptree
Recent Swedish prog from my old pal Finch Platte. Reminds me of all that other Swedish prog from the last 15 years. Singer sounds like David Cousins from The Strawbs.

Meantime- The Futureheads
How hard were these guys trying to copy the herky-jerky early XTC sound? Too hard, actually. Might be my favorite track from this album.

Another Permanent Address- Chroma Key
Easy, trippy, relaxed spacerock with lots of dubby skronky layers. Perfect for a late night drive. Ex-Dream theater keyboardist, but thank god, it sounds nothing like Dream Theater.

The Alchemy of Ecstasy- Bill Nelson
From his late 80s foray into instrumental newage. Trippy, loopy stuff. Super rare and obscure. For completeists only.

Ramon- Laurie Anderson
Off her Strange Angels album, the only one that I can listen to at this point, and even then I could never stomach the entire album. Rich and open production, unlike anything else she ever released. I think she sings in an endearingly quirky way, but loses me whenever she takes it seriously.

Dyin' Day- Steve Vai
Man, this guy can play. His rep as a total metal shredder precedes him, but this track flies in the face of what typically people expect from him. Spectacular tone and emotion.

poppachubby
01-04-2011, 06:17 PM
Dyin' Day- Steve Vai
Man, this guy can play. His rep as a total metal shredder precedes him, but this track flies in the face of what typically people expect from him. Spectacular tone and emotion.

I love Vai. When you hear the "real" side of his playing, it's evident right away that Whitesnake and such is a nice payday, but nothing more. That said, who wouldn't want to play "Here I Go Again" night after night after night....(suicide!!!)....oh sorry excuse me, I have been sneezing all day. Anyhow nice track Troy Boy.