Sunday
Good song here. I love the rhythm and way Cope flows here. Shea introduced me to this song. Cope has got some good stuff, for example check out his cover of Karma Police by Radiohead.
Monday
It's the Fellowship of the Ring. Top Five Favorite movies of all time. The music enhances the awesome.
Tuesday
This song is filled with so much 90's goodness. Throw a flannel on and rock out. Actually rock out twice.
Sorry things have been lame lately trying to catch up real quick. Should have things back on track tomorrow hopefully.
There Be A Storm A Comin'
I"m not sure if any of you guys know but there is a hurricane heading towards New York/Long Island. I know right?! Don't you think the news would have done a better job of covering something like that? This is a music blog not a weather one. You shouldn't have to come to A Year of Shuffling to get your weather news. If I was the media I would have this thing plastered over every channel 24 hours a day.
All kidding aside there is a storm (Irene) heading towards my little area of the world, and what better way to get ready than to listen to Boston!!!
Come on nothing gets one more ready for a hurricane than blasting the sounds of Boston. Just makes you forget that the world could be possibly collapsing around you in a few hours. My favorite part of listening to Smokin' was Shea asking what was up with the "vampire organ sounds". This lead me to believe that hey there aren't enough organ jams in music anymore. Much like the Black Keys and their sleigh bells lets bring back the organ people!
In all seriousness though all my east coasters please be safe, providing that I have interweb service tomorrow I'll be back.
All kidding aside there is a storm (Irene) heading towards my little area of the world, and what better way to get ready than to listen to Boston!!!
Come on nothing gets one more ready for a hurricane than blasting the sounds of Boston. Just makes you forget that the world could be possibly collapsing around you in a few hours. My favorite part of listening to Smokin' was Shea asking what was up with the "vampire organ sounds". This lead me to believe that hey there aren't enough organ jams in music anymore. Much like the Black Keys and their sleigh bells lets bring back the organ people!
In all seriousness though all my east coasters please be safe, providing that I have interweb service tomorrow I'll be back.
Yeah That's Right... Fuel
Now I see that some of you may have forgotten about Fuel but I'm one of the few (outside the parents of band members) who have not forgotten about the band. Well that's not entirely true I haven't forgotten about two of their songs the rest of their catalogue is pretty much forgotten to me. But why Kevin, why not forget about Fuel? Well Shufflers I'm glad you asked. The two Fuel songs that have a small room on my ipod (well more of a closet) are pretty good. Who among you didn't like Bad Day or Hemorrhage when they were originally released? That's right it was like these guys were the first Nickleback type band but with less song recycling and waaaaaaay less hits.
I also have this thing with the band because I have seen them live twice. Wait, what? Kevin you paid money to see a Fuel show at two different times in your life? No, no I didn't. I paid to see Aerosmith on two separate occasions (I think I totalled out at six Aerosmith shows) and on those two shows Fuel was the opening band. Both times these were the two best songs to hear. But they did get me to by the album (Something Like Human) so I guess Fuel gets the win here.
(Side Note: For my younger readers who wonder why I didn't just download the songs it's because I used to live in a time where if you wanted a song or two you had to buy the whole album. Gasp. The horror).
This isn't the first time that Fuel has been relevant in the last five years though people. Remember when Daughtry didn't win American Idol (P.S. I haaaaaaaaaate Daughtry)? Well there were rumors about him taking over lead singer duties because apparently the lead singer of Fuel left the band or was kicked out or something. And I remember thinking then, "I didn't know Fuel was that big of a deal to have a new lead singer debate. I'm pretty sure they have slipped back into obscurity." Looking back it seems like I was right.
Todays' homework assignment listen to these two Fuel songs and tell me they're not good. I dare you. Also feel very incredibly 90's as you do so. You can thank me later. Also don't listen to Daughtry, again thank me later.
Oh Brother
I got into the Black Keys kind of late in the game. I have no real explanation for it, they were just one of those bands it took me awhile to discover. I think it boils down to the fact that my two person band allegiance was given to the White Stripes so the Black Keys kind of got lost in the shuffle. Now that the White Stripes don't exist anymore I have an opening in my favorite two person band spot...enter the Black Keys.
Brothers is a pretty solid album, but I'm partial to the awesomeness of Attack & Release. For me that's my favorite Black Keys album, but that's besides the point here. Unknown Brother has a pretty good sound to it, but I think that's part of my problem with Brothers. A lot of the songs kind of have that similar feel to them. They may not sound the same but they have that same feel and structure to them. I think this works against a lot of the songs on the album because it gives off the "didn't I just hear this song" vibe.
My first thought with Unknown Brother was actually that book My Brother Sam Is Dead. There is nothing in the lyrics that even remotely hints at the novel but for some reason my brain went there. I loved that book when I was in sixth grade (or was it fifth grade) and maybe it's the title of the song or something or maybe I was just feeling nostalgic for young adult novels about the Revolutionary War where ones brother Sam dies. The great mysteries of the world.
Although I will say this about Unknown Brother... way to make the sleigh bells sound cool and non-Christmas like. It takes a set to throw sleigh bells into a song that pertains nothing to Christmas. Not only that but it also is a testament to the coolness of the Black Keys how subtlety cool they make them sound. The bluesy nature of the song kind of swallows up the sound and it all flows together really well. My challenge to rock music... bring back the sleigh bells!
Brothers is a pretty solid album, but I'm partial to the awesomeness of Attack & Release. For me that's my favorite Black Keys album, but that's besides the point here. Unknown Brother has a pretty good sound to it, but I think that's part of my problem with Brothers. A lot of the songs kind of have that similar feel to them. They may not sound the same but they have that same feel and structure to them. I think this works against a lot of the songs on the album because it gives off the "didn't I just hear this song" vibe.
My first thought with Unknown Brother was actually that book My Brother Sam Is Dead. There is nothing in the lyrics that even remotely hints at the novel but for some reason my brain went there. I loved that book when I was in sixth grade (or was it fifth grade) and maybe it's the title of the song or something or maybe I was just feeling nostalgic for young adult novels about the Revolutionary War where ones brother Sam dies. The great mysteries of the world.
Although I will say this about Unknown Brother... way to make the sleigh bells sound cool and non-Christmas like. It takes a set to throw sleigh bells into a song that pertains nothing to Christmas. Not only that but it also is a testament to the coolness of the Black Keys how subtlety cool they make them sound. The bluesy nature of the song kind of swallows up the sound and it all flows together really well. My challenge to rock music... bring back the sleigh bells!
It's Just Like Heaven... or So the Cure Tell Us
I never got into the whole mope rock scene (as previously stated here). Bands like the Smiths, Depeche Mode, and the Cure didn't have me in mind when it came to their target audience. I'm okay with that as I'm sure the members of those bands are okay with it. It's just a style of music that I just don't get. Maybe it was because I was too little in the 80's to understand it or maybe it's just because I don't find the style of music enjoyable, regardless it's just not my scene. Shea on the other hand loves the mope rock scene and since we've been together I've gotten to experience more of that type of music (I still don't get it) and have grown to like some of it. Not a lot but some.
While this is a Cure song I don't classify it in the mope rock scene. This song is just too freakin' happy. There are a handful of Cure songs that I've grown to love but this one is a given. This song is excellent and kudos to my ipod for shelling out two really good songs thus far this week. Starting off the week was a tasty treat and getting Just Like Heaven today was a pleasant follow up dish.
This song just makes me want to dance about and giggle. Does that make sense or does it seem too... ummmm lame? I don't care if it does (I'm currently on my third blueberry vodka Arizona iced tea so I could care less what I'm typing up right now, ha ha). Every so often the Cure produce a song that hits that nerve inside that just makes you smile. Just Like Heaven is such an adorable song. I feel like I keep saying the same thing over here.
For me this song makes me think of my wife (insert "awwww" here or insert throw up sound here). I don't know how to explain it. As soon as Just Like Heaven started my first though went to Shea and I smiled. It's almost like a small piece of her is encompassed in this four minute song. I just want to bottle it up and play it when I need that pick me up. Again I feel like I'm not being coherent here, and maybe I'm not (like I said blueberry vodka goodness taking it's toll), but it doesn't matter. I'm feelin' fine, feelin' groovy.
Random Music Notes:
1. I just listened to the entire Green Album on Spotify and I enjoyed it. Not all of it is great but there's some really fun stuff on their. I'm currently listening to the Foster the People album and I find that I'm really liking it. If you haven't signed up for Spotify you're really just wasting your own time. It's like the perfect way to sample music before you buy it. It could save you tons of itunes money.
2. Pearl Jam documentary soundtrack (PJ20) which comes out in September had all of it's tracks hand picked by director Cameron Crowe. In exciting news the second to last track on the two disc album is a live version of Better Man from a show at MSG on 5-21-10. I was at that show and that version is awesome. It's just really exciting when a show you were at has a song selected to make an album of awesome rarities by a band you love. Good times.
While this is a Cure song I don't classify it in the mope rock scene. This song is just too freakin' happy. There are a handful of Cure songs that I've grown to love but this one is a given. This song is excellent and kudos to my ipod for shelling out two really good songs thus far this week. Starting off the week was a tasty treat and getting Just Like Heaven today was a pleasant follow up dish.
This song just makes me want to dance about and giggle. Does that make sense or does it seem too... ummmm lame? I don't care if it does (I'm currently on my third blueberry vodka Arizona iced tea so I could care less what I'm typing up right now, ha ha). Every so often the Cure produce a song that hits that nerve inside that just makes you smile. Just Like Heaven is such an adorable song. I feel like I keep saying the same thing over here.
For me this song makes me think of my wife (insert "awwww" here or insert throw up sound here). I don't know how to explain it. As soon as Just Like Heaven started my first though went to Shea and I smiled. It's almost like a small piece of her is encompassed in this four minute song. I just want to bottle it up and play it when I need that pick me up. Again I feel like I'm not being coherent here, and maybe I'm not (like I said blueberry vodka goodness taking it's toll), but it doesn't matter. I'm feelin' fine, feelin' groovy.
Random Music Notes:
1. I just listened to the entire Green Album on Spotify and I enjoyed it. Not all of it is great but there's some really fun stuff on their. I'm currently listening to the Foster the People album and I find that I'm really liking it. If you haven't signed up for Spotify you're really just wasting your own time. It's like the perfect way to sample music before you buy it. It could save you tons of itunes money.
2. Pearl Jam documentary soundtrack (PJ20) which comes out in September had all of it's tracks hand picked by director Cameron Crowe. In exciting news the second to last track on the two disc album is a live version of Better Man from a show at MSG on 5-21-10. I was at that show and that version is awesome. It's just really exciting when a show you were at has a song selected to make an album of awesome rarities by a band you love. Good times.
One of the Greatest Songs I've Ever Heard
There are times when you hear a song and just know that it's one of the greatest songs that you've ever heard. It doesn't happen to often but when it does the feeling is indescribable. That's what happened the first time I heard John Lennon's God. I knew instantly that this song would always be one of the greatest songs in the world to me. It was like magic on my ears.
I was in Massachusetts visiting my cousins for a long weekend (maybe it was a two visit I don't remember), and we went to the mall. I picked up the soundtrack to the documentary Imagine (which if you haven't seen is absolutely incredible and recommend it to anyone). It was a nice mix of Beatles songs and solo Lennon stuff. This was right in the midst of my transition from Beatles to John Lennon as a solo artist so I thought this would help in the transition phase. I couldn't have been more right.
The moment I heard God it was blown away. I was recently talking with a friend of mine on Facebook about people who sing with raw emotion (and for this particular argument I cited Kurt Cobain in Where Did You Sleep Last Night?) and as soon as I heard God today I knew this was one of the rawest vocal performances ever.
What makes God such an amazing song is the fact that it takes all these things that people hold dear and dismissing belief in them. I don't think it's because Lennon doesn't actually believe in these things I think it's about tearing down these beliefs or ideas that people hold high above and breaking them down and bringing it back to the individual. Almost saying these things don't matter as long as you believe in you. What a tremendous message. You can list all these things to worship or look up to but they don't matter at all if you don't believe in yourself. In many ways this song is Lennon stripping himself in front of his audience.Saying "this is my folks, for better or worse this is me".
Then there's the fact that this is one of the only songs by Lennon I can think of where he actually addresses the fact that he was apart of the Beatles. Another thing that people worshiped and believed in. Lennon takes the world's most known band and says "the dream is over". I love that whole piece- "I was the dream weaver but now I'm reborn/ I was the Walrus but now I'm just John/ And so dear friends we'll just have to carry on/ The dream is over" Oh my god it's heartbreaking. It's listening to Lennon come to terms with the magnitude of the Beatles and the fact that it's done and it'll never happen again. He can just go back to being himself and in a lot of ways that's all that matters. Yes the fame and the love and the admiration are great but lets come to terms here. When things are said and done he's still just a person like the rest of us, and just because the Beatles don't exist any more doesn't mean that John Lennon has to stop existing.
I've listened to God more times then I can remember and each time it moves me, sometimes to tears and others times it makes me sad and there are times where it makes me feel alright inside. It's okay to dismiss all the things that rule our lives to find ourselves. I would put God in the top ten greatest songs I've ever heard, and it's one of those songs I'm thankful to have heard. It's almost like the song was written and recorded so I could find it during a long weekend in Massachusetts with my cousins. To me it's better than Imagine, to me this is John Lennon at his absolute greatest.
I was in Massachusetts visiting my cousins for a long weekend (maybe it was a two visit I don't remember), and we went to the mall. I picked up the soundtrack to the documentary Imagine (which if you haven't seen is absolutely incredible and recommend it to anyone). It was a nice mix of Beatles songs and solo Lennon stuff. This was right in the midst of my transition from Beatles to John Lennon as a solo artist so I thought this would help in the transition phase. I couldn't have been more right.
The moment I heard God it was blown away. I was recently talking with a friend of mine on Facebook about people who sing with raw emotion (and for this particular argument I cited Kurt Cobain in Where Did You Sleep Last Night?) and as soon as I heard God today I knew this was one of the rawest vocal performances ever.
What makes God such an amazing song is the fact that it takes all these things that people hold dear and dismissing belief in them. I don't think it's because Lennon doesn't actually believe in these things I think it's about tearing down these beliefs or ideas that people hold high above and breaking them down and bringing it back to the individual. Almost saying these things don't matter as long as you believe in you. What a tremendous message. You can list all these things to worship or look up to but they don't matter at all if you don't believe in yourself. In many ways this song is Lennon stripping himself in front of his audience.Saying "this is my folks, for better or worse this is me".
Then there's the fact that this is one of the only songs by Lennon I can think of where he actually addresses the fact that he was apart of the Beatles. Another thing that people worshiped and believed in. Lennon takes the world's most known band and says "the dream is over". I love that whole piece- "I was the dream weaver but now I'm reborn/ I was the Walrus but now I'm just John/ And so dear friends we'll just have to carry on/ The dream is over" Oh my god it's heartbreaking. It's listening to Lennon come to terms with the magnitude of the Beatles and the fact that it's done and it'll never happen again. He can just go back to being himself and in a lot of ways that's all that matters. Yes the fame and the love and the admiration are great but lets come to terms here. When things are said and done he's still just a person like the rest of us, and just because the Beatles don't exist any more doesn't mean that John Lennon has to stop existing.
I've listened to God more times then I can remember and each time it moves me, sometimes to tears and others times it makes me sad and there are times where it makes me feel alright inside. It's okay to dismiss all the things that rule our lives to find ourselves. I would put God in the top ten greatest songs I've ever heard, and it's one of those songs I'm thankful to have heard. It's almost like the song was written and recorded so I could find it during a long weekend in Massachusetts with my cousins. To me it's better than Imagine, to me this is John Lennon at his absolute greatest.
Ugh
Alright so there was a short period of time (maybe a summer) where I listened to the soundtrack to Crazy Beautiful a whole lot. During this same summer I found that I really enjoyed the movie and at the time could really relate to it (I was in a weird relationship and kind of understood the character in the movie a bit because I was kind of dating said character in real life). This all translated into me listening to the Crazy Beautiful soundtrack for a whole summer. So when it came time to put music on my ipod of course I would include it on there. I had listened to it so much it seemed like the right move.
Well I'm here to explain to tell you... not so much. As soon as this song started I got that feeling in my stomach where I was like "oh dear god this time period?" and quickly had no interest in fully listening to the song (for those interested yes this does relate to Counting Crows relationship). I don't see it as an epic loss losing my connection with the Crazy Beautiful soundtrack and I haven't seen the movie in years (although I imagine the same thing would kind of happen here).
So take this song as it is... and forgive.
Five Songs I Can't Live Without (At Least Right Now)
1. Delicate Few --> Water Dance- O.A.R.
2. Light Up Ya Lighters- Michael Franti and Spearhead
3. To Be Young (is To Be Sad Is To Be High)- Ryan Adams
4. Pumped Up Kicks- Foster the People
5. Bruised- Jack's Mannequin
I Like This Despite the Fact It's On the Twilight Soundtrack
I am in no way shape or form a Twilight fan. Actually I pretty much hate everything it stands for. Vampires that glitter in the sun?! Are you out of your freakin' mind?! I digress.
I heard this song off of Shea's ipod one day and really love the dark tones of it. I don't know much else by Florence + the Machine other then this song. I have sampled some of the stuff on itunes but none of it has really registered with me. I'm not going to lose sleep over this.
It does bother me that the Twilight soundtracks seem to boast pretty good artists and songs. It's like shouldn't some of these bands know better then to associate themselves with this garbage? Yes I'm looking at you Muse.
This song is dark and dreary and moody and that's all I've got to say about that.
(Side Note: I just want to clarify, Shea is not a Twilight fan either. She read the first book which she thought was "okay" and the second which she called "socially irresponsible". I just wanted to clear this up in case I painted a picture of Shea being a Twilight fan.)
Last Call with a Dash of Lil Jon
Outkast, Outkast, Outkast... Would I say I'm the world's biggest Outkast fan? No not even close. But I do enjoy enough of their material to call myself a big enough fan. Plus I got to see them at the Area 1 festival a couple of years back and their set killed it. But if I'm being honest with you Shufflers I'm more of an Andre 300 fan then a Big Boi fan. I love the bizarreness of Dre, plus the man straight up kills it when he's on the mic. For further proof please listen to B.O.B. and tell me this man isn't one of the greatest rappers a live.
Last Call is a fun little track. There's nothing really memorable here but it's fun to listen to and Lil Jon is used in the perfect amount so there is no flashbacks to songs that have dances about skeeting in them. Yay for the little things.
Hey Lady...
Yet another reason why my ipod rocks...
This was the absolute perfect song for this morning. It was sunny out, I was just getting into traffic but it was happy enough to help get through the suck, it's Zeppelin, I had no problem at 7:50 this morning turning it up and rolling my windows down and letting the sound carry over me. How can one listen to this and not be happy? I dare you.
I was tired this morning but this put me in a chipper mood. It also lead me to explore some old O.A.R. songs I haven't listened to in a very long time so I had a rocking good time driving into work. That's what I find so awesome about this project. There's no reason for Over the Hills and Far Away to make me think of a version of Delicate A Delicate Few with the Virginia Coalition play percussion, but it did. This lead to O.A.R. doing Hey Jude which lead me into work. My ipod is awesome. It houses such awesome wonderful things.
(Side Note: I shall be going to Vermont for the weekend and will most likely suffer lack of interwebs. I will posts the songs upon my arrival home on Sunday. Sorry for the delay.)
This was the absolute perfect song for this morning. It was sunny out, I was just getting into traffic but it was happy enough to help get through the suck, it's Zeppelin, I had no problem at 7:50 this morning turning it up and rolling my windows down and letting the sound carry over me. How can one listen to this and not be happy? I dare you.
I was tired this morning but this put me in a chipper mood. It also lead me to explore some old O.A.R. songs I haven't listened to in a very long time so I had a rocking good time driving into work. That's what I find so awesome about this project. There's no reason for Over the Hills and Far Away to make me think of a version of Delicate A Delicate Few with the Virginia Coalition play percussion, but it did. This lead to O.A.R. doing Hey Jude which lead me into work. My ipod is awesome. It houses such awesome wonderful things.
(Side Note: I shall be going to Vermont for the weekend and will most likely suffer lack of interwebs. I will posts the songs upon my arrival home on Sunday. Sorry for the delay.)
A Joy Ride of Sorts
Everything about music is exciting right now. Last night I went to doll up the Want To Hear It Now playlist. I had all the songs mapped out. I knew exactly what I was removing and had a whole list of songs to add or maybe add. What ended up happening was I added and added and added, and a playlist that I like to keep at forty songs tops is currently sitting at fifty. I might have to split it into two (which would be a first for this playlist genre….interesting idea hmmmmm). I just want my ipod playing all day. Work would have been eight times more awesome if I had my ipod hooked up to a docking station allowing me to rock out (much like I did this morning on the way to work).
Music has been so good lately Shea, a confirmed non Foo Fighters fan, sent me a txt today stating "how did I not notice until now how amazing the acoustic version of Everlong is". Everlong (especially the acoustic version) would probably make my top twelve favorite songs of all time. No idea where on the list it would land but it's in the top twelve. So hearing Shea say that made me happy. She was listening to the version off the Greatest Hits album but I prefer the live version off of Skin and Bones. I recommended it to her results pending.
Shea also introduced me to this song called Pumped Up Kicks by the Foster People. I didn’t get to hear the whole thing but what I did hear I really enjoyed and will be downloading it tonight. Now mix that in with the couple of Ryan Adams ( To Be Young (Is To Be Sad Is To Be High) and Winding Wheel) songs I found on itunes last night, Bar by Zac Brown Band, and all of the O.A.R. I'm listening to my ear lobes are buzzin' people. So it was with that buzz and the performance from the last couple of days that I had high hopes for today's song.
Eh. I'm not overly enthused here. I like the Killers and it's been awhile since we've had a Killers song but I would have preferred something like All These Things I've Done or something off of Sam's Town. It's not like I don't like Day & Age it's a good album, but I do the prior two better. This is more of a chill album that you just throw on for background noise. It's not an album I feel the need to ”rock out" to. It doesn't hold the sing-a-long factor like Hot Fuss or Sam's Town.
Joy Ride is a serviceable track though, and does sound better whilst driving. Windows or window down (your choice here) and the volume up. After that though it's kind of forgettable. I'm actually trying to think of the tune of the song right now and I'm striking out. To the point where it's starting to bother man. Yes I can always cheat and just play it on my itunes but…oooooooh okay that's how it goes (yes totally cheated). Not a terrible song just easily forgotten. I'll give three out of four this week to the ipod. I like those numbers.
Music has been so good lately Shea, a confirmed non Foo Fighters fan, sent me a txt today stating "how did I not notice until now how amazing the acoustic version of Everlong is". Everlong (especially the acoustic version) would probably make my top twelve favorite songs of all time. No idea where on the list it would land but it's in the top twelve. So hearing Shea say that made me happy. She was listening to the version off the Greatest Hits album but I prefer the live version off of Skin and Bones. I recommended it to her results pending.
Shea also introduced me to this song called Pumped Up Kicks by the Foster People. I didn’t get to hear the whole thing but what I did hear I really enjoyed and will be downloading it tonight. Now mix that in with the couple of Ryan Adams ( To Be Young (Is To Be Sad Is To Be High) and Winding Wheel) songs I found on itunes last night, Bar by Zac Brown Band, and all of the O.A.R. I'm listening to my ear lobes are buzzin' people. So it was with that buzz and the performance from the last couple of days that I had high hopes for today's song.
Eh. I'm not overly enthused here. I like the Killers and it's been awhile since we've had a Killers song but I would have preferred something like All These Things I've Done or something off of Sam's Town. It's not like I don't like Day & Age it's a good album, but I do the prior two better. This is more of a chill album that you just throw on for background noise. It's not an album I feel the need to ”rock out" to. It doesn't hold the sing-a-long factor like Hot Fuss or Sam's Town.
Joy Ride is a serviceable track though, and does sound better whilst driving. Windows or window down (your choice here) and the volume up. After that though it's kind of forgettable. I'm actually trying to think of the tune of the song right now and I'm striking out. To the point where it's starting to bother man. Yes I can always cheat and just play it on my itunes but…oooooooh okay that's how it goes (yes totally cheated). Not a terrible song just easily forgotten. I'll give three out of four this week to the ipod. I like those numbers.
Catching Up On Posts Part 2
Before we start first off let me say I'm sorry. I don't know what has gotten into my as of late. I just haven't had the energy to type something up at the end of the day. I've been seriously slacking, and I feel like I've let you guys down. So after today we should be back on track and I won't let this happen again (or I won't allow it to get this bad again). I am going to Vermont this weekend (more on that laterish), but I do plan on brining my lap top with me to prevent this from occurring again. So I'm just going to jump into it so we get ourselves all caught up, again sorry for being a bum.
Sunday
So Sunday I spent the majority of the day (over seven hours of it) coming home from the awesome that was the Sterling Renaissance festival. While Shea and the rest of the gang had Monday off I on the other hand had to work. So I departed at ten in hopes of avoiding traffic and getting home at a somewhat decent hour. But for long car rides there has to be a music itinerary planned, it's essential to the ride. If you don't have a clear blue print of what you want to listen to then you're looking at a car ride that won't go that smoothly. Luckily for me I had it planned out to the "T".
With the new O.A.R. album being out and it not sucking out loud I decided I would spend some time with the band on the way home. Last summer I picked up the live four disc album, Rain or Shine, but didn't really listen to it. I was still pretty angry with the band and I remember listening to the first two discs once and never really going back to it. So I thought, seven hour car ride, anger over the band coming down, why not give it a shot. I'm so glad I did. What followed was four awesome hours of falling back in love with one of my favorite bands. That second show (or discs three and four) is everything I love about O.A.R. . It's been a long time since I've been that happy listening to them. I was singing and free styling over the beats and smiling the whole way, even in traffic. It was the best make up music "sex" ever. Yes I'm aware of how weird that must sound.
Well after listening to all of Rain or Shine (four hours), King (deluxe version), and the second disc of Live From Madison Square Garden I decided to take a break from the O.A.R. love fest and go to the song of the day. I think at this point my ipod wanted to play anything as long as it wasn't O.A.R. so it gave me this little gem.
Black is one of my all time favorite Pearl Jam songs…ever. I had the pleasure of seeing them play it last year at the Garden and it blew my mind. This version comes from an all acoustic show that the band did for charity, and I think it might be one of my favorite versions of the song.
Here's the thing here, the first time I had heard this album I borrowed it from the library. Yeah that's right you can do that. The show is enjoyable, it's a softer more mellow side of the band that I like. Sometimes you just have to have your Pearl Jam mellow. When Black came on I was sold. Pearl Jam is very good with their crowd participation but here in the more intimate setting it sounds amazing. I love listening to the crowd take it over, I'm pretty sure I've said this before…I'm a sucker for crowd participation. That's what sticks out the most here for me. In a regular Pearl Jam show you can hear the crowd and it's awesome backed with the band, but with this being an acoustic show the crowd just sounds awesome. Adds to the entire vibe. In my opinion totally makes the song.
Black also makes me think the time my buddy Brad and I sang with a local band (two dudes with two guitars) at one of our local bars. Don't get me wrong I can't sing to save my life but we had been drinking and we asked to sing a Pearl Jam song and they said yes. It was awesome. We were so good that they asked to sing Better Man with them too, which was totally unplanned. It was one of my favorite rock star moments. They usually record their shows but sadly for me they didn't record this one. I guess I'll just have to relive it in my head as being awesome instead of listening to how awful we probably sounded in real life.
Five Songs I Can't Live Without (At Least Right Now)
1. Black Thumbnail- Kings of Leon
2. Conquering Fools (live)- O.A.R.
3. Shattered (acoustic live)- O.A.R.
4. Happy Alone- Kings of Leon
5. Irish Rose- O.A.R. (this one isn't going anywhere people)
Monday
Still feeding off that O.A.R. high people. As a matter of fact it's all I'm listening to lately (ha ha lately as if Sunday was that long ago). I am currently in the process of re-tooling the Want To Hear It Now playlist with more O.A.R. songs as well as songs from groups I associate with O.A.R. (looking at you Robert Randolph and the Family Band, Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers, and Michael Franti and Spearhead). This make up session is going swimmingly I must say. I had no idea I missed this band that much. It's like getting in touch with an old friend who's been in on the back burner of your life for awhile but then comes back to the forefront like they never left.
So on my way home from job the second I decided it was about time to hit shuffle. There is a project to maintain here people. So I pryed myself away from the O.A.R. love fest for a couple of minutes. There's nothing worse than listening to what you want to listen to and then changing the pace up. Putting something on you don't want to hear at all. I was definitely fearing that when I hit shuffle. But I forgot my ipod is awesome and it loves me.
Not only is Trench Town Rock one of my favorite Bob Marley songs, but it has one of my all time favorite music quotes of all time, "one good thing about music when it hits you feel no pain" (coincidently O.A.R. uses this lyric in their song Anyway… just throwing that out there). How great is that? "When it hits you, you feel no pain". Just makes me so excited to listen to music. "Brutalize" me with music… gives me goose bumps people. I actually want this quote inscribed on the back of my ipod. I should look into this hmmmmm…
Trench Town Rock is a song that just sounds better live. You get to hear all of Marley's energy and how the band and the crowd feed off it. I wish I could have seen him. God. I've got a bunch of live records and they're so fun to listen to (granted Bob doesn't switch the ole set list up that often but who cares it's a freakin' Bob Marley show). If I could do two things with a time machine that were music related I would probably save John Lennon's life and go see a Bob Marley concert. Someone hurry up and make me a time machine!
Listening to Bob Marley mixed in with the O.A.R. goodness I'm all types of pumped up for music. I have a bunch of songs to be omitted and added to the Want To Hear It Now list but now I'm thinking I might have to add some Bob Marley. Feeling good people, feeling good.
Tuesday
The ole ipod is feeling it people, it's feeling it. I've been in such a good music mood lately (all this old stuff that I haven't listened to in so long is just making me giddy) it must be contagious. I'm re-discovering all types of music I had thrown on the back burner (for example check out Michael Franti and Spearhead doing Light Up Ya Lighter or One Step Closer with Pink. You will not be disappointed). I'm actually thinking about busting out the half hour version of Crazy Game of Poker featuring Michael Franti and Radioactive. It's epic and I haven't listened to it in years. Well in my defense it's tough to listen to a half hour song. That's like the length of some good punk albums. It's a commitment people. Same way I feel about Bob Marley's thirty minute live version of Get Up, Stand Up/No More Trouble/War from the Live At the Roxy album. While thirty minutes of awesome I don’t listen to it that often because it's so epically long. That's like my whole commute to work almost or at least the only song I'll be listening to during it. Maybe I'll grow a set and put it on the Want To Hear It Now playlist… hmmmm.
Speaking of Bob Marley
For those of you keeping count that's two Bob Marley songs in a row. Whoa. I have to say that the title here leaves something to be desired. Craven Choke Puppy. It sounds like the unhappiest thing Bob Marley has ever said or written. I'm not really sure how you can look people in the eye with a straight face saying Craven Choke Puppy is your favorite song. People would probably think it was a Cannibal Holocaust song or something.
Title of the song aside, it's not bad. Simple acoustic number off the Songs of Freedom box set. Although I feel that it would make a pretty cool dub step song. I don't listen to dub mixes they don't really speak to me, and on top of that I don't really see what the big deal is. To me it's almost like mock reggae but what do I know right? So using my complete lack of knowledge of dub style music I would like to volunteer Craven Choke Puppy for the treatment. It could give the song a back bone and maybe a cool beat to dance stupid to. That would be pretty cool I suppose.
Then again it is a Bob Marley song and the beauty of his music is that it's able to stand on its own without having anything added to it. Actually I tend to dislike the remixes of Bob Marley songs. It's like whoever is doing the remix is missing the point. Bob's music was pure and through the soul. By throwing in heavy bass beats, rap versus, and such you're taking that away. And if there is one artist that shouldn't be touched it's Bob Marley.
Sunday
So Sunday I spent the majority of the day (over seven hours of it) coming home from the awesome that was the Sterling Renaissance festival. While Shea and the rest of the gang had Monday off I on the other hand had to work. So I departed at ten in hopes of avoiding traffic and getting home at a somewhat decent hour. But for long car rides there has to be a music itinerary planned, it's essential to the ride. If you don't have a clear blue print of what you want to listen to then you're looking at a car ride that won't go that smoothly. Luckily for me I had it planned out to the "T".
With the new O.A.R. album being out and it not sucking out loud I decided I would spend some time with the band on the way home. Last summer I picked up the live four disc album, Rain or Shine, but didn't really listen to it. I was still pretty angry with the band and I remember listening to the first two discs once and never really going back to it. So I thought, seven hour car ride, anger over the band coming down, why not give it a shot. I'm so glad I did. What followed was four awesome hours of falling back in love with one of my favorite bands. That second show (or discs three and four) is everything I love about O.A.R. . It's been a long time since I've been that happy listening to them. I was singing and free styling over the beats and smiling the whole way, even in traffic. It was the best make up music "sex" ever. Yes I'm aware of how weird that must sound.
Well after listening to all of Rain or Shine (four hours), King (deluxe version), and the second disc of Live From Madison Square Garden I decided to take a break from the O.A.R. love fest and go to the song of the day. I think at this point my ipod wanted to play anything as long as it wasn't O.A.R. so it gave me this little gem.
Black is one of my all time favorite Pearl Jam songs…ever. I had the pleasure of seeing them play it last year at the Garden and it blew my mind. This version comes from an all acoustic show that the band did for charity, and I think it might be one of my favorite versions of the song.
Here's the thing here, the first time I had heard this album I borrowed it from the library. Yeah that's right you can do that. The show is enjoyable, it's a softer more mellow side of the band that I like. Sometimes you just have to have your Pearl Jam mellow. When Black came on I was sold. Pearl Jam is very good with their crowd participation but here in the more intimate setting it sounds amazing. I love listening to the crowd take it over, I'm pretty sure I've said this before…I'm a sucker for crowd participation. That's what sticks out the most here for me. In a regular Pearl Jam show you can hear the crowd and it's awesome backed with the band, but with this being an acoustic show the crowd just sounds awesome. Adds to the entire vibe. In my opinion totally makes the song.
Black also makes me think the time my buddy Brad and I sang with a local band (two dudes with two guitars) at one of our local bars. Don't get me wrong I can't sing to save my life but we had been drinking and we asked to sing a Pearl Jam song and they said yes. It was awesome. We were so good that they asked to sing Better Man with them too, which was totally unplanned. It was one of my favorite rock star moments. They usually record their shows but sadly for me they didn't record this one. I guess I'll just have to relive it in my head as being awesome instead of listening to how awful we probably sounded in real life.
Five Songs I Can't Live Without (At Least Right Now)
1. Black Thumbnail- Kings of Leon
2. Conquering Fools (live)- O.A.R.
3. Shattered (acoustic live)- O.A.R.
4. Happy Alone- Kings of Leon
5. Irish Rose- O.A.R. (this one isn't going anywhere people)
Monday
Still feeding off that O.A.R. high people. As a matter of fact it's all I'm listening to lately (ha ha lately as if Sunday was that long ago). I am currently in the process of re-tooling the Want To Hear It Now playlist with more O.A.R. songs as well as songs from groups I associate with O.A.R. (looking at you Robert Randolph and the Family Band, Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers, and Michael Franti and Spearhead). This make up session is going swimmingly I must say. I had no idea I missed this band that much. It's like getting in touch with an old friend who's been in on the back burner of your life for awhile but then comes back to the forefront like they never left.
So on my way home from job the second I decided it was about time to hit shuffle. There is a project to maintain here people. So I pryed myself away from the O.A.R. love fest for a couple of minutes. There's nothing worse than listening to what you want to listen to and then changing the pace up. Putting something on you don't want to hear at all. I was definitely fearing that when I hit shuffle. But I forgot my ipod is awesome and it loves me.
Not only is Trench Town Rock one of my favorite Bob Marley songs, but it has one of my all time favorite music quotes of all time, "one good thing about music when it hits you feel no pain" (coincidently O.A.R. uses this lyric in their song Anyway… just throwing that out there). How great is that? "When it hits you, you feel no pain". Just makes me so excited to listen to music. "Brutalize" me with music… gives me goose bumps people. I actually want this quote inscribed on the back of my ipod. I should look into this hmmmmm…
Trench Town Rock is a song that just sounds better live. You get to hear all of Marley's energy and how the band and the crowd feed off it. I wish I could have seen him. God. I've got a bunch of live records and they're so fun to listen to (granted Bob doesn't switch the ole set list up that often but who cares it's a freakin' Bob Marley show). If I could do two things with a time machine that were music related I would probably save John Lennon's life and go see a Bob Marley concert. Someone hurry up and make me a time machine!
Listening to Bob Marley mixed in with the O.A.R. goodness I'm all types of pumped up for music. I have a bunch of songs to be omitted and added to the Want To Hear It Now list but now I'm thinking I might have to add some Bob Marley. Feeling good people, feeling good.
Tuesday
The ole ipod is feeling it people, it's feeling it. I've been in such a good music mood lately (all this old stuff that I haven't listened to in so long is just making me giddy) it must be contagious. I'm re-discovering all types of music I had thrown on the back burner (for example check out Michael Franti and Spearhead doing Light Up Ya Lighter or One Step Closer with Pink. You will not be disappointed). I'm actually thinking about busting out the half hour version of Crazy Game of Poker featuring Michael Franti and Radioactive. It's epic and I haven't listened to it in years. Well in my defense it's tough to listen to a half hour song. That's like the length of some good punk albums. It's a commitment people. Same way I feel about Bob Marley's thirty minute live version of Get Up, Stand Up/No More Trouble/War from the Live At the Roxy album. While thirty minutes of awesome I don’t listen to it that often because it's so epically long. That's like my whole commute to work almost or at least the only song I'll be listening to during it. Maybe I'll grow a set and put it on the Want To Hear It Now playlist… hmmmm.
Speaking of Bob Marley
For those of you keeping count that's two Bob Marley songs in a row. Whoa. I have to say that the title here leaves something to be desired. Craven Choke Puppy. It sounds like the unhappiest thing Bob Marley has ever said or written. I'm not really sure how you can look people in the eye with a straight face saying Craven Choke Puppy is your favorite song. People would probably think it was a Cannibal Holocaust song or something.
Title of the song aside, it's not bad. Simple acoustic number off the Songs of Freedom box set. Although I feel that it would make a pretty cool dub step song. I don't listen to dub mixes they don't really speak to me, and on top of that I don't really see what the big deal is. To me it's almost like mock reggae but what do I know right? So using my complete lack of knowledge of dub style music I would like to volunteer Craven Choke Puppy for the treatment. It could give the song a back bone and maybe a cool beat to dance stupid to. That would be pretty cool I suppose.
Then again it is a Bob Marley song and the beauty of his music is that it's able to stand on its own without having anything added to it. Actually I tend to dislike the remixes of Bob Marley songs. It's like whoever is doing the remix is missing the point. Bob's music was pure and through the soul. By throwing in heavy bass beats, rap versus, and such you're taking that away. And if there is one artist that shouldn't be touched it's Bob Marley.
Catching Up On Posts
First let me start off by apologising for my lack of posts these last four days. Friday through today I didn't have access to the interwebs (gasp) and there really is no excuse for not writing anything on Thursday. So it is my intention to catch up on all the songs that you've missed (because I haven't written about them) here in one giant post. That's right Shufflers today is the first, and hopefully only, four day post. So here we go...
Thursday
Beatles For Sale would make my top three favorite Beatles albums of all time. I fell in love with the album the moment I turned it on. It's everything that makes the Beatles great. So when Every Little Thing started playing this morning I felt a bit nostalgic. I used to listen to this record a lot in high school, and it's not very often that I feel nostalgic for high school either.
I don't know if I was nostalgic for the experience I think it was just that feeling of being there. Hearing Every Little Thing kind of took me back for a minute (actually two minutes and five seconds if we're splitting hairs here). I didn't think of a specific memory I just had that feeling that wraps itself around you when you're time hopping in your head. It was nice to reflect nicely on high school for a couple of minutes and listening to a song without associating anything specific to a good song. I don't think it's possible to listen to this song and think of something bad. Maybe it is...doubtful.
Friday
So today me and my friend Michael are heading upstate to Sterling for the Renaissance Festival. Shea and a couple of our other friends are already up there so there was a six and a half hour car ride keeping us from camping awesome. This is also after working a full nine hour day. So we got in the car blasted some tunes and trekked our way upstate.
Michael has yet to be a guest shuffler so I believe around hour four, maybe five, she was given the opportunity and she did not disappoint. I've been listening to a lot of Eminem lately so I was excited when 8 Mile started up. I also learned through this car ride that Michael is actually a pretty decent Eminem fan. I had no idea.
This song always reminds me of the boxing match that my friend Jason and I had my junior year of college. We had been drinking (pretty heavily I might add) and we had glove and a video camera so what else were we going to do? What followed was one of the greatest boxing matches in the history of the sport. Actually when I showed the video to my Dad and asked him what he thought I believe the first thing he said was "you definitely call that boxing".
The tape is currently in storage otherwise I would try and find a way to upload here. I think everyone deserves to see it. I'd say it was a pretty even match (it was actually a rematch to a fight which I got my ass handed to me), and by even I mean I won. There's a part where I hit him pretty flush in the face without retaliation (motor skills were real down), one of the highlights of my boxing career. Any way the whole time we were "boxing" 8 Mile was playing in the background. So when I hear it I always think about boxing, and the pain in my left elbow that lasted about a year. I probably should have gotten that checked out...
Saturday
Not a lot to report here if I'm being honest. We went to the RenaissanceFestival today and it was pretty awesome. Totally worth what turned out to be seven plus hour car ride. When we got back I slipped into the car and hit shuffle, and got this gem. It was fitting because of the Festival, but other than that I don't have a lot to report on it. The second Pirates movie was pretty good. Not as good as the first but waaaaaaaaay better than the third. This was very fitting for the trip though so I had that going for me.
Sunday
I just got tired folks... To Be Continued...
Thursday
Beatles For Sale would make my top three favorite Beatles albums of all time. I fell in love with the album the moment I turned it on. It's everything that makes the Beatles great. So when Every Little Thing started playing this morning I felt a bit nostalgic. I used to listen to this record a lot in high school, and it's not very often that I feel nostalgic for high school either.
I don't know if I was nostalgic for the experience I think it was just that feeling of being there. Hearing Every Little Thing kind of took me back for a minute (actually two minutes and five seconds if we're splitting hairs here). I didn't think of a specific memory I just had that feeling that wraps itself around you when you're time hopping in your head. It was nice to reflect nicely on high school for a couple of minutes and listening to a song without associating anything specific to a good song. I don't think it's possible to listen to this song and think of something bad. Maybe it is...doubtful.
Friday
So today me and my friend Michael are heading upstate to Sterling for the Renaissance Festival. Shea and a couple of our other friends are already up there so there was a six and a half hour car ride keeping us from camping awesome. This is also after working a full nine hour day. So we got in the car blasted some tunes and trekked our way upstate.
Michael has yet to be a guest shuffler so I believe around hour four, maybe five, she was given the opportunity and she did not disappoint. I've been listening to a lot of Eminem lately so I was excited when 8 Mile started up. I also learned through this car ride that Michael is actually a pretty decent Eminem fan. I had no idea.
This song always reminds me of the boxing match that my friend Jason and I had my junior year of college. We had been drinking (pretty heavily I might add) and we had glove and a video camera so what else were we going to do? What followed was one of the greatest boxing matches in the history of the sport. Actually when I showed the video to my Dad and asked him what he thought I believe the first thing he said was "you definitely call that boxing".
The tape is currently in storage otherwise I would try and find a way to upload here. I think everyone deserves to see it. I'd say it was a pretty even match (it was actually a rematch to a fight which I got my ass handed to me), and by even I mean I won. There's a part where I hit him pretty flush in the face without retaliation (motor skills were real down), one of the highlights of my boxing career. Any way the whole time we were "boxing" 8 Mile was playing in the background. So when I hear it I always think about boxing, and the pain in my left elbow that lasted about a year. I probably should have gotten that checked out...
Saturday
Not a lot to report here if I'm being honest. We went to the RenaissanceFestival today and it was pretty awesome. Totally worth what turned out to be seven plus hour car ride. When we got back I slipped into the car and hit shuffle, and got this gem. It was fitting because of the Festival, but other than that I don't have a lot to report on it. The second Pirates movie was pretty good. Not as good as the first but waaaaaaaaay better than the third. This was very fitting for the trip though so I had that going for me.
Sunday
I just got tired folks... To Be Continued...
Eh
One hundred twenty posts I think it's fair to say that you guys know at this point that I'm a pretty big Pearl Jam/Eddie Vedder fan. Actually I'm pretty sure that's an understatement. Besides the point. For the most part I enjoy Eddie Vedder's solo stuff. It's a very mellow side and provides good background music. The Into the Wild soundtrack is excellent (and should have been nominated for an Oscar) and Uke Songs is a unique and fun album to listen to. With that being said Better Days, the song used for Eat Pray Love is a very subpar attempt.
I'm pretty sure that Better Days started off as a Pearl Jam song that didn't make the cut on to Riot Act. From there it kind of laid scrapped in what I can only imagine is a huge collection of awesome songs that Pearl Jam has not released to the public...yet. For me this song is in the middle of being pretty good to make Riot Act and not being good enough to make Into the Wild. It's very "eh" for me. I've listened to it a couple of times today and I'll admit I like it better today then I did when I first downloaded it or heard it, but it's still not enough. I expect more.
It almost seems that they asked him to provide a song for the movie and instead of coming up with an original he dusted this old thing off, added a couple of things here and there, and handed it in. Don't get me wrong I'm not calling Eddie Vedder lazy I'm just saying that this song isn't his greatest effort. I don't know maybe I set the bar to high? It's just that whenever there's a new Pearl Jam or Eddie Vedder song/album coming out I get really excited and raise my hopes pretty high. So when the song doesn't connect or speak to me (which is very rare) then it's a bit of a let down (obviously). I think that's what happened here. Can't win them all I suppose.
I'm pretty sure that Better Days started off as a Pearl Jam song that didn't make the cut on to Riot Act. From there it kind of laid scrapped in what I can only imagine is a huge collection of awesome songs that Pearl Jam has not released to the public...yet. For me this song is in the middle of being pretty good to make Riot Act and not being good enough to make Into the Wild. It's very "eh" for me. I've listened to it a couple of times today and I'll admit I like it better today then I did when I first downloaded it or heard it, but it's still not enough. I expect more.
It almost seems that they asked him to provide a song for the movie and instead of coming up with an original he dusted this old thing off, added a couple of things here and there, and handed it in. Don't get me wrong I'm not calling Eddie Vedder lazy I'm just saying that this song isn't his greatest effort. I don't know maybe I set the bar to high? It's just that whenever there's a new Pearl Jam or Eddie Vedder song/album coming out I get really excited and raise my hopes pretty high. So when the song doesn't connect or speak to me (which is very rare) then it's a bit of a let down (obviously). I think that's what happened here. Can't win them all I suppose.
Shining On Like A Crazy Diamond If You Will
I wouldn't call myself a huge Pink Floyd fan but I have enough of their albums to consider myself a fan. As a matter of fact I'm pretty sure that Animals could very well be the scariest record ever made...ever. So when Shine On You Crazy Diamond started playing this morning I had to giggle. Not because I'm a fan but because what it reminds me of.
I want to say it was my senior year in college, but it could have been my junior. It doesn't really matter to be honest. My buddy Tom had just gotten a new digital camera and brought over some urrrrrrrm sandwiches. Yes you brought over some very tasty sandwiches. Well Tom, my roommate Jay, and I ate these sandwiches and hooked up Tom's camera to the the TV. We found that there were all sorts of accidental effects that we could make with it hooked up and moving the camera around. We also found that it looked really cool in the dark.
So with a belly full of sandwiches we decided to record our findings in the land of special effects. Somewhere along this we came to the conclusion that it would be best if this had a soundtrack. I'm not entirely sure who put on Shine On You Crazy Diamond but I remember it playing, and I remember watching the video afterwards. There's a part where Jay goes back for seconds on the sandwiches and laughs like diabolical mastermind, and it was both the scariest/funniest part of the video. I wonder whatever happened with that recording.
Open Letter To Tom- If you're reading this... Do you still have a copy of that video? If so send it my way.
Correction and LOST Music
Even before I hit shuffle this morning I had a problem. Yesterday when I posted my Five Songs I Can't Live Without (At Least Not Yet) I pretty much lied. To be honest only two of those songs actually belong there and for some reason I just scrapped together three other songs together to make the list. This feeling sat with me for most of my car ride and then I listened to one of these falsely promoted songs, and I knew... I had lied to you all. So now please allow me to give you my actual Five Songs I Can't Live Without (At Least Not Yet)
1. Irish Rose- O.A.R.
2. Mr. Moon (live)- O.A.R.
3. Black Thumbnail- Kings of Leon
4. Get Some- Lykke Li
5. Coming Up Easy- Paolo Nutini
A LOST song is usually ideal but this morning I wasn't feeling it. It could be because I spent the majority of the morning trying to figure if I was cranky or not (results are still inconclusive). When the song started I was kind of indifferent. I wouldn't choose it for my We Have To Go Back playlist (otherwise known as my LOST score playlist), and for the life of me I couldn't figure out what scene this song plays during (for those of you who want to know click here http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Swinging_Bendulum ). I had a feeling it had to do with the Lamp Post station but I couldn't pin point it.
My ipod was in a "Kevin's Favorite TV Shows" mood because the song that played after this was from Fringe. My ipod knows me so well.
1. Irish Rose- O.A.R.
2. Mr. Moon (live)- O.A.R.
3. Black Thumbnail- Kings of Leon
4. Get Some- Lykke Li
5. Coming Up Easy- Paolo Nutini
A LOST song is usually ideal but this morning I wasn't feeling it. It could be because I spent the majority of the morning trying to figure if I was cranky or not (results are still inconclusive). When the song started I was kind of indifferent. I wouldn't choose it for my We Have To Go Back playlist (otherwise known as my LOST score playlist), and for the life of me I couldn't figure out what scene this song plays during (for those of you who want to know click here http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Swinging_Bendulum ). I had a feeling it had to do with the Lamp Post station but I couldn't pin point it.
My ipod was in a "Kevin's Favorite TV Shows" mood because the song that played after this was from Fringe. My ipod knows me so well.
A Double Dose Of Weekend
Saturday:
(Side Note: Yesterday was Shea's birthday and good times were had. With this being said I didn't have time to write a post so I put it off for today. Combined with today's song I didn't think that either one of the songs that were shuffled could fit a full post...as a matter of fact I'm not even sure they can fill this post. But here we go...)
If there's one thing in the world I love it's music. If there are two things in the world that I love it's music and free music. Today's song comes from a free album I downloaded off of http://www.spin.com/ (the magazine that I think is actually better then Rolling Stone. They actually have opinions over there, not like Rolling Stone that believes the greatest song ever made is Like A Rolling Stone... are you freakin' kidding me?! Dare to have an actual opinion or rate something based on the music not the person who puts it out. Grrrrrr)
This song isn't very good actually. To be honest I couldn't even remember it two hours after it played and writing the piece now I was having a really tough time remembering it. A victim of free music. It makes me think that it might be time to do some spring cleaning on the ole ipod.
Sunday:
Today's Guest Shuffler is brought to you by my friend Ken (yay a shout to someone some of you may know and others don't). I like the Guest Shuffler option it helps add a sense of adventure to the project don't you think? So Ken hit shuffle and music followed.
I am a lover of Pearl Jam but this song leads nothing to write about really. It's a minute there are no real lyrics. The only thing to really write about here is that my ipod has a sense of humor. Ken is a self proclaimed non Pearl Jam fan (yest we continue to be friends... strange). There is no doubt in my mind that my ipod chose this song as a way of saying "ha ha". I chuckled, Ken groaned, and Shea wanted to hit shuffle again (we did out of curiosity but alas nothing will come of it other then this tiny little mention).
See what I mean about having little to write about here? I don't like to combine songs into one posts but there really wasn't much to write about, and I'm still nursing a hang over from Shea's birthday party. So I will leave you with our Sunday ritual
Five Songs I Can't Live Without (At Least This Week)
1. Irish Rose- O.A.R.
2. Bar- Zac Brown Band
3. Mr. Moon (live)- O.A.R.
4. Maxwel Murder- Rancid
5. Shake Your Rump- Beastie Boys
(Side Note: Yesterday was Shea's birthday and good times were had. With this being said I didn't have time to write a post so I put it off for today. Combined with today's song I didn't think that either one of the songs that were shuffled could fit a full post...as a matter of fact I'm not even sure they can fill this post. But here we go...)
If there's one thing in the world I love it's music. If there are two things in the world that I love it's music and free music. Today's song comes from a free album I downloaded off of http://www.spin.com/ (the magazine that I think is actually better then Rolling Stone. They actually have opinions over there, not like Rolling Stone that believes the greatest song ever made is Like A Rolling Stone... are you freakin' kidding me?! Dare to have an actual opinion or rate something based on the music not the person who puts it out. Grrrrrr)
This song isn't very good actually. To be honest I couldn't even remember it two hours after it played and writing the piece now I was having a really tough time remembering it. A victim of free music. It makes me think that it might be time to do some spring cleaning on the ole ipod.
Sunday:
Today's Guest Shuffler is brought to you by my friend Ken (yay a shout to someone some of you may know and others don't). I like the Guest Shuffler option it helps add a sense of adventure to the project don't you think? So Ken hit shuffle and music followed.
I am a lover of Pearl Jam but this song leads nothing to write about really. It's a minute there are no real lyrics. The only thing to really write about here is that my ipod has a sense of humor. Ken is a self proclaimed non Pearl Jam fan (yest we continue to be friends... strange). There is no doubt in my mind that my ipod chose this song as a way of saying "ha ha". I chuckled, Ken groaned, and Shea wanted to hit shuffle again (we did out of curiosity but alas nothing will come of it other then this tiny little mention).
See what I mean about having little to write about here? I don't like to combine songs into one posts but there really wasn't much to write about, and I'm still nursing a hang over from Shea's birthday party. So I will leave you with our Sunday ritual
Five Songs I Can't Live Without (At Least This Week)
1. Irish Rose- O.A.R.
2. Bar- Zac Brown Band
3. Mr. Moon (live)- O.A.R.
4. Maxwel Murder- Rancid
5. Shake Your Rump- Beastie Boys
A Response From My Ipod
Dear Kevin-
As you can see from today's song choice I took your suggestion of "no more rap" into consideration. After much thought I decided that in the best interest of today that I would indeed give you a non-rap song. But please allow me to explain something to you.
Without me and my random choices this project, this little "blog" is nothing. You are nothing without me. There is nothing to write about until I select the song. Do not think for one second that you can order me around to choose music to your liking. If I happen to be in a rap mood this week then I'm going to play rap music. Deal with it! You have multiple playlists to listen to what you want, the Shuffle is for me.
Your audacity in thinking that you can control me or the choices I make is ridiculous and insulting. Maybe tomorrow I want select anything...then where will you be.
Yours,
Your ipod
A Letter to My Ipod
Dear ipod-
Now I don't want this to be considered as me questioning you. We both know that you're one of my closest friends and I value you're judgement...buuuuuuuuut I don't understand you lately. If anyone knows what my music patterns are right now it's you. You know better then anyone that I'm listening to a steady dose of Foo Fighters, O.A.R., Kings of Leon, and Beastie Boys. So explain to me why you keep pushing rap on me? It was cool and nostalgic when you played Ready To Die but now I feel like you're forcing me to want to be in rap mood. It's just not happening right now. I appreciate today's attempt of Me by Atmosphere because they're like the rock band of hip hop, but I'm just not feeling it right now. There will come a time where I'm in the "rap mood" again but as of right now please stop forcing it up on me. The song was good today but could you maybe choose something tomorrow that better fits my music patterns? Thanks for listening to me and continue being awesome.
Awesomely Yours
Kevin
Can't Knock The Hustle
Something must be wrong. It's currently 9:48 at night and I am just now having my first Arizona Iced Tea. Usually it's one in the morning and then another late afternoon and sometimes (depending on how crazy I'm feeling of course) a final one when I gets home from work. I have a problem. To counter act the large amounts of iced tea I do drink a lot of water (to protect my kidneys and all) but lately I don't know if I'm keeping up with my large iced tea in take. Things to consider. Drink more water and maybe less Arizona? Hmmmm...
A full day has passed since the release of O.A.R.'s new album King and I'd say I've listened to it one and a half times (I jumped around a bit). Intital reaction... I really like it. It's definately a return to form, it's got the reggae undertones and upbeat feeling that I associate with O.A.R. music. This is something that pleases me. I want to listen to it again fully a couple of more times before I fully fall in love with it, but as of 9:51 today and I'm happy.
We're not here to talk about O.A.R.'s new album though. Yesterday we got ourselves a little bit of Biggie (I think that might be an unintential oxymoron) and today my ipod chose to stay in the same gangsta vein by giving us some Jay-Z.
Now I have no plans on knocking the hustle (pun intended here) but that Carlito's Way like intro probably would have worked a little better if Jay-Z had probably used an actual line from Carlito's Way. Although I do appreciate the effort. Every turns to Scarface for their latin, Al Pacino gangster ways and often forget about this masterpiece. Carlito's Way may not have the quoting magnitude that Scarface has but for Gods sake couldn't we have taken an actual piece of the movie instead of getting this guy at the start of the song who sounds like he's doing a bad impression of Al Pacino's bad impression of a latin person? But I digress.
Can' Knock the Hustle is made by Mary J's hook here. There's no mistaking that Jay-Z's rhymes and flow here are top notch (when aren't they though?) but that hook brings the song together. It's the foundation. I don't know how many of you have heard Jay-Z's Unplugged album (the Roots play as his band for the night), but the version of Can't Knock the Hustle is pretty awesome. As a matter of fact that whole Unplugged album is pretty awesome. You wouldn't think that a rap unplugged would be able to work but Jay-Z pulls it off. I think it has a lot to do with the Roots kicking out the jams.
Speaking of MTV I believe yesterday was it's 30th birthday. It's a milestone no doubt but I thought you stopped really celebrating birthdays when the thing died (oh snap!). Yes I know MTV still exists but not in the same capacity that it once did. Growing up MTV was everything, acutally music videos were everything. That time has passed. MTV has become less and less and less about the music and more about the crappy reality TV craze. Shows like Road Rules and the Real World used to be the minority, not it's all the station shows. I actually take offense to the fact that they still have the VMA's. How is it possible to dedicate a three hour show to music videos when your station only plays them at one o'clock in the morning?! So yes lets celebrate the fact that MTV has turned 30 but lets be realist here. The only music that can be heard there anymore is the crappy pop crap that they use during reality TV montages. Makes my 90's self sick.
A full day has passed since the release of O.A.R.'s new album King and I'd say I've listened to it one and a half times (I jumped around a bit). Intital reaction... I really like it. It's definately a return to form, it's got the reggae undertones and upbeat feeling that I associate with O.A.R. music. This is something that pleases me. I want to listen to it again fully a couple of more times before I fully fall in love with it, but as of 9:51 today and I'm happy.
We're not here to talk about O.A.R.'s new album though. Yesterday we got ourselves a little bit of Biggie (I think that might be an unintential oxymoron) and today my ipod chose to stay in the same gangsta vein by giving us some Jay-Z.
Now I have no plans on knocking the hustle (pun intended here) but that Carlito's Way like intro probably would have worked a little better if Jay-Z had probably used an actual line from Carlito's Way. Although I do appreciate the effort. Every turns to Scarface for their latin, Al Pacino gangster ways and often forget about this masterpiece. Carlito's Way may not have the quoting magnitude that Scarface has but for Gods sake couldn't we have taken an actual piece of the movie instead of getting this guy at the start of the song who sounds like he's doing a bad impression of Al Pacino's bad impression of a latin person? But I digress.
Can' Knock the Hustle is made by Mary J's hook here. There's no mistaking that Jay-Z's rhymes and flow here are top notch (when aren't they though?) but that hook brings the song together. It's the foundation. I don't know how many of you have heard Jay-Z's Unplugged album (the Roots play as his band for the night), but the version of Can't Knock the Hustle is pretty awesome. As a matter of fact that whole Unplugged album is pretty awesome. You wouldn't think that a rap unplugged would be able to work but Jay-Z pulls it off. I think it has a lot to do with the Roots kicking out the jams.
Speaking of MTV I believe yesterday was it's 30th birthday. It's a milestone no doubt but I thought you stopped really celebrating birthdays when the thing died (oh snap!). Yes I know MTV still exists but not in the same capacity that it once did. Growing up MTV was everything, acutally music videos were everything. That time has passed. MTV has become less and less and less about the music and more about the crappy reality TV craze. Shows like Road Rules and the Real World used to be the minority, not it's all the station shows. I actually take offense to the fact that they still have the VMA's. How is it possible to dedicate a three hour show to music videos when your station only plays them at one o'clock in the morning?! So yes lets celebrate the fact that MTV has turned 30 but lets be realist here. The only music that can be heard there anymore is the crappy pop crap that they use during reality TV montages. Makes my 90's self sick.
Biggie Smalls Is the Illest
Can you remember the first album that you listened to that made you a fan of a certain genre of music? Like the first time you listened to Sgt. Pepper's or Nevermind and understanding that this was the type of music that would follow you for the rest of your life. I had listened to plenty of rap songs when I was in high school and I thought they were cool enough, but the first rap album I ever truly listened to made me understand the awesomeness that was hip hop.
Ready To Die was the first real hip hop album I had ever listened to and I was instantly sucked in. People talk all the time about the best debut albums and I think that Ready To Die should be mentioned more in the conversation. From start to finish Ready To Die takes you on a hip hop journey that holds your speakers hostage for over an hour. It was enough to make me understand that there was more to rap then just listening to songs, that the albums could totally rock.
I like that Ready To Die is the title track of the album but it's song six. It probably sounds kind of silly but I hate when the title track is the first song on the album. I'm not really sure how to explain I just feel that we should work our way to the song that was the basis of the album. Don't just hand it out at the start. Let's build up to it so when it does play it packs the impact that it deserves. The listener should be like "damn this song is totally worth naming the album after".
Biggie's slow, deliberate delivery here is excellent. Each phrase, each word just rolls through you speaker and into your ears. There's a fierceness to the way he rapped and the stories that he told that just captivates you. Biggie is one of best story tellers in hip hop and when I'm listening I'm instantly pulled into his world. It doesn't sound ridiculous or forced (like some of 50 cent's stuff), it's authentic and real. It almost makes me want to have grown up on the street... almost.
Listening to Ready To Die (the song not the entire album- I was too busy listening to O.A.R.'s King all day) brought me back to high school. I kept thinking about track meets and listening to rap mixes on my walkmen to get myself pumped up for the race. Yes I said walkmen. What was better than making a mix tape? That's right... nothing.
Favorite Line From Song: I got techniques drippin out my buttcheeks/Sleep on my stomach so I don't fuck up my sheets (awesomely hysterical)
Ready To Die was the first real hip hop album I had ever listened to and I was instantly sucked in. People talk all the time about the best debut albums and I think that Ready To Die should be mentioned more in the conversation. From start to finish Ready To Die takes you on a hip hop journey that holds your speakers hostage for over an hour. It was enough to make me understand that there was more to rap then just listening to songs, that the albums could totally rock.
I like that Ready To Die is the title track of the album but it's song six. It probably sounds kind of silly but I hate when the title track is the first song on the album. I'm not really sure how to explain I just feel that we should work our way to the song that was the basis of the album. Don't just hand it out at the start. Let's build up to it so when it does play it packs the impact that it deserves. The listener should be like "damn this song is totally worth naming the album after".
Biggie's slow, deliberate delivery here is excellent. Each phrase, each word just rolls through you speaker and into your ears. There's a fierceness to the way he rapped and the stories that he told that just captivates you. Biggie is one of best story tellers in hip hop and when I'm listening I'm instantly pulled into his world. It doesn't sound ridiculous or forced (like some of 50 cent's stuff), it's authentic and real. It almost makes me want to have grown up on the street... almost.
Listening to Ready To Die (the song not the entire album- I was too busy listening to O.A.R.'s King all day) brought me back to high school. I kept thinking about track meets and listening to rap mixes on my walkmen to get myself pumped up for the race. Yes I said walkmen. What was better than making a mix tape? That's right... nothing.
Favorite Line From Song: I got techniques drippin out my buttcheeks/Sleep on my stomach so I don't fuck up my sheets (awesomely hysterical)
On The Eve of New O.A.R. Album
Shhhhhh it's 11 o'clock and I just downloaded the new O.A.R. album King. Don't tell itunes. Actually I'm getting ahead of myself. Let us flashback to this morning.
7:45 This Morning
Our hero finds himself in his car. He's been on the road since 7:15 and the reception of sports radio has been getting on his nerves. Too much static and the FM station that the Mike and Mike program is usually on is currently spouting religious music (at least that's what he believes since he's not hanging around to find out). So what does one do when frustrated with morning radio... they turn to their ipod.
Our hero sets up his ipod to play and waits for a commerical. Even through his frustration he sticks to his routine. He hits shuffle and waits...
O.A.R.'s Delicate Few starts to play through his speakers as our hero reaches for the volume. He doesn't care how early it this song needs to be played loudly. As a matter of fact Delicate Few would make our heroes top five favorite O.A.R. songs. Although he prefers the live version (the crowd participation at the beginning of the song is good fun for all) he has no complaints with the studio version.
Return To Present
,
I found the playing of Delicate Few as a good omen. With the new O.A.R. album coming out tomorrow (shhhhh really 11 o'clock tonight) I've tried really hard not to be excited, but right now I can't help it. I need this album to be good. My relationship with the band hangs in the balance. If this turns out to be a mess and a re-hashing of 90210 themes I can't be held responsible for what comes next. But the Delicate Few omen and the fact that Taking On the World Today is a pretty good track has me feeling a little giddy. On top of that I've really enjoyed the Rolling In the Deep cover. It's almost like my band is coming back, but again I refuse to get excited. I can't make it through that kind of let down.
I downloaded the delux album (it had something like four bonus tracks attached to it and I recognized one or two of them as older O.A.R. songs which is has me pretty pumped to hear them recorded), and will be waiting until tomorrow to listen to the album. I don't want to start playing it now when I won't be able to fully appreciate it. Plus lets be honest here, listening to an album for the first time always sounds better when listening in your car (second helping should be done through headphones and third listening can be done within your home). I'm nervous.
But lets just focus on the past... for a minute. The great thing about Delicate Few is it's actually two songs. For me the first half of the song is probably the best (especially live) but the second half is just as good because it gets you up and dancing. The band has actually been known to perform City On Down and have it lead into the second half of Delicate Few. This is enjoyable but I prefer the song whole.
It's tough to find a good live version of Delicate Few. I want the crowd to be loud at the start and sometimes you find versions where the crowd doesn't know all of the words and it just sounds like a jumbled mess. I think the first time O.A.R. played the Garden might be the best version of the song. Maybe though. I need to do my research on this. I'm hoping that King holds on to these principals and doesn't leave me pissed off in my car tomorrow morning.
Random Music Note:
To make tomorrow even better the Foo Fighters released a six song EP from their live itunes show in London. They've been streaming it forever through itunes and it was ticking me off that everyone else who played the festival got to put their show out on record, so I'm pretty happy to have these six tracks despite the fact that it isn't the full show. I've been looking for a live Foo Fighters album for awhile (outside of Skin and Bones) and this will satisfy those needs for now. I have to get my brother in-law, Paul, to record the Wimbledon show to his computer. Things to remember. So if O.A.R. blows I've got Foo Fighters goodness to fall back on. The Summer of Foo continues!!! (Random Note- I finally bought the Back and Forth documentary yesterday. Watch it... right now).
7:45 This Morning
Our hero finds himself in his car. He's been on the road since 7:15 and the reception of sports radio has been getting on his nerves. Too much static and the FM station that the Mike and Mike program is usually on is currently spouting religious music (at least that's what he believes since he's not hanging around to find out). So what does one do when frustrated with morning radio... they turn to their ipod.
Our hero sets up his ipod to play and waits for a commerical. Even through his frustration he sticks to his routine. He hits shuffle and waits...
O.A.R.'s Delicate Few starts to play through his speakers as our hero reaches for the volume. He doesn't care how early it this song needs to be played loudly. As a matter of fact Delicate Few would make our heroes top five favorite O.A.R. songs. Although he prefers the live version (the crowd participation at the beginning of the song is good fun for all) he has no complaints with the studio version.
Return To Present
,
I found the playing of Delicate Few as a good omen. With the new O.A.R. album coming out tomorrow (shhhhh really 11 o'clock tonight) I've tried really hard not to be excited, but right now I can't help it. I need this album to be good. My relationship with the band hangs in the balance. If this turns out to be a mess and a re-hashing of 90210 themes I can't be held responsible for what comes next. But the Delicate Few omen and the fact that Taking On the World Today is a pretty good track has me feeling a little giddy. On top of that I've really enjoyed the Rolling In the Deep cover. It's almost like my band is coming back, but again I refuse to get excited. I can't make it through that kind of let down.
I downloaded the delux album (it had something like four bonus tracks attached to it and I recognized one or two of them as older O.A.R. songs which is has me pretty pumped to hear them recorded), and will be waiting until tomorrow to listen to the album. I don't want to start playing it now when I won't be able to fully appreciate it. Plus lets be honest here, listening to an album for the first time always sounds better when listening in your car (second helping should be done through headphones and third listening can be done within your home). I'm nervous.
But lets just focus on the past... for a minute. The great thing about Delicate Few is it's actually two songs. For me the first half of the song is probably the best (especially live) but the second half is just as good because it gets you up and dancing. The band has actually been known to perform City On Down and have it lead into the second half of Delicate Few. This is enjoyable but I prefer the song whole.
It's tough to find a good live version of Delicate Few. I want the crowd to be loud at the start and sometimes you find versions where the crowd doesn't know all of the words and it just sounds like a jumbled mess. I think the first time O.A.R. played the Garden might be the best version of the song. Maybe though. I need to do my research on this. I'm hoping that King holds on to these principals and doesn't leave me pissed off in my car tomorrow morning.
Random Music Note:
To make tomorrow even better the Foo Fighters released a six song EP from their live itunes show in London. They've been streaming it forever through itunes and it was ticking me off that everyone else who played the festival got to put their show out on record, so I'm pretty happy to have these six tracks despite the fact that it isn't the full show. I've been looking for a live Foo Fighters album for awhile (outside of Skin and Bones) and this will satisfy those needs for now. I have to get my brother in-law, Paul, to record the Wimbledon show to his computer. Things to remember. So if O.A.R. blows I've got Foo Fighters goodness to fall back on. The Summer of Foo continues!!! (Random Note- I finally bought the Back and Forth documentary yesterday. Watch it... right now).
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