Archive | January, 2009


31 Jan



Song 804- “Sunshine” by Aerosmith



30 Jan

Can you guess the connection between the songs in posts 801, 802, 803 and 804? (This theme inspired by my favorite podcast- Podquiz!)

I am big on the lyrics. I’ve been a songwriter for quite a long time and when I listen to songs, many times it’s the lyrics that will keep me hanging on. Take for instance, my odd recent love for the song “Still Alive” by GlaDOS. Musically, it’s not much. Lyrically, it completely engaging. And the genre that I focus on the lyrics on most with is, of course, rap. When you’ve got just a sample running, you had better have some great lyrical content if you wanna keep me around. Some rappers do a better job of it than others. Rappers like Guru and Eminem have pulled me into songs by weaving great lyrics, while rappers like Kanye have lost me thanks to their crap lyrics (I’d do anything for a blond dyke?!). Everlast isn’t the greatest rapper of all time but his work with House of Pain often had moments of greatness. My favorite of them being the song “Fed Up”. Surprised that it’s not “Jump Around”? While I will always have fond memories of being one of the first kids in my neighborhood to play the song (including me & my friends blaring it at a party and jumping around to confused stares from the uninitiated), “Fed Up” has the lyrical strength that keeps me coming back.

Song 803- “Fed Up” by House of Pain


29 Jan

Remember that for this theme, there is an underlying connection between the four songs (as inspired by Podquiz).

Last year brought the world what was supposed to be the big return of REM. They released the album “Accelerate” and it was touted as the big comeback for the Athens, GA band. The last real big hit they had was the song “Imitation of Life” in 2001. Did the album hit? I don’t really think so. Nothing ever impressed me. Songs like “Supernatural Superserious” and “Living Well is the Best Revenge” did nothing for me. The reviewers out there thought the album was a work of genius but for me, I prefer old school R.E.M. and I don’t just mean “Automatic for the People” and “Out of Time”, the big early 90’s hits. I spend a chunk of teenhood exploring the early part of the R.E.M. catalog and finding a few gems that I enjoyed. That included…

Song 802- “So. Central Rain” by R.E.M.


28 Jan

I think this next theme will be dedicated to my favorite Podcast, Podquiz. If you don’t know what Podquiz is, allow me to explain. It’s a weekly quiz show that can be found at, that is separated into 4 parts, each part is 5 questions long. Parts 2 & 4 can be questions on anything. Themes for those parts have varied from communications to history to television to the natural world. Those 2 parts, you never know what you’ll get. Part 3 is usual either some sort of audio quiz (what’s that sound? Does it have fur or feathers? What language are they speaking?). And Part 1 is always a music round. The music round is sometimes Mangled by MIDI. Sometimes it’s songs backwards, but most often it’s a connections music round where there are 4 songs and you have to guess the songs and the connection between them.

Now, this isn’t going to be a quiz. I’m going to tell you what all four songs are but can you figure out what the connection is between the 4 songs?

The first song is a tune by one of my favorite Songfight bands, Pumpkin Buzzard. Their song defies any type of description because they are true experimentalists. The song I’m choosing today is from their album, Mantis Antler. The album is very intriguing because it starts with a song at 70 BPM and each song goes up 10 BPM until it reaches 300 BPM!!!

Song 801- “Joy Scissors” by Pumpkin Buzzard


27 Jan

Wow, 800 posts. Thanks to everyone who checks out this li’l blog.

It’s the final day of my theme all about Pitchfork’s Top 40 music videos of 2008. So far, I’ve talked about Arcade Fire weirdness, artsy porn, censored 70’s style nudes and Allison Goldfrapp romping with tree people. How do you culminate a theme like that? With a word problem, of course.

What do you get when you mix someone lip synching O-Zone, a dramatic chipmunk, a ninja who doesn’t have his act together, an explosive science experiment, catching eye glasses with your face, 80’s cartoon public service announcements, way too many t-shirts on one body, a way too emo Britney fan, bad video game translations, a beauty queen with a lightsaber, the history of dance, a Southern dance craze, a deep voice singer singing about candy precipitation, Mr. Britney Spears, written-on hands and bodies, a hottie in multicolored socks, a shoe obsessed cross-dresser, lightsaber choreography, a panda birth, a fruit with maracas, a killer blender and some other bits of madness. If you said “YouTube”, you’d be right. But the answer that I was really looking for is…

Song 800- “Pork & Beans” by Weezer


26 Jan

The theme, “Thanks for the theme, Pitchfork” continues as I look at another video in Pitchfork’s Top 40 music videos of the 2008. I appreciate when bands try something different to attract people to their music. The Arcade Fire has always been a band that does things their own way. They play piano, violin, viola, cello, double bass, xylophone, keyboard, French horn, accordion, hurdy gurdy, harp, mandolin and other instruments. If that doesn’t tell you that they like to experiment then nothing will. And their video for Black Mirror is quite the experiment. I hate doing this but Black Mirror isn’t something to be described, it’s to be experienced. So try it out. Yes, try…..

Song 799- “Black Mirror” by the Arcade Fire


25 Jan

Back at #472, I spoke about the video for the Sun’s “Romantic Death” and how it was all about the website Beautiful Agony. For those who didn’t see the previous post or have never seen the website, allow me to explain what Beautiful Agony is. The website is porn without the naked bits. It’s videos of people masturbating but all you can see is their face and shoulders. If you’re wondering, where’s the excitement in that? You’re missing out. Suddenly, all the focus is on the reactions that go along with the orgasm. Traditional porn is all about the bits and pieces (and often about how much of a mess they make). This is all about the breathing, lip biting, moaning and all other parts of what makes the moment. Enough selling the website…what does that have to do with Pitchfork Top 40 videos of 2008? Whereas the Sun took actual clips from Beautiful Agony and strung them together for their “Romantic Death” music video. The group Thunderheist takes elements of it for their video, “Jerk It”. Directed by that.go. It’s sexy without a drop of clothes taken off (But then it gets a little odd but that’s okay). Musically, it’s interesting too. Thunderheist basically sounds like a threesome between Missy Elliott, Tricky & Santogold.

Song 798- “Jerk It” by Thunderheist

(look ma, a Vimeo link. It’s clearer.)