5 Song Shuffle Vol. 8

My iTunes library, as of September 30, 2010, has 20,723 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 eighth in at least a 4,000 part series.

Song #1 - "Debra Kadabra" - Captain Beefheart/Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention

If Zappa and Beefheart had a regular band, it might've been the greatest band ever. This comes from Bongo Fury, their joint album from 1975, but they worked together a lot - Zappa produced the infamous Trout Mask Replica for Beefheart, the Cap sang on "Willie the Pimp" on Zappa's Hot Rats. Zappa is dead, but Beefheart (or the actual guy, Don Van Vliet) is still alive, but has retired from music completely. Definitely not for the faint or heart or the unadventurous - but i love this.

Song #2 - "Heart Attack Man" - Beastie Boys

I think this song is pretty much the reason why people say that Ill Communication is full of fluff - the first half is a drunken recording, and the second is the lesser of the hardcore songs on the record. Most people slag on this Beasties album, but it was the first one i got, and i still love it very, very much. Bought this at Flipside Records in Closter in, i'm guessing, 1995. The end-ish of the song, when they drop the hardcore beat is the best part.

Song #3 - "Thanks for the Killer Game of Crisco Twister" - Minus the Bear

Ah, rum and coke - that is what this song reminds me of. In 2002, my friend Jeff Cech and i were the two representatives from WdSR in Pittsburgh at the CMJ Music Marathon in New York City. This reminds me of our last night there. We went to a party thrown by some company i can't remember (but i do remember meeting my rep with that company, Liz, who was super cute and handing out drink tickets), and Minus the Bear was one of the bands playing, and the only one that really mattered to me. I was transfixed by the band, partly because of the large amounts of rum and coke i had ingested, but also because they're really good. Other memories from that trip: Jeff chasing a subway rat at 3am, he and i wanting to get "CMJ girlfriends" (basically girlfriends for the 4 days in NYC), only to both pick the same girl as our potential CMJ girlfriend and her not really care about either of us, seeing VHS or Beta our first night there, getting fake IDs, and i think staying at the Hotel Pennsylvania. I might be making that last part up - i know we stayed there the next year. When i got back to Pittsburgh, i begged the aforementioned Liz for two copies of the Minus the Bear record - one for the station, and one for me. I still have the station copy of Highly Refined Pirates, because she only sent one. Sorry, WdSR!

Song #4 - "Gratitude" - Beastie Boys

From Check Your Head, the Beasties album i listen to the least of the classic 4 (to me, the classic 4 are Paul's Boutique, Check Your Head, Ill Communication and Hello Nasty - the rest i could live without), but one that features their best instrumental playing, probably because Money Mark plays keys all over this album. It's funny how the Beasties are such an NYC band, but this and Paul's Boutique were both recorded on the West Coast. This song is pretty great, but its video is pretty lame, which is rare for a Beasties video. 2 Beasties songs in this shuffle, eh?

Song #5 - "Is This What They Used to Call Love?" - The Magnetic Fields

My friend Dan D'Ippolito turned me onto the Magnetic Fields with their The Charm of the Highway Strip record, but that record has yet to win me over as much as everything they've done afterwards has. This is from i, their record of songs that all begin with the letter i. This is sort of the transitional album between 69 Love Songs and the two-sides of the same coin Distortion and Naturalism, and it is probably their most solid single disc. The highs aren't as high and the lows aren't as low, but it is a really pleasant 14 songs. Stephin Merritt is one of the best lyricists working today, and this song is a fine example of why. He's also a very underrated vocalist, as this track also shows.

'Til next time,
Brian

Volumes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7

Fall Mix 2010

Every season, i make a mix for friends/family to enjoy. This year's Fall Mix is called "The Only Thing on TV is the Good Morning News." It has 22 tracks, and i like it quite a bit. Let me know if you want one in the comments.

Brian

5 Song Shuffle Vol. 7

My iTunes library, as of September 29, 2010, has 20,723 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 seventh in at least a 4,000 part series.

Song #1 - "Go Get a Wig" - The Ideals

This is from a compilation called Jump and Shout that i got from donating to WFMU in 2005 - its a really great collection of late 50's/early 60's rock and soul stuff. Based on the title, you can guess what the song is about - needing to get a wig.

Song #2 - "It Ain't Easy" - David Bowie

Maybe my least favorite song from The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars, but even saying that, it is a pretty good song. I'm saying nothing new here, but Bowie is one of those artists that's quality fluctuates so extremely from project to project, and even from song to song sometimes. People always say that Madonna is always changing, but Bowie makes Madonna look stagnant.

Song #3 - "Shwingalocate" - De La Soul

Almost all of De La Soul's catalog, somehow, is out of print. So i had to track down this album, De La Soul is Dead, as well as Three Feet High and Rising, their two most acclaimed albums, online via some mp3 blogs.. I've heard so many good things about De La Soul from smart hip hop fans - yet, i'm not blown away by their stuff. I like it, and i see why in 1992 this would've been the coolest thing to play at a party, but it hasn't changed my life. I also fully admit that i haven't spent a ton of time with this record, and it probably deserves more of my attention than i give it. What's funny about hip hop, to me, is that the really good stuff is meant to sound improvised/tossed off, but requires a lot of time with it to really absorb it, whereas the super-slick produced FM radio hip hop sounds great the first few times you hear it, then becomes unbearably boring.

Song #4 - "Tales of the Exonerated Flea" - Horacee Arnold

This is the title track from this album, but out by Rock and Groove Records which, for a short time, was both a store and a reissue label. I have 2 of the 4 records they reissued (this one and Bell & Arc, another self-titled release) - this one is a jazz-fusion record with some of the best jazz flute this side of Ron Burgandy. I used one of the other songs on this on my Fall mix, which i will write about later today (i promise).

Song #5 -"Punahele" - Sonny Lin

With an iTunes gift card, the day after the 2004 Grammy Awards, i bought this compilation, Slack Key Guitar, Vol. 2. I was inspired by the open-tuning, finger picked stuff i had heard during the brief clip they played at the Grammys, so i took a chance on the album. It is a nice record, but one i rarely listen to. Very mellow - almost John Fahey-like in parts.

'Til next time,
Brian

Volumes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6

5 Song Shuffle Vol. 6

My iTunes library, as of September 26, 2010, has 20,686 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 sixth in at least a 4,000 part series.

Song #1 - "Wake Up Call" - They Might Be Giants

From their first album intended for children, No!, which Erin and i got at a bingo event at my work. A quasi-instrumental with a nice bass line from the always tasteful Danny Weinkauf. Not much to say - the track is less than 2 minutes long without a B section.

Song #2 - "Tight Black Rubber (solo)" - Black Francis

From the first of two (so far) live shows released on USB drive, Live at the Hotel Utah Saloon. This track starts with a nice little bit of stage banter about the Six Million Dollar Man. I like this version of the song quite a bit, possibly more than the studio version from Bluefinger. In fact, i think this may have been recorded before the studio version was even released - some real nice guitar playing on this version - i wouldn't think that singer + solo distorted electric guitar would be a combination i'd necessarily like, but BF makes it work.

Song #3 - "Humboldt County Massacre" - Frank Black and the Catholics

Again, a double up of Charles Thompson songs. I fucking love this song - a near-perfect 1:43. A song about exactly what the title says - a massacre of the Wiyot Indians by white people in Humboldt County, CA. There is a longer, mellower version that i like even more than this one, but this is such a trim, lean piece of songwriting, it makes my head spin. On the b-sides compilation One More Road for the Hit - the first full album i ever bought off iTunes.

Song #4 - "Demon Seed" - Nine Inch Nails

One of the tracks from The Slip, the free NIN album Trent Reznor put on his website in 2008. NIN is a band that i really respect but rarely play, yet whenever i hear their stuff i always wonder why i don't play it more. This track is no exception - brilliantly interlocking instruments with some near-whispered vocals. One of the few musicians that i'd put in the Prince category of genius - that is to say, he doesn't need anyone but himself to make a masterpiece. This track builds almost exclusively through the voice getting more and more pronounced, and then a distorted guitar/synth (i can't really tell how the sound originated, but i know it has a lot of distortion on it) - it also has a few nice sections where the tension releases, only to be built right back up. The middle/end of the track loses momentum for me a little bit with an extended breakdown that i don't think accomplishes what it sets out to. But the very end of the track (which also ends the album) closes things out nice and abruptly.

Track #5 - "La Puerta Negra" - Tigres de Norte

My friend Denis made a mix called "Soundtrack to Tacos" of traditional Mexican music. This is one of those songs. Not particularly my cup of tea, but it makes nice mood music on Cinco de Mayo. That being said, both Mexican and Italian music makes me want to take the accordion out of my closet and try and actually play it one of these days. I want to be one of those old men who breaks out the accordion at a family party and sings songs from the old country. Of course, by the time i'm an old man, the "old country" would be at least 150 years removed from my family. I don't care though, i'll be rocking out in my guinea-tee, blue jeans and fat guy hat.

'Til next time,
B

Volumes 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

5 Song Shuffle Vol. 5

My iTunes library, as of September 25, 2010, has 20,663 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 fifth in at least a 4,000 part series.

Song #1 - "Bo-Peep" - Hasidic New Wave

This is a really bizarre but great song from an equally bizarre but great album called From the Belly of Abraham. This album was given to me by Dan Bozek, bass player extraordinaire from Steubenville, OH. It combines a experimental jazz band that plays quasi-traditional Jewish klezmer music in its own inimitable way with (on this album only) a Senegalese percussion group. I love this song, and have put it on a many a mix for friends. The rhythm is a little tricky to tap your foot along with at times, but that is part of the charm. I've never sought out their other records, but have thought about it a few times.

Song #2 - "When I Go Deaf" - Low

This song is the penultimate song on the Fall 2010 Mix i just locked in last night (blog post about that on Monday). I truly love this song, even though i disagree vehemently with its central message ("When i go deaf/i won't even mind"). Going deaf is one of my biggest fears, and has made me into the guy who refuses to go to a loud show without ear plugs (a sensible idea, but not a very punk rock one). Although, to be fair, the song paints a pretty picture of being deaf, if that can be done, and is really a sweet quasi-love song. From the album The Great Destroyer.

Song #3 - "Lost and Lookin'" - Same Cooke

Just recently downloaded this out of print Sam Cooke album from the great music blog Saints and Singers. A few years ago my friend Dan D'Ippolito told me how into Sam Cooke he was, and since then i've wanted to investigate into his music more, but honestly, this is the first time i've heard this song since downloading the album. I like what i hear - obviously Cooke has an amazing voice, and it is pared with a very sparse arrangement. I will have to listen to all of Night Beat soon.

Song #4 - "Monkey Wrench" - Foo Fighters

The second track/first single from The Colour and the Shape, one of my all-time favorite albums. Its funny, the two bands that i was most into in high school were the Foo Fighters and Weezer, and both bands, in my eyes, lost sight of what made them great relatively early in their careers. I sometimes wonder if this is how some people felt when Rubber Soul came out - that the Beatles had simply lost their minds and were making this weirdo music now. Although both Weezer and the Foo Fighters didn't go the experimental, pushing farther direction, they did the opposite: they began to pander to the audience. But that doesn't make this song or album any less great - when i hear this song it still gets me pumped up and makes me want to drop my low-E string down to a D and play along. Plus that last verse has the really cook trick of sounding screamed without a breath - nice production, Gil Norton!

Song #5 - "Boat" - Marah

Marah is one of the best straight ahead bar-rock/classic rock/i don't know exactly how to describe them without sounding insulting bands in the world. All their songs sound like they were written to be played out of a jukebox, and that is a really cool attitude to making records. This sounds like it was recorded in a bar - i mean that in the best possible way. From their first record, Let's Cut the Crap and Hook Up Later On Tonight.

Til next time,
Brian

Vol. 1
Vol. 2
Vol. 3
Vol. 4

Episode 8: Dancing About Architecture

Brian and guests Glenn Page (of the Len Price 3) and writer Rob Sheffield discuss music from childhood to guilty pleasures to things that we absolutely can't live without. Also, comedy from Ken Beck and music from the Len Price 3.

To subscribe in iTunes, search for "Brian Salvatore" or "Enthusiasts' Radio Hour," or copy and paste this into iTunes under Advanced -> Subscribe to podcast:

http://mevio.com/feeds/enthuseyourself.xml

Or listen online at our host, Mevio:

http://enthuseyourself.mevio.com

Links:

The Len Price 3: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Len-Price-3/100847641702

Rob Sheffield: http://www.robsheffield.com

Ken Beck is part of CSO Comedy: http://www.csocomedy.com

Our Blog: enthuseyourself.blogspot.com

Our Email: enthuseyourself@gmail.com

Our Hotline: 206-222-2033

Brian's Twitter: @BrianNeedsANap

5 Song Shuffle Vol. 4

My iTunes library, as of September 23, 2010, has 20,618 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 fourth in at least a 4,000 part series.

PS - Just upgraded to iTunes 10 and blech is it an ugly gray mess.

Song #1 -"51-7" - Camper Van Beethoven

The day i bought this album was a momentous day in my life. After years of long hair, i shaved my head on a Sunday afternoon in October 2004, and then headed out to see CVB at Mexicali Blues in Teaneck. It was a warm-up gig for their upcoming tour, and it was epic. They did a first set where they did most of this album, New Roman Times, and then did a second all-request set. An amazing show. I bought this CD that night, and still think it is one of the best post-reunion albums i can think of for any band. Granted, parts of it (like this song) sound more like Cracker songs than CVB songs, but there is plenty of Camper to go around. I'm not really sure what it means to be "51-7," but i do love this song.

Song 2 - "Old John Amos" - Frank Black

This is an old Arthur Alexander song, and it comes from an Alexander tribute record, Adios Amigo. Frank Black is my favorite non-Beatle musician, but the production on this song (courtesy of Jon Tiven) really drags it down - its just so flat sounding and uninspired - the performances are pretty solid, but the record sounds like it is sub-karaoke level, sonically. Bought the album for under $5 used on Amazon - i paid too much.

Song 3 - "Pacer" - the Amps

The first track off of the only Amps album, Pacer. The Amps = the mid/late 90s Breeders minus Kelley Deal who was in rehab at the time. I love this record a lot - inspired, brief, consistent and fun. I'm probably the only person who feels the Breeders peaked with Title TK in 2002, and i think this is probably my second favorite Kim Deal-led album. Got this for Christmas in the mid-00s after having a bootleg copy for years.

Song 4 - "Pure Denizen of the Citizen's Band (acoustic)" - Frank Black

I knew one of these (if not many) would be dominated by Frank Black/Pixies/Breeders stuff, and here we go. This is from an amazing acoustic gig at McCabe's Guitar Shop in Santa Monica from 1996 - lots of great songs that are rarely still performed (and some that were rarely ever performed), well recorded, and FB is in a great mood on this recording. Sometimes in the solo acoustic format, he can stretch the songs a little too far, but here he stretches them just enough. A really great show, and pretty easy to track down online.

Song 5 - "She Cracked" - the Modern Lovers

Again, probably no one agrees with me, but i prefer Jonathan Richman for the first 5-10 years post-Modern Lovers. Not that i don't think this stuff (from The Modern Lovers) isn't great, because i'm not a moron. This is the missing link between the Stooges/Velvet Underground and punk, and more people should be aware of their only record. However, even more people should be aware of the first few Jojo albums post-this incarnation (Rock and Roll with the Modern Lovers and Back in Your Life especially). Richman is a fascinating dude and a really engaging performer. If you haven't seen him live, you're missing out. Who doesn't like songs in foreign languages, random dancing, a 2-man show (nylon string acoustic guitar and drums), and a speech pattern that is both child-like and Stallone-like? I have this song as part of a compilation, Home of the Hits! The Best of Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers.

New podcast coming later today, and then a Pavement show tonight.

Vol. 1
Vol. 2
Vol. 3

5 Song Shuffle Vol. 3

My iTunes library, as of September 21, 2010, has 20,548 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 third in at least a 4,000 part series.

Brian's Note: Last time i forgot to talk about how i got the albums - i'll try and not make the same mistake again.

PS: I'm going to try and do this column thrice a week.

Song #1 - "Either Way" - Wilco

The first song off of their "back to basics" 2007 album, Sky Blue Sky, this is a pleasant if not super song. Although this does start the trend on this album of having really strong second-halves of songs, which has everything to do with guitarist Nels Cline, appearing on his first Wilco studio record. Cline, a jazz-rock guitarist by trade, has some truly stunning, fascinatingly constructed solos that let Jeff Tweedy make the ends of his songs really interesting and not the boring "one chorus/fade out" that so many songs do post-guitar solo. I pre-ordered this album through the aforementioned Rock and Groove Records in Bergenfield, NJ, and got the "deluxe" edition that came with a DVD featuring some live performances in a studio. A nice little DVD, but probably not worth the extra $4-5 bucks it cost me.

Song #2 - "Two of Us" - The Beatles

From the 2009 remastered Let It Be. I first heard Let it Be on vinyl via my parents' record collection, but i most associate it with a cassette version i got at the late, great Flipside records in Closter, NJ in first grade (i think). I remember thinking how intimate this song sounded, of course not using that word, as i had no idea what intimate meant, i just felt that this song sounded like it was telling a story that really happened to Lennon and McCartney, and it represented friendship for me, as silly as that sounds. And i loved the banter at the beginning and end. I used to think that wearing raincoats was cool because of this song. The remaster sounds great.

Song #3 - "Futuristic Rhythm" - Ralph Carney's Serious Jass Project

Sadly, most people know Ralph from his nephew, Patrick, who plays drums in the Black Keys. Ralph is the man - he has played many of the horn parts on Tom Waits albums that you know and love. He's also played with Black Francis, Jonathan Richman, They Might Be Giants, and smart people everywhere. This is from his standards album (called, shockingly, Ralph Carney's Serious Jass Project), and it is a damn fine album at that. A really fun cocktail party record. Downloaded from eMusic before interviewing him for the FrankBlack.net podcast - one of the best fact-checking purchases ever.

Song 4 - "Mash" - J Dilla

Ah, Dilla, sampling Frank Zappa. I downloaded Donuts from eMusic after seemingly every person i trust musically raved about it. I don't love it as much as they do, mainly because i wish it were more filled out, but the scraps are all really enjoyable, and if i was a more ambitious musician, i would use these as the base for something else.

Song 5 - "Slow Down" - Backbeat Band

Ah, the Backbeat band - Greg Dulli, Dave Grohl, Thurston Moore, Mike Mills, et al. Assembled to provide the soundtrack to the (early Beatles bassist, painter, and tragic figure) Stuart Sutcliffe biopic Backbeat, this crack band recorded 12 songs the Beatles covered in their early days (they couldn't get rights to the originals, and the covers better fit the time period). They do it relatively straight too, only occasionally showing their indie-rock ambitions (like at the beginning of the guitar solo here). If i'm not mistaken, this was another Flipside purchase - in fact, from birth until probably sophomore year of high school 90% of my music was purchased there.

That was fun!

Vol. 1
Vol. 2

Contributing to the Contrast Podcast/I Need Callers

For the second episode in a row (check out the first one here), i'm a contributor to the Contrast Podcast. This is a show that has a weekly theme, and bloggers/podcasters send in submissions on that theme - so, for instance, on this week's episode, entitled Boiling and Steaming, i submitted Mike Watt's "Big Train," as i made the mental association between steam and a locomotive. Some submissions are very literal, others are more out there. I used to submit relatively frequently, but then took 2 years or so off from it, but i'm back, baby! Check it out here, and even if i'm not on an episode, it is one of the most entertaining podcasts out there.

Also, i need some callers for the next episode - this week's theme is music, and i'm specifically looking for people to call in with their favorite disposable pop song that time has forgotten. So come on fans of Snow, Ini Kamoze, and Nine Days - call in and leave a message (before Thursday) about your fandom! 206-222-2033.

B

5 Song Shuffle Vol. 2

My iTunes library, as of September 18, 2010, has 20,466 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 second in at least a 4,000 part series.

Song #1 - "Helen Butte" - Miles Davis

It is fitting that the first song this round is 16 minutes long, i started writing while my French Onion Soup is simmering on the stove, so this song will give me ample time to get it ready for consumption. This is from 1972's On The Corner record, which for my money is the best "Miles tries to do funk" record he made. (Good lord that soup turned out good!) Most unusual is the record's use of electric sitar throughout (for reals), as well as Miles playing his trumpet through a wah-wah pedal. A very enjoyable record (for me, more fun to listen to than the superior Bitches Brew, In A Silent Way and A Tribute to Jack Johnson - all those records have more depth than this, but for just a fun record, this wins for me). This track doesn't particularly stand out for me - the album is sort of same-sy throughout - but it is enjoyable nonetheless. Excellent tambourine playing, and that is a rare jazz compliment.

Song #2 - "Mod Lang" - Big Star

We shuffle forward 2 years for some good ol' Big Star. There is very little say about this band that hasn't already been said: influential, amazing power pop. The world is a lesser place since losing Alex Chilton earlier this year. I think that if people heard Big Star when they were 13 the way you year disposable pop music on the radio, we'd have a society of people with amazing taste. Alas, we have a society of people who buy snuggies for their dogs.

Song #3 - "Sie Liebt Dich" - The Beatles

The German-language version of "She Loves You" - need i say more?

Song #4 - "This is a Firedoor Never Leave Open" - The Weakerthans

One of the many great Canadian bands of the past decade (and the end of the nineties...) - amazing lyrics that elevate their songs to something much more than they would be instrumentally. Their vocalist, John K. Sampson, isn't the best singer or the most amazing melody writer, but they still remain one of my favorite bands. I'm usually a "lyrics are secondary" guy, but this band proves that wrong. This is from their Left and Leaving record, which i'm not as familiar with as i am the ones that followed, but it is a pleasant, intelligent song.

Song #5 - "Changing Partners" - Elvis Costello

Declan MacManus and i have a complicated relationship - as a songwriter, i think he's pretty great. As a vocalist (especially after 1982 or so), i grow tired of him very quickly. However, on last year's Secret, Profane and Sugarcane, i felt his voice so fit the old-timey country/string band style, that i didn't grow tired of it at all. Case in point is "Changing Partners," the last song on the record, which is a favorite of mine - the fact that i've even heard this song is a testament to his voice on this record (i don't think i've ever heard past track 6 or 7 on his When I Was Cruel record...). A short, sweet song.

'Til next time,
B

Vol. 1

High Praise From a Friend

Jeff Meyer, co-host of the Vital Signs Podcast, multi-time guest on the Enthusiasts' Radio Hour, and a friend of mine for nearly 20 years, has a new video blog, or vlog, and on his second episode he name-checks the ERH and this blog's new segment, the 5 Song Shuffle.



Jeff is a super thoughtful guy - i mean that both in the sense that he is full of thoughts, and those thoughts are really unique and interesting, and he is also a very nice, giving person. In this vlog, he talks about a period where we didn't hang out/talk very much and blames himself. Well, i think that we could each blame ourselves for the dissolving of our friendship. However, we were going into our freshmen year of high school - so, basically, full of raging hormones, teen angst, and other various annoying tendencies of 9th graders everywhere. And even though we lost touch for a spell, i don't think hard feelings were ever really present - at least, not for me. And since reconnecting, his friendship has been one of the most satisfying in my life, and i'm super grateful for the opportunity to chat whenever we get the chance. So please, check out his stuff - you will be entertained and learn something.

Thanks again, Jeff.

5 Song Shuffle Vol. 1

My iTunes library, as of September 15, 2010, has 20,343 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 first in at least a 4,000 part series.

Song #1 - "Sweet Samsara Pt. 1" - Miho Hatori

Miho Hatori was once a member of Cibo Matto, who i investigated due to their association with Sean Lennon, who i really dig. I enjoy just about everything associated with the band, and this is no exception. If memory serves, i bought this at the second, and final, location of Rock and Groove records, in Bergenfield, NJ. At this point, the store was a hidden, basement office turned into specialty shop. I believe i bought this from the $1 promo box. Totally worth it. Lots of cool percussion on this song, Hatori nails the vocal as well. Certainly an album that deserves me going back to and listening to in more detail. Oh, and yes, there is a Pt. 2.

Song #2 - "Good Golly, Miss Molly" - Little Richard

I had tweeted earlier this summer that Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis might be the two artists i've gotten into the most this year. LR just sounds so unbelievably raw and in the moment on this song - i'd be hard pressed to name a vocalist i'd rather hear sing anything (well, maybe Neko Case...) - whoever his backing band was at this time, bravo. Downloaded Little Richard's Greatest Hits earlier this year.

Song #3 - "Cohesion" - Minutemen

An instrumental, nylon-stringed guitar interlude from Double Nickels on the Dime. It is pleasant, and works really well in the context of the record, and would probably be a nice pallet-cleanser on a future mix of mine - just long enough at 1:57 - any more would get boring. Bought this album in college, although have gone back and downloaded various other versions to try and Frankenstein together a "complete" version, as the CD and vinyl have differing tracklistings.

Song #4 - "Room 13" - the Dirty Projectors

The short version: DP frontman Dave Longstreth hadn't heard Black Flag's Rise Above record in approximately 15 years, and decided to reimagine all of the songs from memory, without consulting the original record. So, this "song by song" cover record is missing a few songs, and sounds nothing at all like Black Flag. This is the record that got me into the Dirty Projectors, but after last year's amazing Bitte Orca, everything else they've done sounds like stepping stones to that. This song features lots of lovely harmonies and ethereal vocals, and then the distortion comes in. This band plays with rhythms better than almost anyone else this side of the Bad Plus, and the tail end of the song is disjointed rhythmically, but still works, that is until the synth strings come into play. One of many eMusic grabs.

Song #5 - "Yes" by Morphine

Morphine is a band that i've been slowly getting into for 15 years now, with last year probably being the height of my Morphine fandom. Many of my friends hate this band - i don't know what's not to like - amazing drums and sax, 2-string slide bass, and the magnetic Mark Sandman - one of the most distinctive alternative rock voices ever. Just barely over 2 minutes, it gets in and gets out before you can ever properly groove to this. Bought this album on CD in high school (i think from Soundtrack Records in Dumont).

Episode 7: Class Act

This week, we discuss the start of the school year, while looking back at Brian's freshmen year in college - plus, music from Marnie Stern, comedy from Ken Beck, and more!

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Marnie Stern: http://www.killrockstars.com/artists/viewartist.php?aname=marnie%20stern

Ken Beck is part of the Casual Sex Offenders: http://www.csocomedy.com

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