Tuesday, December 7, 2010

5 Song Shuffle Vol. 16 - The "I've Gotta Get Most Consistent With These" Edition


My iTunes library, as of December 7, 2010, has 21, 218 songs in it. Some are novelty downloads, some i have because i'm a completionist, some i rarely (if have ever) listened to. So, in this new blog segment, i will let shuffle pick out random songs (without personal editing to hide embarrasing and/or lame songs), and i will write about what i think of them, plus any details i an give about how it was procured. At current rate (and if my iTunes never repeats a song...) this will be the sixteenth in at least a 4,000 part series.


Song #1 - "Temecula Sunrise" - The Dirty Projectors

I may have said this here already (i definitely said it somewhere), but the Dirty Projectors are pretty much the band i would have started had i a) more talent b) more ambition c) better skills of articulation d) friends who would be into it. It has hints of all good things - jazz, traditional rock and roll, odd time signatures, male/female vocal counterpoint, great percussion, a clear influence of Os Mutantes, and yet it remains melodic - difficult for sure, but melodic. Only a few friends listen to my podcast, but fewer friends would listen to my band if i was in the Dirty Projectors. I particularly dig this song, which i often get stuck in my head (although i'm not really sure how such a knotty/off-kilter melody can get stuck in my head alongside the simplistic melodies that usually occupy space there). From the best thing i downloaded from eMusic in 2009 (maybe), Bitte Orca.

Song#2 - "Listen" - Bill Frisell

An interesting follow up to the DPs song, this is from Frisell's The Intercontinentals record, which is a really pleasant record - sort of jazz mixed with really strong melodies and some Brazilian instrumentation. This track is a little too smooth for my tastes and tends to go on a bit too long. I only own two Frisell records (not counting guest appearances and/or his duet record with Petra Haden), and while this one is more consistent, i always turn to the Bill Frisell Quartet record because it is just much more exciting to me. Plus, that one has more tuba. And, as Jeff Meyer can attest, more tuba usually equals more awesome.

Song #3 - "Elmerson, Lincoln and Palmieri" - Tortoise

Back in 2006, i went solo to the Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago. And for some reason, one of only 3 or 4 records i bought on that trip was this box-set of rare/unreleased/remixed Tortoise stuff, A Lazarus Taxon. I mean, i owned one or two Tortoise records before i went, but i felt i NEEDED THIS SO FUCKING BAD, and i really don't know why. That being said, i dig this track a lot, but i know very little about it. Nice and short (2:40), too. I should use more of this stuff as sorbets on my mixes.. Oh, and i think the title may be a slight pun on Emerson, Lake and Palmer, but i don't know who Elmerson, Lincoln and Palmieri are...

Song #4 - "Oh! Sweet Nuthin'" - The Velvet Underground

What a great song. If Moe Tucker played on this album it might be TOO good, so it is a good thing she got knocked up beforehand. This has been used in at least 2 movies i can think of (High Fidelity, after Rob finds out that Laura slept with Ian "What Fucking Ian Guy" Raymond [i think it is that scene, and not when Rob is walking in the rain after Laura's dad's funeral, i can't really remember], and a shitty cover of this by some band featuring Mike McCready from Pearl Jam in The Cable Guy). I particularly love the backing vocals and guitar solo. If you don't own this song, go spend less than a cup of coffee and get it on iTunes, you fool (sorry, in a harsh mood tonight i guess...). I have this on two albums in my iTunes, but this time it got shuffled from the High Fidelity soundtrack, which is good, but not as good as a soundtrack to a film about great music should be. Bought this senior year of high school, right after dragging a then-girlfriend to this movie, which she didn't like. Should've known then it would never work out (and it didn't).

Song # 5 - "Glad I'm Not in Russia" - Angst

A band i only know about because i've talked to Frank Black about them (he even wrote a song about them called, shockingly "Angst"). All their albums came out on SST Records and all are/were out of print. This is a weird song about Russians not being free. I don't know enough of the context of this band and their politics to see if this is meant tongue in cheek. I'd assume so, especially because of the faux-country vocals. This doesn't represent the band all that well. This is from Lite Life, which came out in 1985.

And with that, i bid you goodnight.

'Til next time,
Brian

Volumes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15

1 comment:

  1. I'm kinda glad the Billy Yule played stock drums on Loaded. I also like that the last Velvet Underground show (as captured by Live at Max's Kansas City) had the band go out with a whimper rather than a bang. It was perfect because the songs were perfect and the band was perfect. The close of the band captured the same drama that was in the music. Even their swan song on Loaded wasn't sung by their frontman but sung by Doug Yule. That redefines what success means to me. Yeah Lou sang Rock and Roll and Sweet Jane but I don't care that much. I care about Oh! Sweet Nuthin'.

    I'm glad that the ol' iPod shuffle did you right, that the stars aligned and the fates smiled kindly on you. That's somethin'.

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