The Friday Five: April 23, 2010
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:
“Nothin’ On You (feat. Bruno Mars)” by B.o.B. (from The Adventures of Bobby Ray, 2010)
I remember first hearing B.o.B. — aka Bobby Ray – back in 2008 with his track “I’ll Be in the Sky,” and just as abruptly as he appeared, he was gone. A deft amalgam of Andre 3000 and Kanye with the sensibility and flow of Q-Tip, Bobby Ray manages to sound fresh, despite bringing some classic hip-hop clichés to bear. All that shit aside, this track made me giddy like a 12-year-old girl the first time I heard it. Evoking the classic summer single, there just in time to shake off the cold and ready to bump at maximum volume with the car windows down, this cut definitely deserves all the spins it’s getting. It may be “what the kids are listening to,” but in this case, I’m down.
“Hole Hearted” by Extreme (from Extreme II: Pornograffitti, 1990)
Take a open major D chord and shuffle it up the fretboard of a well mic’ed 12-string guitar and you’ve got yourself the recipe for the classic coda to Extreme’s magnum opus Extreme II: Pornograffitti. Seriously, could it get any more extreme? Is it cheesy as hell? Of course it is, let’s look at the lyrics: “If I’m not blind why can’t I see / that a circle can’t fit / where a square should be.” Pass the Gouda, please.
“Head Crusher” by Megadeth (from Endgame, 2009)
If given the choice between listening to a new Megadeth record and a new Metallica record, I will always choose the Megadeth, because no matter who is playing behind Dave Mustaine, you know exactly what it is going to sound like. Hell, at this point, the worst song on a new Megadeth record is still better than the best that James, Lars and company have to offer.
“Ice Cream (feat. Ghostface Killah, Method Man & Cappadonna)” by Raekwon (from Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…, 1995)
Speaking of songs that scream “summer,” this track was the jam back in the day, when I had a stereo system in the car that was worthy of turning up. While it might just be me, does anyone else feel like the Wu-Tang fell off after this? Take Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), Method Man’s Tical, Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s The Return To The 36 Chambers – The Dirty Version, Genius/GZA’s Liquid Swords, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…, and maybe Ghostface Killah’s Ironman – and that’s a big maybe – and you’ve got the makings of a legacy by which almost anything short of “classic” is really lesser. Sure, there have been shining moments after, but nothing that feels as raw and real as the freshmen releases.
“You Are the Woman” by Firefall (from Greatest Hits, 1992)
I’m not going to lie; I love this song. I love its stupid flute solo. I love just about every stupid thing about it.
What’s on your shuffle today?
The Friday Five: August 28, 2009
Friday Five : ˈfrī-(ˌ)dā,-dē ˈfīv : On the sixth day of every week 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 Five:
Björk – “Headphones (Ø remix)” (from Telegram, 1996)
I can only admit to being a pedestrian fan to Björk‘s career after this record, but Debut and Post rank high on my list of favorite records from the ’90s. Telegram was essentially the remixed version of Post with the exception of “The Modern Things” and “It’s Oh So Quiet”. Out of all the tracks on the record The Brodsky Quartet version of “Hyperballad” was my favorite and was featured on many of my mix tapes of the era.
Jay-Z – “Girls, Girls, Girls” (from The Blueprint, 2001)
I have a strange love/hate relationship with Jay-Z. If you were to peek at my library you’d see every single record he’s put out since 1996 but I’d be hard pressed to name even one album cut outside of the singles. I’ll buy The Blueprint 3 when it comes out and will listen to it twice and it will get cataloged with the rest. This track is irresistible though. Featuring Q-Tip, Slick Rick and Biz Markie on the hook and Hov flowing with more swagger than Al Pacino in Scarface it’s an instant classic.
Megadeth – “Holy Wars… The Punishment Due” (mp3) (from Rust in Peace, 1990)
In retrospect, Rust in Peace has aged considerably better than most metal records from that time period – I’m looking at you Metallica‘s Black Album – and this track in particular has resonated time and again. While the timing of it’s release made most assume it was commentary on the first Gulf War, Mustaine has gone on the record stating that the inspiration for the song was the ongoing conflict in Northern Ireland.
Primitive Radio Gods – “Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth With Money in My Hand” (mp3) (from Rocket, 1996)
The ’90s produced more ‘One-Hit Wonders’ then you can shake a stick at. Primitive Radio Gods fell in alongside acts like Sneaker Pimps and Ruby with a mix of downtempo beats juxtaposed against alternative leaning instrumentation and vocals. Built off a sample of B. B. King‘s “How Blue Can You Get?” the track managed to peak at #1 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart and #7 on the Hot 100 before the Primitive Radio Gods faded into obscurity.
Paramore – “Misery Business” (mp3) (from RIOT!, 2007)
The first time I heard Paramore‘s Hayley Williams‘ voice it instantly had my attention. How could this tiny (then) teenage girl have such a huge voice was my first thought. The second thought was that they were going to be huge. Williams‘ voice combined with the killer hooks the band is known for have brought them tons of fans and critical praise, not to mention an opening slot on the No Doubt reunion tour.
Five down, who’s got five more to share?