Tag: random

Feb Friday Randomizer album covers

Today’s edition of Random iTunes Friday has been brought to you by the letters Y, H and F…

1. Baaba Maal– Souka Nayo (I Will Follow You)
   Nomad Soul
   • part of the charm of this track is Baaba Maal’s voice contrasted against his female chorus. I wouldn’t go as far as saying this is traditional Senegalese music, more of modern pop with Senegalese accents.
2. Pavement– Angel Carver Blues/ Mellow Jazz Docent
   Westing (By Musket And Sextant)
   • and now for something completely different…can one write about Pavement without resorting to such cliches as angular guitar? Hmm. I’ve listened to this song hundreds of times over the years, and I still have no idea what it is about.
3. Conet Project, The– Phonetic Alphabet – NATO
   The Conet Project: Recordings of Shortwave Numbers Stations
   • If you like scratchy radio recordings of an accented woman repeating “Yankee, Hotel, Foxtrot” over and over, before switching to some other phrases equally as opaque, this is a great track for you. I’m guessing Jeff Tweedy is a fan…

 


Six Planes Over Marina City

4. Talking Heads– The Great Curve
   The Name Of This Band Is Talking Heads
   • If you haven’t picked up a copy of this live album, and you like The Talking Heads, then what is wrong with you? Dense, unrelenting grooves, a band at the peak of their power, expanded touring lineup and all. Love it. Adrian Belew goes wild on the electric guitar.
5. Stills, Stephen– Song Of Love
   Manassas
   • probably the last interesting Stephen Stills album, at least that I’ve heard. Catchy tune.
6. Camper Van Beethoven– Ambiguity Song
   Telephone Free Landslide Victory
   • agh, takes me back to my callow youth in Austin. “Everything seems to be up in the air at this time.”
7. Wire– Fragile
   Pink Flag
   • ooh, a double angular guitar cliche in one sitting! This great song is only 1:18 long though.
8. Williams, Lucinda– Changed The Locks
   Live @ The Fillmore
   • live, this song is a lot more powerful than the original version. Ms. Williams voice is on the verge of hoarseness, but she muscles through.
9. AC/DC– If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It)
   Highway To Hell
   • Angus Young has some fun with Bon Scott…an update of The Doors song, Peace Frog. Now that I think about it, I’m pretty sure this is the very first album I ever purchased with my own money – on cassette tape no less. I was living in cultural wasteland of East Texas, going to middle school, but this album helped ameliorate some of the ennui.
10. Temptations, The– Don’t Let The Joneses Get You Down
    Psychedelic Soul
    • a good sentiment, and a great, funky track
11. Big Bill Broonzy– Glory Of Love
    Uncut: Soul & Fire – Compiled By Paul Weller
    • Paul Weller has good musical taste, this is a favorite song of mine as well. Great acoustic blues guitar too. Don’t confuse it with the pop tune by Peter Cetera.
12. Coup– 5 Million Ways To Kill A CEO
    Party Music
    • a Proto-Occupy Wall Street song, though with a little more imagined violence against CEOs than Occupy would be comfortable with.

Random iTunes shuffle today yielded:

1. Hüsker Dü– Whatcha Drinkin’?
   New Day Rising

   one minute and thirty three seconds of punk-y bliss. The lyrics, in total:  

   I don’t care what you say, I don’t care what you’re drinking today. I don’t care what they say, I’ll be drinking today. I try not to drink anymore, I try not to drink anymore, and try not to think anymore.

2. Boozoo Chavis– Goin To The Zydeco
   Hey Do Right!

   and now for something completely different…some dance music, with accordion.

3. McDowell, Fred– Gravel Road Blues
   Good Morning, Little School Girl

   sometimes called “Mississippi Fred McDowell”, but since he allegedly hated that, I stripped Mississippi from his name. Bottle neck guitar master, with a harsh, country voice. Powerful, hypnotic stuff. Actually, this is dance music too, the insistent beat is there to be heard, and acted upon if you want.

4. Marley, Bob & The Wailers– Somewhere To Lay My Head
   One Love at Studio One

   From a collection of ska and proto-reggae tracks recorded between 1964 and 1966, really a Wailers joint, not just Bob Marley. Dance music!

5. Monk, Thelonious– Ruby, My Dear
   Monk’s Music

   A classic tune. Thelonious Monk liked to dance around in his idiosyncratic style during other musicians solos.

6. R.E.M.– Lightnin’ Hopkins
   Document

   As far as my ears can tell, this song has absolutely nothing to do with the blues musician, Lightnin’ Hopkins. Still love it.

7. Kočani Orkestar– Goodbye Macedonia
   Alone At My Wedding

   Balkan brass ensemble, with some Middle Eastern influences. I really like this album, but I don’t if it is representative of their other work or not.

   

8. Yo La Tengo– Demons
   Genius + Love = Yo La Tengo

   Yo La Tengo used to be a favorite band of mine, but their later albums have not moved me. This album is a collection of singles, mostly cover versions, including this so-so swirling tune which was featured in the film I Shot Andy Warhol.

9. Paddy Beades– My Darlin’ Coleen Bawn
   From Galway To Dublin

   Extremely traditional Irish music from an early era. Mournful vocal and mournful fiddle.

10. Costa, Gal– Divino Maravilhoso
    Tropicalia Essentials

    Weird Brazilian pop music with some nice fuzz guitar that sounds like an over-amplified bee, weaving in and out of the melody. I’m partial to it, but not to everyone’s taste, I’ll readily admit.

11. Dylan, Bob– Alberta #4
    Self Portrait

    Universally, critics seem to hate this album, but there are a few good songs on it. This is almost an easy listening tempo, swings nicely.

12. Remains, The– Don’t Look Back
    Nuggets: Original Artyfacts From The First Psychedelic Era

    Garage rock! I am a big fan of the genre, and this song doesn’t disappoint. Best played loudly.

13. The Jam– I Got By In Time
    Collection

    Originally from The Jam’s first album, In The City, , a good closing tune for today’s randomness. Not really punk, not really British R&B, not quite New Wave, somewhere straddling all three genres…