Thursday, March 5, 2009

Time for Another Listen...

Time for another fun installment of What's on Your iPod? You know the rules: 20 songs in shuffle mode, no skips. I've been very pleased with shuffle mode of late, so let's see what happens...

1. Cheap Trick: Big Eyes Live at Budokan When we first moved from SF to DC and had NOOOOOO money, Charles and I would sing Cheap Trick songs for entertainment. This brings back strangely good memories of the Christmas we tied free pine branches together and stuck them in a crystal ice bucket that we received as a wedding gift. That was our Christmas tree.

2. Rod Stewart: Maggie May Greatest Hits I love Rod Stewart's voice. Could pretty much ignore most of the work he's done, but this is one of the songs I love. And for some reason, it reminds me of driving around Bethany Beach in the rain.

3. TV on the Radio: Tonight Return to Cookie Mountain Right before I got hooked on Wilco -- the night of my first show, in fact -- we were listening to TV on the Radio on the way to Merriweather Post Pavilion. Sadly, although I loved it at the time, I've never got back into it the same way I did pre-Wilco obsession. What a great band.

4. Laurie & John: If I Hadn't Blinked My Eyes Arabella Okay, I admit it. I really like this album, even if it is, as Charles puts it "an emasculating Wilco side project". I don't care -- brother and sister duo John & Laurie Stirratt sound fantastic together. I drive around DC singing along and wishing that I could be Laurie. (Or Sue Miller, but for different reasons, and not the ones you might expect. I'm not going in to this now, because I'll sound weird. More than usual.)

5. The Rolling Stones: Ruby Tuesday Hot Rocks Did you read the book Exile on Main St: A Season in Hell With the Rolling Stones? Don't. It's bad. If you already have, I'm very sorry. Still, this song reminds me of hanging out in the stacks at Wax Trax in Denver trying to decide what to buy.

6. Prince: I Feel for You Prince Ah, high school. And undergrad. Good times...I think.

7. The Beatles: Love You To Revolver I'm pretty sure that this is one of those Beatles songs were certain inferences can -- and should -- be made. Did you hear that Paul & Ringo are performing at a benefit in NY this spring?

8. Elliott Smith: Independence Day XO Makes me think of driving around -- very pregnant with la Mag -- hormonal and crying for no obvious reasons. But I still love it.

9. The Velvet Underground: Cool It Down Loaded Every time The Velvet Underground comes up, I'm glad they're in the rotation.

10. Badly Drawn Boy: Born Again Have You Fed the Fish? This guy. Can. Write.

11. Spoon: Chloroform Series of Sneaks This is another "When we first moved to DC" band...makes me think of walking in downtown DC around the holidays. Also, saw them in a great show at the Black Cat right before they really broke. Charles understood their geeky appeal to a glasses-wearing girl like myself. I guess that's why I have to appreciate his appreciation of The Donnas. Actually, I don't really get the Donnas. Which is to say that I really don't get the Donnas.

12. Special AKA: Gangsters The 2Tone Collection I still love ska. Makes me think of high school. Then I start wondering what ever happened to Buff and Tim and the whole lot of them.

13. The Strokes: When It Started Is This It? You know those bands that you're just a little embarrassed to like?

14. The Beatles: Oh! Darling Abbey Road Fantastic vocal -- I don't know how Paul does it. I've tried to sing along (our secret, okay?) and I sound like an idiot. Grade A.

15. Fun Boy Three: Alone Fame In high school, I had a few musical crushes that I'm not proud of today: Marc Almond (Soft Cell), Robert Smith (The Cure), Boy George (Culture Club) and Terry Hall (The Specials and Fun Boy Three). Now you know. You are now in the inner circle.

16. The Clash: Long Time Jerk Black Market Clash I feel a lot better now.

17. Whiskeytown: Excuse Me While I Break My Own Heart Tonight Strangers Almanac I'm new to this old band. Good songwriting. Good playing. Having said that, a whole day-long folk/country event would make my brain hurt. Also, a lot of this album sounds like a Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers side project.

18. The Selecter: Three Minute Hero The 2Tone Collection This song reminds me of the seasons I spent at Sarasota Opera. I listened to this album a lot. Because hanging out in Sarasota, FL for three months at a time is not as cool as one might imagine, so improving the situation is vital.

19. Sonic Youth: Providence Daydream Nation I have no idea why, but Sonic Youth makes me think of returning home from the beach. Arty, arty, arty. Farty, farty, farty.

20. Grizzly Bear: Colorado Yellow House Have you heard Grizzly Bear? Charles and I saw them do a great show at the 6th & I Synagogue last summer. A head-spinningly great show.

Okay. Once again, no Wilco and only one side project. Weird. I think my iPod gets shy.

4 comments:

ScottE. said...

Don't hate me...I don't know Wilco. But one of my co-workers loves them and he's THRILLED about this event we have coming up at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center featuring their drummer, Glenn Kotche.

If you're interested, there is a bunch of free stuff, then a ticketed/paid event in the evening. Might be interesting/fun for the kids even. I don't have a ton of details yet, but can let you know more when I know more.

Bang On A Can Marathon, March 29, 2009

http://claricesmithcenter.umd.edu/2009/c/performances/performance?rowid=7490

pricklygirl said...

Noooo! We're going to be out of town that weekend. I am planning to see Mikael Jorgenson's other band, Pronto, in two weeks (at Iota, early show!) I am very jealous -- would love to see Bang On A Can All-Stars. They do very, very cool stuff.
And no, how could I hate you?!

ScottE. said...

Bummer!

I'll have to let you know how it goes.

Marin (AntiM) said...

psssst -- in regards to number 15, do I get bonus points for knowing that before you let everyone else into the inner circle?