Start Your iPods

Shuffle, play, describe the first five so that we may learn of new things to listen to.

  1. The Strokes - Taken For A Fool. A fairly standard Strokes tune, but with a strong disco vibe in the drum track. Not sure I remember this one.
  2. The Black Keys - Black Mud. A quick little Beastie-esque instrumental.
  3. Neil Young - The Loner (from Live Rust). The opening chords sounds like "Cinnamon Girl". Not my favorite song from the album, and it's a little long for what it does. But it does that nice, crunchy, stompy Neil thing pretty well, so I can at least make the head-nodding crunchy-face along to it.
  4. Kevin O'Donnell's Quality Six - Blues For Andrew. Not sure if the Andrew in the title is Andrew Bird, who played violin for the band, or not. Nevertheless, this is a straight-up 30's-style jazz number, with a nice solo my Mr. Bird.
  5. Holy Sons - From Home. These guys opened for Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, this past Saturday. I was sufficiently impressed that I bought the record. I've never heard this song before, though. Haven't even had a chance to play the album yet! Live, they played a kind of loud, heavy, dark, psychedelic/blues/jazz hybrid. This is much more mellow. I still like it, though.

Enlighten us!

4 thoughts on “Start Your iPods

  1. MikeJ

    Saturday’s Kids by The Jam, from Setting Sons. When somebody says The Jam, you might not think of this particular song, but this is exactly the sound you think of.

    Center of the Universe by Built to Spill from Keep It Like a Secret. Loopy mid tempo guitars that sound like slide whistles.

    Ngiculela – Es Una Historia, I Am Singing by Stevie Wonder from Songs In The Key of Life. I’m much more of a fan of the thundering, funky Stevie with a Hammond and a Leslie than the lilting noodling on electric piano Stevie. It’s not bad, just doesn’t excite me.

    Forever Today by I’m From Barcelona from Forever Today. Lush. Although when you have 30 people in your band you can get a lush sound playng kazoos.

    It’s Alright (The Way That You Live) by the Velvets, a demo from the winter of ’67 from the Peel Slowly and See box set. Down tempo, Lou on vocals. Just guitar, bass and vocals. I really prefer YLT’s cover, but that’s not unusual.

  2. Rob Caldecott

    October is the new July. Record-breaking temperatures in the UK this last few days making a return to work a little more miserable for all.

    1. Pulp – Weeds
    From their final album, ‘We Love Life’ which was released in 2001 and is often forgotten about which is a real shame. This song is about immigrants living in the north of England and features Jarvis’ usual lyrical whimsies.

    2. Oasis – Shakermaker
    Easily the weakest track on their otherwise stupendous balls-out rock’n’roll debut. It’s basically a cover of ‘I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing’ and I believe they ended up in court. It’s still pretty bloody good though.

    3. Bloc Party – Positive Tension
    What a great debut ‘Silent Alarm’ was a what a great shame the band have lost charismatic lead singer Kele Okereke. Crisp drums, memorable vocal style and lashings of mellow guitar. Lovely.

    4. UB40 – Many Rivers To Cross
    Crikey, haven’t heard this for a while. Ali Campbell’s vocal is superb. It was probably number one. Where are they now I wonder?

    5. New Order – State Of The Nation
    God this song takes me back. I went on a holiday to Tenerife with my girlfriend of the time (and her sister IIRC) and I played this song (it was on the Substance 1987 double-cassette) endlessly whilst burning on the beach, getting drunk, arguing and playing pool with Germans. 21 years ago. Blimey.

    The Big American Boss is over for a few days and I’ve got a presentation to prepare. Marvellous.

  3. platosearwax

    Even we had ridiculous temperatures this weekend. Friday night at midnight it was 21C here, which is insane in October.

    1. Interpol – Obstacle 1
    The early and best Interpol. I find their stuff increasingly boring. Yet this song has some…urgency to it. I think Interpol are only good when they are playing fast, which seems to be only half the time anymore.

    2. Battles – My Machines
    Freaky, I was just listening to this earlier on a different player. Battles is my current obsession and this song I just love. It is so…weird and rocking and driving sort of like Neu! on crack with synthmeister Gary Numan on Vocals. Nobody else is making music like this.

    3. Dave Matthews Band – Drive in Drive Out
    An earlier song by them, and a good one. I guess DMB could be considered a guilty pleasure. I mean, they have the rep of being for frat boys and douche bags with shell necklaces. But I like ’em, though I spend most of my time listening to the drummer who just kicks all sorts of ass and the bassist who does the same.

    4. X – White Girl
    Wow, that brings me back. I really dig the bassline in this song. I saw them at some point in the mid-eighties, in Iowa City. They were awesome. This reminds me so much of high school and I get secondary memories of living in Los Angeles in the 90’s when this was a staple of Flashback Weekends on KROQ.

    5. Smashing Pumpkins – Siva
    Oh, man. One of the very best Pumpkins songs. For my money, Jimmy Chamberlain on drums had as much to do with the “sound” of the Pumpkins as anything else, and he is all over this song. I am just sitting here listening to this song, trying to think of something else to say but AWESOME and I got nothing. AWESOME.

    Back to clicking on the readers poll!

  4. The Modesto Kid

    “Caribou” by the Pixies — great distorted guitars, great spacy vocals, but it is not coming together for me without the drugs.
    “Orange-Colored Sky” covered by Richard Thompson — puts a smile on my face and a swing in my step. Flash, crash, ala-kazam.
    “Kissing My Love” by BIll Withers — The other day some FB friends were discussing who deserves the title of “king of soul”. Withers’ name did not come up which strikes me now as strange. Maybe it’s a soul/funk distinction.
    “Crystal Ship” covered by Robyn Hitchcock — Well, this is pretty great. Amazing, amazing guitar-based minimalism.
    “Martha the Mouth” by Captain Sensible — Nice beat, nice keyboards. Not sure what the lyrics mean.

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