• Friday Five

    The Friday Five: February 3, 2012

    Friday Five

    Friday Five : ‘frī-(,)dā,-dē ‘fīv : On the sixth day of every week, I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes, then share the first five tracks and thought for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, occasionally we’ll have a 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 Five:

    “Like a Virgin” by Madonna (from Celebration, 2009)

    Goddamn it, Madge. I want to run that Seth Myers skit where he rattles off a rapid-fire salvo of insults followed by the quizzical “really?” So, tell me, Madonna: why do you find it necessary to include your name in your lyrics, is it because you are worried someone might mistake it for an Avril Lavigne or Gwen Stefani tune? Oh, and M.I.A. and Nicki Minaj? Really? REALLY?

    “Picture in an Exhibition” by Death Cab for Cutie (from Something About Airplanes, 1998)

    Is anyone else looking forward to the next Death Cab for Cutie record?

    “Deep” by Pearl Jam (from Vault #1: 1992-01-17: Moore Theater, Seattle, WA, USA, 2011)

    This is an amazing show. Well worth seeking out.

    “1901 (Alan Wilkis remix)” by Phoenix (from 1901, 2009)

    It’s been awhile since we’ve visited with Alan Wilkis! If you haven’t been keeping up, he is in the midst of a new project called PRINTS, where he shares his funk with the likes of Bay-area rapper, Lyrics Born. Hit the link and dig in!

    “A Letter to Elise” by The Cure (from Wish, 1992)

    “And every time I try / to pick it up like falling sand / as fast as I pick it up / it runs away through my clutching hands” No one, but no one, does resigned desperation like Robert Smith. i can’t quite say why, but I’ve always held this song as the example of why I love The Cure as much as I do. Along with the equally forlorn “Pictures of You,” it ranks among my favorite songs, period.

    What’s on your shuffle today?

  • Friday Five

    The Friday Five: August 5, 2011

    Friday Five

    Friday Five : ‘frī-(,)dā,-dē ‘fīv : On the sixth day of every week, I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes, then share the first five tracks and thought for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, occasionally we’ll have a 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 Five:

    “A Boat Like Gideon Brown” by Great Big Sea (from Sea of No Cares, 2002)
    “One Slip” by Pink Floyd (from A Momentary Lapse of Reason, 1987)
    “Enemies With Benefits (feat. Tonedeff)” by CunninLynguists (from Oneirology, 2011)
    “Spanish Eyes” by Madonna (from Like a Prayer, 1989)
    “Shame” by Depeche Mode (from Construction Time Again, 1983)

    What’s on your shuffle today?

  • Friday Five

    The Friday Five: April 8, 2011

    Friday Five

    Friday Five : ‘frī-(,)dā,-dē ‘fīv : On the sixth day of every week, I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes, then share the first five tracks and thought for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, occasionally we’ll have a 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 Five:

    “Can I Kick It?” by A Tribe Called Quest (from People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm, 1990)
    “Shimmy Shimmy Ya” by Ol’ Dirty Bastard (from Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version, 1995)
    “Concentrate” by The Guggenheim Grotto (from The Universe is Laughing, 2010)
    “Like a Prayer” by Madonna (from Like a Prayer, 1989)
    “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard” by Paul Simon (from Paul Simon, 1972)

    What’s on your shuffle today?

  • Friday Five

    The Friday Five: February 4, 2011

    Friday Five

    Friday Five : ‘frī-(,)dā,-dē ‘fīv : On the sixth day of every week, I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes, then share the first five tracks and thought for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, occasionally we’ll have a 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 Five:

    “Naima” by John Coltrane (from Giant Steps, 1959)

    I spent the better part of my 20’s as a full on record store junkie—albeit, a paid one. On the occasions where I found myself opening the store on a Sunday morning, I had only one requirement: Coltrane was to be played for the first three hours of the day. It’s a ritual that I carried for years, and to this day, when I’m up early on a Sunday morning I’ll revisit one of his classic sides.

    “P Control” by Prince (from The Gold Experience, 1995)

    Oh, Prince … you dirty motherfucker, how I miss you.

    “Boy” by Ra Ra Riot (from The Orchard, 2010)

    I’m still quite smitten with The Orchard.

    “Burning Up” by Madonna (from Celebration, 2009)

    I think it was my musical “brother from another mother” Mike Heyliger who started the discussion on Madonna’s lesser appreciated singles a few weeks back. I completely forgot about “Burning Up,” opting instead for “Angel.”

    “Sometimes You Can’t Make It on Your Own” by U2 (from How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, 2004)

    Speaking of under-appreciated singles, this should have been every bit as big a hit as any of the band’s hits of the aughts.

    What’s on your shuffle today?

  • Friday Five

    The Friday Five: June 18, 2010

    Friday Five

    Friday Five : ‘frī-(,)dā,-dē ‘fīv : On the sixth day of every week, I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes, then share the first five tracks and thought for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, occasionally we’ll have a 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 Five:

    “She” by Kiss (from Double Platinum, 1978)

    I’ll admit to having a Beavis moment when this shuffled up first. No one does big dumb rock n’ roll better than Kiss. Well, early ‘70s Kiss, at any rate; I’m still not sure that I’d be willing to give it to them for anything past Dynasty. My Mother love telling the story of how, as a little kid, I would run screaming from my older cousin’s room, afraid of his black light Kiss posters. Thanks, Mom!

    “Nothin’ at All” by Heart (from Heart, 1985)

    It may be formulated arena rock, but I can’t help but love ‘80s Heart. I swear, to this day I will stop and turn up any of these singles when the come on the radio.

    “La Isla Bonita” by Madonna (from The Immaculate Collection, 1990)

    Someone needs to mash up Madge, Gaga and Ace of Base, because I’d probably pay to hear a masterful mix of “La Isla Bonita,” “Don’t Turn Around” and “Alejandro.” Fuck, as I’m listening to this song I’m singing “Don’t call my name, don’t call my name, Alejandro” in my head and it’s awesome.

    “I’m the Magnificent” by Special Ed (from Youngest in Charge, 1989)

    This is one of those party bomb records. Back in my DJ days, I always had a stash of record that would guarantee to get everyone on the floor and shaking their asses, and this was at the top of the heap, right next to “It Takes 2.” Hell, this came on in the headphone and I started wiggling in my seat.

    “And We Danced” by The Hooters (from Nervous Night, 1985)

    The iPod must know that I’m going to see Acoustic ‘80s tonight! Which reminds me, if you are in NYC, come on down to Wicked Willy’s – 149 Bleeker St (Laguardia Street) – and there is a good chance that you’ll find a slew of your favorite writers all rocking out to the acoustic styling’s of Jason Hare and Michael Burke. Now, I’ve just got to convince them to play this song!

    What’s on your shuffle today?

  • Friday Five

    The Friday Five: May 15, 2009

    I find your lack of Shuffle disturbing.

    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:

    Van Halen – “In a Simple Rhyme” (mp3) (from Women and Children First, 1980)

    Earlier this week our friends over at Addicted to Vinyl posted an incendiary Van Halen related article that sent me on a listening spree. In the last week I’ve listened to every record from Van Halen I to 1984 and still disagree with the assertion that “Jump” was in any way a stretch (or sell out) and that it was really a part of the natural progression of the band.

    PrimusTommy the Cat (mp3) (from Sailing the Seas of Cheese, 1991)

    It has been a long time since I’ve heard this tune. Les Claypool is easily one of the funkiest bass players ever. Juxtaposed against the brash beats and dueling vocals with Tom Waits the band picked up the torch dropped by Funkadelic, dropped some Metal on it and moved it along.

    Madonna – “Borderline” (from The Immaculate Collection, 1990)

    I make no bones about it; I absolutely love nearly everything Madge did prior to the turn of the new millennium. These days it’s all one can do to avoid her pathetic clawing at staying relevant, compounded only by her odd public/private life and her preclusion to much younger men.

    Rage Against the MachineFreedom (mp3) (from Rage Against the Machine, 1992)

    While I do really like guitarist Tom Morello‘s current project Street Sweeper Social Club, nothing can replace the sound and the fury of the original Rage Against the Machine record. Born of the first Bush presidency, the record captured the angst and social unrest that was brewing just below the surface; that and the hearts and minds of drunken frat boys from coast to coast.

    James – “Laid” (from Laid, 1993)

    In researching this tune I discovered that this record was produced by the legendary Brian Eno. It does not necessarily surprise me. One of the best parts of doing The Five week after week is spending a little bit of time getting to know the tunes in my collection a little bit better.

    So what’s on deck in your shuffle this week?