The Friday Five: April 3, 2009
For those who have not joined in the Friday Five here is all you need to know; each Friday I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes and share my five and drop a little knowledge and insight for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, sometimes there isn’t. Sometimes we have guest, but most of the time it’s just me.
The rest is up to you, our friends and readers! Fire up your media player of choice and share the first five random track of your shuffle in the comments. The more the merrier!
The Five:
“Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun” by Beastie Boys (from Paul’s Boutique)
20 years ago this was ground-breaking and it stills sounds just a fresh. One of the archetypes for the rap-rock and nü-metal of the 90’s, this is just one of the many reasons Paul’s Boutique will always be, for me, the B-Boys magnum opus.
“Alfie” by Lily Allen (from Alright, Still)
Lily embarked on her US tour earlier this week in support of her latest It’s Not Me, It’s You. This is one of my favorite tracks off her debut; it’s sprightly and cheeky with a melody that will stick with you for days.
“Us and Them” by Pink Floyd (from Dark Side of the Moon)
It’s a rainy day here in the northeast and this track fits the grey day perfectly. I don’t visit the Pink Floyd in my collection nearly enough.
“Take a Chance on Me” by ABBA (from Gold: Greatest Hits)
No comment.
“Busted Stuff” by Dave Matthews Band (from Busted Stuff)
I’ve been looking for an excuse to share this…
I’ve not been so geeked out to over 60 seconds of music in ages (go to about 1:05 to hear the tunes). The new record is going to slay. Hearing Roi‘s cadence, so clear, strong and vital blowing into some of the funkiest sounds the band has produced in the last 18 years put my arm hairs on end.
It’s your turn, what’s getting you through this afternoon?
The Friday Five: March 27, 2009
For those who have not joined in the Friday Five here is all you need to know; each Friday I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes and share my five and drop a little knowledge and insight for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, sometimes there isn’t. Sometimes we have guest, but most of the time it’s just me.
The rest is up to you, our friends and readers! Fire up your media player of choice and share the first five random track of your shuffle in the comments. The more the merrier!
The Five:
“Contact” by Phish (from Junta)
It’s samba time! I love this side of Phish, the kitschy lyrics and overt melodies (“Hula Hana of Kamana Whala Hula Bay” is clearly quoted during one of Page‘s solos) and a funky twist in the middle and the sing a long. Hopefully you all got in on the free offer of the first three nights of their reunion tour!
“TV Mama” (mp3) by Shuggie Otis (from In Session: Great Rhythm & Blues)
Ickmusic favorite Shuggie Otis delivers a solid 12 bar blues with some tasty slide work.
“Better Than Heaven” by Bloc Party (from Intimacy)
This record never really connected with me. There are a couple of really good songs (this being one of them) but most of the tracks seem very disjointed and cold. The exceptions really being this track and “Biko”.
“Baby’s Coming Back” (mp3) by Jellyfish (from Bellybutton)
… Excuse me, time to do the Peanuts dance, care to join me?
“Rainy April Day” (mp3) by Fury in the Slaughterhouse (from The Hearing and the Sense of Balance)
This track is a sober condemnation of Kurt Cobain‘s suicide. It’s not a great selection to close out an otherwise upbeat Friday Five, but you can’t end them all with rainbows, unicorns and trombones!
What’s shuffling you down to the weekend?
The Friday Five: March 20, 2009
For those who have not joined in the Friday Five here is all you need to know; each Friday I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes and share my five and drop a little knowledge and insight for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, sometimes there isn’t. Sometimes we have guest, but most of the time it’s just me.
The rest is up to you, our friends and readers! Fire up your media player of choice and share the first five random track of your shuffle in the comments. The more the merrier!
The Five:
“Golden Age” by TV on the Radio (from Dear Science)
I listened to this record quite a bit when it came out and the following month or so but can’t say that it’s gotten much play in 2009. I’ll have to remedy that this weekend.
“Turn on, Tune in, Find Joy” (mp3) by Freak Power (from The Rebirth of Cool 3)
This represents another random selection from my vast collection of mid to late 90’s trip-hop and abstract acid jazz. Freak Power was a collaboration between Norman Cook (better known as Fatboy Slim) and Ashley Slater.
“In Between Days” (mp3) by The Cure (from Staring at the Sea: The Singles)
It always struck me as odd how easily Robert Smith could whip out a sprightly and joyful pop tune. This ranks among my favorites.
“All About Love” (mp3) by Earth, Wind & Fire (from That’s the Way of the World)
I had a “Quiet Storm” listening marathon earlier this week and forgot all about this tune. Complete with the “Lemme take a minute and talk at you” break this is soulful music meant for making sweet love to your lady (or man, have mercy). This is baby-making music at its finest, dig it.
“Animal” by Def Leppard (from Vault: Greatest Hits 1980-1995)
Seriously, the lyrics to this tune make no damned sense.
What is bringing it home for you this weekend?
The Friday Five: March 13, 2009
For those who have not joined in the Friday Five here is all you need to know; each Friday I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes and share my five and drop a little knowledge and insight for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, sometimes there isn’t. Sometimes we have guest, but most of the time it’s just me.
The rest is up to you, our friends and readers! Fire up your media player of choice and share the first five random track of your shuffle in the comments. The more the merrier!
The Five:
“Big Bottom” (mp3) – Spinal Tap (from This Is Spinal Tap, 1984)
“The bigger the cushion, the sweeter the pushin'”
Seriously, what more can I say? So say we all: “Tap into America!”
“One Caress” – Depeche Mode (from I Feel You, 1993)
From the underrated Songs of Faith and Devotion, this track is Martin Gore doing what he does best.
“Solitude” (mp3) – Billie Holiday (from First Issue: The Great American Song Book, 1994)
Recorded during her tenure with Verve during the 50’s, this is a prime example of Lady Day at her best. This performance is soulful, intimate and absolutely essential listening for any fan of music in general.
“Stomp” – Brothers Johnson (from Light Up the Night, 1980)
A nice slice of 80’s pop-funk from the Brothers Johnson.
“P Control” – Prince (from The Gold Experience, 1995)
Much like last week’s “Trust” this is the lesser of the funk tracks on The Gold Experience. For my money nothing beats “Billy Jack Bitch” for a straight up jam. Also of note is that fact that this record (as well as last week’s Batman) are currently out of print. Odd? Maybe…
What is whisking you away today?
The Friday Five: March 06, 2009
If it ain’t broke… don’t fix it. It’s March, the five is still alive and going strong…
For those who have not joined in the Friday Five here is all you need to know; each Friday I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes and share my five and drop a little knowledge and insight for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, sometimes there isn’t. Sometimes we have guest, but most of the time it’s just me.
The rest is up to you, our friends and readers! Fire up your media player of choice and share the first five random track of your shuffle in the comments. The more the merrier!
The Five:
“Nine in the Afternoon” by Panic at the Disco (from Pretty. Odd., 2008)
Spending hours playing Rock Band 2 with my wife has burned this tune into my psyche. In truth, I actually quite like this record, though not as much as the bands debut (before they dropped the “!”). Sure, they borrow heavily from Sgt. Pepper era Beatles, but since when is that so bad?
“Trust” by Prince (from Batman, 1989)
This funky rave-up from the Batman soundtrack provided the background for Jack Nicholson‘s twisted turn as the Joker. Not as heavy on the funk as my personal favorite “Electric Chair” or even “The Future” it still definitely gets the butt wiggling.
“Here in Your Bedroom” (mp3) by Goldfinger (from Goldfinger, 1996)
Excuse me while I dance in my chair; feel free to join in…
“Mama Said Knock You Out” by LL Cool J (from All World, 1996)
“Don’t call it a comeback…” Seriously, what happened to James Todd Smith? I’d say he’s due for a comeback, especially after this.
“Brian Wilson (live)” (mp3) by Barenaked Ladies (from Disc One: All Their Greatest Hits: 1991-2001)
I have to say I was pretty disappointed when I read earlier this week that Steve Page has decided to leave the Barenaked Ladies. Here’s a taste of one of his finer moments with the band.
What’s making you dance in your chair today?
The Friday Five: February 27, 2009
For those who have not joined in the Friday Five here is all you need to know; each Friday I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes and share my five and drop a little knowledge and insight for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, sometimes there isn’t. Sometimes we have guest, but most of the time it’s just me.
The rest is up to you, our friends and readers! Fire up your media player of choice and share the first five random track of your shuffle in the comments. The more the merrier!
The Five:
“18 Months” by Kingsbury (from This Place is Coming Down, 2004)
Kingsbury is a brilliant experimental indie rock act out of Orlando, Florida. Intensely personal and emotional it’s hard to imagine that they originate from the “Happiest Place on Earth”. Watch this space for much more on Kingsbury in the coming month.
“Squeeze Me Macaroni” (mp3) by Mr. Bungle (from Mr. Bungle, 1991)
By now the news of Faith No More reuniting has taken every corner of the internet by storm, but I’ll be damned if I would only be more excited if Mike Patton reformed Mr. Bungle.
“Here on Earth/The Opening” (mp3) by Leerone (from Imaginary Biographies, 2007)
I can’t get enough of Leerone‘s quirky piano driven singer-songwriter sharp-tongued pop (which she describes as “The musical equivalent of an ice-cream sundae with a vodka chaser”). She is an incredibly talented artist who goes as far as handwriting every correspondence with humble small-time blog editors (which is deeply appreciated). I expect that we’ll be seeing much more of her in the future.
“O salutaris hostia” by Jan Garbarek & The Hilliard Ensemble (from Officium, 1994)
This record takes the Gregorian Chants that your mother loved in 1994 and added the ‘smooth jazz’ sounds of Norwegian saxophonist Jan Garbarek to a nauseating soothing effect.
“White Winter Hymnal” by Fleet Foxes (from Fleet Foxes, 2008)
I still do not care much for this record, but if I had to pick a track to listen to it would be this one. The folk-rock revival sound just does not depart enough from the forefathers enough to entice me to listen more, now where’s my copy of “Horse with No Name”…
What’s bringing the weekend home for you?
The Friday Five: February 20, 2009
Short list today, we’ll return to ‘normal’ next week…
For those who have not joined in the Friday Five here is all you need to know; each Friday I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes and share my five and drop a little knowledge and insight for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, sometimes there isn’t. Sometimes we have guest, but most of the time it’s just me.
The rest is up to you, our friends and readers! Fire up your media player of choice and share the first five random track of your shuffle in the comments. The more the merrier!
The Five:
“Ribbons” (mp3) – The Sisters of Mercy (from Vision Thing, 1990)
“Vocab” – Fugees (from Blunted on Reality, 1994)
“Walk on the Wild Side” (mp3) – Lou Reed (from Transformer, 1972)
“Lovers Forever” – Brothers Johnson (from Out of Control, 1984)
“Fields of Coal” – …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead (from The Century of Self, 2009)
Tag! You’re it!
The Friday Five: February 13, 2009
The best laid plans… I had intended on launching the new (and improved) format, but alas time and life got in the way, next week I promise the new look (and a new take) on the Friday Five… until then here’s this weeks all to brief five!
For those who have not joined in the Friday Five here is all you need to know; each Friday I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes and share my five and drop a little knowledge and insight for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, sometimes there isn’t. Sometimes we have guest, but most of the time it’s just me.
The rest is up to you, our friends and readers! Fire up your media player of choice and share the first five random track of your shuffle in the comments. The more the merrier!
The Five:
“All Night Long (All Night)” – Lionel Ritchie (from Can’t Slow Down)
“I Know” – The Derek Trucks Band (from Already Free)
“Fopp” – The Ohio Players (from Honey)
“I Don’t Care” – Fall Out Boy (from Folie à Deux)
“Rock and Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution” – AC/DC (from Back in Black)
What’s playing in your neck of the woods?
The Friday Five: February 6, 2009
52 Weeks, 261 Songs and a full year later ‘The Friday Five’ is officially a year old. It has been consistently one of our most popular features and for that I want to thank the folks that take the time every week to play along. The coming weeks will bring a slight facelift to the five as well as a few guest spots. This week we’ve got a short but sweet list…
For those who have not joined in the Friday Five here is all you need to know; each Friday I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes and share my five and drop a little knowledge and insight for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, sometimes there isn’t. Sometimes we have guest, but most of the time it’s just me.
The rest is up to you, our friends and readers! Fire up your media player of choice and share the first five random track of your shuffle in the comments. The more the merrier!
The Five:
“Rich Girl” (mp3) – Hall & Oates (from Greatest Hits: Rock ‘n Soul, Part 1)
Hall & Oates never fails to bring a smile to my face.
“1999” – Prince (from Purple Storm in the Coachella Valley)
Live from Prince‘s headline set at last years Coachella festival.
“The Brainsong” (mp3) – Fury in the Slaughterhouse (from Mono)
I never really understood why Fury in the Slaughterhouse wasn’t huge in the states. Has anyone else ever heard of this band, or am I the only one?
“Footprints” – A Tribe Called Quest (from People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm)
Kicking off with a sample of the Stevie Wonder‘s “Sir Duke” this is real hip-hop. Q-Tip is in perfect form spitting a wicked rhyme as only he can over the bouncy funk track.
“Losing a Whole Year” – Third Eye Blind (from Third Eye Blind)
I’ve found out that there is a new genre definition for all the alternative bands of the mid-90’s that we all love (or love to hate), it’s called Post-Grunge…
Tag! You’re it!
The Friday Five: January 30, 2009
If you’ve been working for the weekend, well you are in luck because it’s just about that time. That’s right, it’s Friday and it’s time to kick back hit the shuffle button and let the music take us where it will. Today we’re firing up iTunes to battle the post-lunch dip!
For those who have not joined in the Friday Five here is all you need to know; each Friday I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes and share my five and drop a little knowledge and insight for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, sometimes there isn’t. Sometimes we have guest, but most of the time it’s just me.
The rest is up to you, our friends and readers! Fire up your media player of choice and share the first five random track of your shuffle in the comments. The more the merrier!
The Five:
“Both Hands” (mp3) – Ani DiFranco (from Living in Clip)
Perhaps one of Ani‘s most iconic tunes presented here in orchestral form. Recorded live with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Doc Severinsen, in a good set of headphones you can feel the ebb and flow and airiness of the performance and the way the arena responds.
“Slave to the Grind” – Skid Row (from Slave to the Grind)
I firmly stand behind my theory that Sebastian Bach is the one of the best rock vocalists of the 90’s. Not my favorite track from this record, but a good kick in the ass nonetheless.
“Day Old Hate” – City and Colour (from Sometimes)
This entire record is a faultless accompaniment to a cloudy day. Dallas Green‘s delivery is effortless and heart-wrenching.
“Dance, Dance” – Fall Out Boy (from From Under the Cork Tree)
I’m fully willing to admit to this ‘guilty pleasure’. I love me some Fall Out Boy.
“Climbing Up the Love Tree” (mp3) – Francis Dunnery (from Fearless)
While the (clearly) 90’s production on this track reveals its age this song, and record for that matter, has been a mainstay of my collection for the last 15 years.
Okay, I’ve shown you mine, now show me yours!