Thursday, December 17, 2009

Volume Rambler (Day 202)

Sorry, just a tease today - - not a full account of what I listened to on my way to work today. (Although "Volume Rambler" by Oakley Hall was indeed one of the songs.) More importantly my list of favorite records released in 2009 is posted here. Thanks Comoprozac for the kick in the ass to do this and for posting it. Also, do yourself a favor and check out all the year end lists at his great blog. And have a great New Year.

GE

Friday, October 30, 2009

Maybe Maybe (Day 201...I guess)

Coleman Hawkins - "Dinner For One Please, James"
Cat Power - "Metal Heart"
Pavement - "Maybe Maybe"
The Flaming Lips - "Waiting For Superman (Remix)"
The Beach Boys - "Caroline, No"
Josh Ritter - "Good Man"
Coldplay - "Sparks"
Death Cab For Cutie - "Passenger Seat"
Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - "Cold Roses"
Hello... Hello... Is there anybody out there? I forgive anyone who deleted me from their reader, blitzed me from their bookmarks or even forcibly tried to forget I even exist. Six month gaps in blogging does not sit well with readers. What can I say? I got a little bored. I got a little busy. I got an iPhone? All are true and the iPhone was strangely the most detrimental thing to happen to this simple little blog. The new phone meant the iPod was history and all large chunk of music was added to the iPhone's 32GB of memory. The dream appeared to be complete: a singular device for communication and portable music consumption. And for the most part, it is a dream. I do still love that slick little device. BUT it doesn't sync to my work computer. Outdated OS + a tech department that can not be bribed = no easy way to get a list of what I listened to on my way to work today. Obviously, I could write the songs down as they play each morning. Except that extra step, the little bit of extra "work" proved to be just too much to handle in the a.m. But the desire was still there. I'd hear a song in the morning and think about how much I'd like to blog about how kick-ass it is...and then I'd just spend my free time reading real music blogs instead. Oh well. Then today, something so stupidly obvious happened it's almost too embarrassing to write. I realized that all I had to do was hit the back button in iTunes on the phone and I could see each song played since I started shuffling when I left the house. Duh. Double duh. Stupid, fucking duh. Not that difficult. Of course, I can't tell you the name of the song with the most previous plays (which was my easy blog title naming convention), but I'm sure you can live with that. So here we go again? Maybe. I'll try. Let's just see what happens. Anyway, how ya been...?

And then I got to work.

Today's Stats
Total songs listened to: 9
Total minutes of music (approx.): 35

How I Rate Today's Playlist (1-10): 6
Miscellaneous factoid about my trip to work today: Well, still taking the little girl to school every morning which is still the highlight of my day. And she'll be 4 next week! Crazy. There's been a lot of Halloween talk, obvs. Today she referred to the holiday in her own way which really does boil it down to its very essence: Candy Day. Happy Candy Day, y'all.

Friday, May 8, 2009

Trees Outside The Academy (Day 200)

The Replacements - "Darlin' One"
Thurston Moore - "Trees Outside The Academy"
The National - "Watching You Well"
How's this for anticlimactic? The 200th post on WILTOMWTWT features three measly songs. Hey, think of it this way, considering my output a few weeks ago any post before leaving for the weekend is a small victory. Meanwhile I'm on a little National run these days. The Dark Was The Night compilation got me listening to them again (not that you need an excuse). But today I noticed I Am Fuel You Are Friends posted their set from the Radio City concert. It's awfully good, naturally. And good timing since a coworker was raving about the show and making me feel old/lame for having barely been aware of it and obviously not considering going. But I did get tickets to see Grizzly Bear later this month. Who says I'm a total loser? Seriously...who says that?

And then I got to work.

Today's Stats
Total songs listened to: 3
Total minutes of music (approx.): 12
Song with the most previous plays:
"Trees Outside The Academy" - 4
How I Rate Today's Playlist (1-10): 6
Miscellaneous factoid about my trip to work today: I saw some dude try and pick up a girl at 8:22am outside the subway. That seems bold to me. I couldn't make out exactly what he said, but her response was "No. I'm sorry." As she walked away he muttered, "Yeah, I'm sorry too." My advice would be to wait until at least 9am.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Not Afraid To Die (Day 199)

Tindersticks - "Tea Stain"
The Wedding Present - "Sucker"
The Wedding Present - "Go, Man, Go"
I must pause here to admire the statistical anomaly that just occurred. It's already rare enough for two songs by the same artist to appear on the shuffle on any given day. But here, two songs by the same artist played back to back - - and they're on the same album! (No, they're not back to back on the Mini Plus EP.) Does my iPod shuffle function need some lube? Maybe the poor device knows that as soon as the newest model of the iPhone is released (with, fingers crossed, at least 32 GB of memory) I'm kicking it to the curb.
Clap Your Hands And Say Yeah - "Goodbye To Mother And The Cove"
Bob Dylan - "Tombstone Blues" [alternate take]
Fleet Foxes - "Sun Giant" (live)
Serge Gainsbourg - "L'hotel particulier"
Dean & Britta - "White Horses"
Stan Getz - "Pennies From Heaven"
Iron & Wine - "Not Afraid To Die" (live)
Juliana Hatfield - "Shining On"
Not sure how Hatfield's latest wound up on my iPod. Honestly. I was a fan of the Blake Babies, and maybe her first album, but that's about it. I do follow her on Twitter, however. But, I think I might stop. Juliana Hatfield is a serious oversharer. And her Tweets are relentless! Look:



















And then I got to work.

Today's Stats
Total songs listened to: 11
Total minutes of music (approx.): 41
Song with the most previous plays:
"Not Afraid to Die" (live) - 8
How I Rate Today's Playlist (1-10): 6
Miscellaneous factoid about my trip to work today:

Daughter: Can I get a granola bar?
Dad: Not today.
Daughter: Why not?
Dad: Because you already ate breakfast.
Daughter: But I didn't get one yesterday.
Dad: I know, you had breakfast yesterday too.
Daughter: Dad, let me make you a deal. I didn't get one yesterday and I won't get one today...so I can get one tomorrow.
Dad: What?
Daughter: If I don't get one for 2 days, then on the third day I can get a granola bar.
Dad: Are you still just three years old?

Monday, May 4, 2009

Heart Problems (Day 198)

Prince - "Kiss"
Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - "We Can't Help You"

Tokyo Police Club - "Sixties Remake"

Aimee Mann - "Phoenix"

Ted Leo & The Pharmacists - "Heart Problems"
Short one today and not much to say, but I do want to keep the ball rolling. One update: Since this blog does occasionally dip into my baseball rooting interests I will acknowledge I'm clearly not happy with the 10-13 New York Mets. Sure the starting pitching sucks (I'm looking at you Oliver Perez) and the absolutely can not buy a hit with runners in scoring position, but there's still too much talent not to compete. Much of the NYC media/blogosphere is saying the team lacks a a killer instinct, as in the team has "heart problems." (See, I'm always bringing it back to the music, y'all!) I'm going to give them a pass for April: Still trying to figure out the new ballpark, WBC training/preparedness issues, etc. But it's now May 4. String together a few wins, will ya! I can't take another summer of over-priced, mediocre baseball. And no amount of Shake Shack burgers are going to make things right. Although, they can't hurt.















Food porn courtesy of Alaina B.'s Flickr page


And then I got to work.

Today's Stats
Total songs listened to: 5
Total minutes of music (approx.): 16
Song with the most previous plays:
"Heart Problems" - 4
How I Rate Today's Playlist (1-10): 6
Miscellaneous factoid about my trip to work today: Rain sucks.

Friday, May 1, 2009

Don't Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder) [Day 197]

Travis - "My Eyes"
Lily Allen - "Fuck You"
Oops. Not sure you were supposed to see that one. Yes it's a Lily Allen song. And it's from her second album. I can't even attribute it to falling for that 2007 summer-fun album with the single "Smile." Listen, the CD was laying around my office so I uploaded it, ok. I haven't really listened to it at all, but I do have to admit, I kinda like her. There's something about Lily. The way she just doesn't seem to take herself or pop stardom very seriously that is appealing. Unfortunately the song seems even way more over-produced than anything on her last album, but the kiss-off lyrics are cute and even positively political ("you say it's not okay to be gay, well I think you're just evil"). Also, her Twitter feed is kinda awesome. It's often about massive amounts of food she consumes (i.e. "
at home, been through post,ignoring stack of bills. mum made me mac and cheese w/bacon bits and shortbread"). Take that Britney!
Conor Oberst - "Laura Laurent" (live)
The Beach Boys - "Don't Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder)"
Jens Lekman - "A Man Walks Into A Bar"

And then I got to work.

Today's Stats
Total songs listened to: 5
Total minutes of music (approx.): 23
Song with the most previous plays:
"Don't Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder)" - 6
How I Rate Today's Playlist (1-10): 5
Miscellaneous factoid about my trip to work today: Swine flu? That's nothing. My 3-year-old says there's a monster cat living under the street. Run for your lives!

Thursday, April 30, 2009

23 Years Ago (Day 196)

The Beatles - "Yellow Submarine" (1969)
Ry Cooder - "Christmas In Southgate" (2007)
Chin Up Chin Up - "Collide The Tide" (2004)
Y'all Is Fantasy Island - "The Walk Home" (2008)
Townes Van Zandt - "Standin'" (1972)
Paul Westerberg - "23 Years Ago" (2004)
Hüsker Dü - "What's Going On" (1984)
Umm, first of all...




No, seriously. It was nice to see my handful of blog pals immediately welcome me back. I hope I don't let you guys down like my iPod did this AM. The slim charge remaining only got me 2/3 of the way through this (awesome)
Hüsker Dü song, and short of my office door. (Hey, there are ambient sounds in the city. Who knew?) Kind of a minor clunker of a playlist for my second day back, with a couple of those songs that just prove that 60GB is too much storage. Y'all Is Fantasy? That's got to be one of those blog-endorsed things I downloaded without much thought because really what the heck is it? It's 3:15 of ambient soundtrack music, that's what it is. And Chin Up Chin Up? Meh. Thank god for Townes Van Zandt. No, seriously, thank god for Townes Van Zandt. (I'd really like a T-shirt that says that.) Okay, so added bonus today. Notice I added the release date of each of the songs. I did this because I had a conversation with a friend this morning who told me he finally listened to and loved the Fleet Foxes (naturally). I'd recommended them because he'd been bemoaning the lack of good new music. He's one of those classic rock-loving dudes (not that there's anything wrong with that), who hasn't had the time/inclination/desire to seek out new music. But this got me wondering about the average age of the music I listen to. Unfortunately, this is a flawed statistic because as I've mentioned in this space before, most of the music on my iPod is newer, downloaded stuff, not the stacks of CDs and records I've been amassing since I was 12. But since this blog is really all about useless information, here you go. The average year of the songs on today's playlist is: 1993.

And then I got to work.

Today's Stats
Total songs listened to: 7
Total minutes of music (approx.): 27
Song with the most previous plays: "23 Years Ago" - 7
How I Rate Today's Playlist (1-10): 5
Miscellaneous factoid about my trip to work today: The sign on the muffins at the cafe this morning read: Fresh Baked. And, holy shit, my apple cinnamon muffin was still warm when I got to the office! Now that's truth in advertising.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Blossom (Day 195)

The Beastie Boys - "Professor Booty"
Y'all Is Fantasy Island - "Army Card"
Wilco - "Someday Soon"
Interpol - "Pace Is The Trick"
Liz Phair - "Explain It To Me"
Wilco - "Kingsport Town" (live)
Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - "Blossom"
Jenny Lewis & The Watson Twins - "The Charging Sky"
Imperial Teen - "Everything"
Rilo Kiley - "A Better Son/Daughter"
Franz Ferdinand - "Twilight Omens"
I'm going to start back slow - - don't want to pull a muscle. Here's today's playlist. I'm going to renew my efforts to post what I listened to on my way to work each day. Other brilliant nuggets of wisdom to follow. Fingers crossed.

And then I got to work.

Today's Stats
Total songs listened to: 11
Total minutes of music (approx.): 44
Song with the most previous plays: "Blossom" - 10
How I Rate Today's Playlist (1-10): 7
Miscellaneous factoid about my trip to work today: I didn't see a single NYC commuter wearing a surgical mask.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

I Started Something I Couldn't Finish (Day 194)

KT Tunstall - "Other Side Of The World"
Cat Power - "Willie"
The Smiths - "I Started Something I Couldn't Finish"
Umm, I suppose that this could be the permanent subtitle of this blog - - sadly. But don't abandon me completely... Keep me on your reader. It may not be every day, but I will still continue to update this space. But can you blame me for being preoccupied? Digital world is so crazy, yo! So many distractions. (That's without even getting into the upcoming baseball season.) Look, I'm Twittering a bit. If you need a fix try following me there. (Please, I have, like, no followers.) Then there's this blip.fm thing I just discovered which can only be described as a music Twitter. (Whatever that means...) Anyone can sign on and become a DJ and suggest or "blip" songs to followers, or in this case, listeners. (I literally have no listeners, so please sign up. I'm "gemmanuel" over there.) Could be fun, no? And who knows, perhaps by the next time I blog (boy, that suddenly sounds antiquated) we could be conversing in a virtual world as avatars. What's that, you say? You can already do that...?

And then I got to work.

Today's Stats
Total songs listened to: 3
Total minutes of music (approx.): 14
Song with the most previous plays: "I Started Something I Couldn't Finish" - 7
How I Rate Today's Playlist (1-10): 5
Miscellaneous factoid about my trip to work today: Short playlist due to subway socializing. When will people ever learn I need to listen to music in the AM! (I kid, Scott, I kid.)

Friday, March 20, 2009

Silver Palomino (Day 193)

Buena Vista Social Club - "Orgullecida"
Samantha Crain & The Midnight Shivers - "Rising Sun"

Don't worry, I've never heard of her either. I guess I downloaded some blog's 2008 compilation called HearYa: Earwood Vol. 1. I think some of the artists on there appealed to me (I'm pretty sure Port O'Brien was one of them). Naturally it just got sucked into the void of 12,509 songs. But you know what? Ms. Crain's got a real nice voice - - kinda Edie Brickell like ('member her?). I'm digging her laid-back folksy charm. Meanwhile, I always liked the band name construction of band leader & band name. Like: Bob Dylan & The Band (classic), or Ryan Adams & The Cardinals (recent). My all time favorite example: Bob Willis & His Texas Playboys. Yours?
Buena Vista Social Club - "Armor De Loca Juventud"
Bruce Springsteen - "Silver Palomino"
David Bowie - "Art Decade"
The Who - "I'm One"

Pavement - "The List Of Dorms"

Teenage Fanclub - "Guiding Star"
The Racounteurs - "Five On The Five"

Cut Chemist - "(My 1st) Big Break"

Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova - "Broken Hearted Hoover Fixer Sucker Guy"

The Go-Betweens - "No Reason To Cry"

Pixies - "I Bleed"

Miles Davis - "Madness"


And then I got to work.

Today's Stats
Total songs listened to: 14
Total minutes of music (approx.): 47
Song with the most previous plays: "Silver Palomino" - 8
How I Rate Today's Playlist (1-10): 8
Miscellaneous factoid about my trip to work today: Happy spring, NYC - - it snowed this morning! Look...















You can't really tell, but those were some huge-ass flakes coming down. K.C. loved it, naturally.

Friday, March 13, 2009

Crying Won't Help You Now (Day 192)

Guided By Voices - "Always Crush Me"
The Starlight Mints - "Zillion Eyes"
The Raconterus - "Hands"
Flight Of The Conchords - "I'm Not Crying"
Josh Ritter - "Idaho"
Love - "Your Mind And We Belong Together"
Kind of a weird playlist today. I was sort of getting this feeling that I was listening to someone else's iPod, or my own bizarro iPod. Yes the artists were mostly familiar, but the shuffle definitely seemed to be leaning towards those lesser played tunes. Checking the stats at work confirmed it. In fact, 4 out today's 13 songs I was hearing for the first time ever (on the iPod). Meaning I dumped the songs on here and thanks mostly to frequent shuffling never had the chance to listen to them. This was the first first-timer, and I'm surprised because I've certainly got a lot of plays out of the Forever Changes CD at home. I always considered this album by Love and Arthur Lee to be an unsung 60s classic. To me it really sounds dated - - but in a good way. Sometimes you want that baroque, psychedelic sound that still reeks of cannabis. (Love fun fact: Evidently Neil Young was supposed to co-produce Forever Changes, but he got caught up in Buffalo Springfield commitments. Who knew?) Among the other virginal songs today:
"Todo Mundo Pastou II" (Not surprising: It's really one of those tossed-off album closers that sounds like someone let the tape run too long, from the Brazilian band's 1972 album [with a name that just rolls off the tongue] E Seus Cometas No País Do Baurets); "La Bayamesa" (From the infamous Buena Vista Social Club album that I was in love with for a while, but only recently put on my iPod.) and "Blue Clouds" (Just another purdy song from the always underrated Ida.)
Os Mutantes - "Todo Mundo Pastou II"
Josh Rouse - "Life"
Giant Sand - "Lester Lampshade"
Ben Harper - "Crying Won't Help You Now"
Buena Vista Social Club - "La Bayamesa"
The Olivia Tremor Control - "California Demise Pt. 1"
Ida - "Blue Clouds"

And then I got to work.

Today's Stats
Total songs listened to: 13
Total minutes of music (approx.): 40
Song with the most previous plays: "Idaho," "Crying Won't Help You Now" - 8
How I Rate Today's Playlist (1-10): 6
Miscellaneous factoid about my trip to work today: I have a problem. I had plenty of coffee at home (3-4 cups), but when I took my daughter for a muffin I had to order another cup...and then get one at work. I must be peeing pure caffeine.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

The Hardest Part (Day 191)

The Beastie Boys - "High Plains Drifter"
Guided By Voices - "How's My Drinking"
Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - "The Hardest Part"
Pavement - "Summer Baby (7" Version)"
Thao & The Get Down, Stay Down - "Swimming Pools"
Jim James - "Bermuda Highway" (live)
Wilco - "Lookin' For A Lover" (live)
Jim Noir - "Key Of C"
Track Star - "Owen's Ghetto Punch"'
The Thorns - "Thorns"
M Ward - "Poison Cup"
The Forms - "Transmission"
Mercury Rev - "Opus 40"
Damien Rice - "Grey Room"
Stereolab - "Les Bon Bons Des Raisons"
The Sundays - "Summertime"
Hello, blogosphere. Hope you had a good week. I was in the San Francisco area visiting family...with the family. Did you see me? If so, why didn't you say 'hi'? No matter, we can still be friends. Nice, long playlist today which included a trip to the gym as well as work. And as I got to the office this song popped up. I have never mentioned The Sundays before because I only recently put them on my iPod. Not that I'm a huge fan, but I ripped it off a coworker's iTunes in one of those why-the-hell-not moments when I had some fond memory of their breezy early 90s hit "Here's Where The Story Ends." Well the strangest thing happened as this song played. Now I'm almost a 100% sure I've never heard it. I do believe I owned their debut album Reading, Writing and Arithmetic on some format, but I never bought any of their subsequent records. Yet this song gave me an almost immediate and palpable memory. I pictured myself on an airplane listening to this very song on headphones. Really, it was such a strong feeling that I'm pretty convinced it happened. The song is off the album Static & Silence from 1997, which I definitely did not own until 2 weeks ago. Was it a mix someone made for me? Maybe, but I doubt it. My only possible conclusion involves those horribly lame music channels they have on the plane. There's a chance out of boredom I could have put on one of the "alternative" channels to help me fall asleep. Wouldn't that be a trip if I heard this song one time in my life and now, perhaps 10 years later, could place exactly where I was when I did? Has anything like this ever happened to you? The most ironic part is that this song is not that memorable.

And then I got to work.

Today's Stats
Total songs listened to: 16
Total minutes of music (approx.): 56
Song with the most previous plays: "The Hardest Part" - 15
How I Rate Today's Playlist (1-10): 8
Miscellaneous factoid about my trip to work today: My daughter requested I hang out at school this morning before leaving her for 11 minutes. Not 10, not 12...11 minutes.

Friday, February 20, 2009

How Should It Be (Sha Sha) [Day 190]

Bruce Springsteen - "Thunder Road" (live)
Weird little playlist today: Started out with this uber-recognizable ditty and then devolved into one of those, "Wait, is that...?" kind of scenarios for just about every other song. How about this song though? It may be on that nearly impossible list to ever tabulate: Best Songs Of All-Time. Do you think it's even possible to make you a Top 10 Favorite Songs list? I say no. Ten is just not fair. One hundred seems much more plausible - - but it would be so damn hard. So "Thunder Road" would clearly be on my Top 100 (maybe even Top 20)...as would Golden Earring's "Radar Love." There, I said it. So, back to "Thunder Road." This is the live version from the fairly recent Hammersmith Odeon, London '75 release. It's a great solo, piano version. And, seriously, what other song (or book or poem, for that matter) captures a feeling of trying to escape small-town despair and being on the precipice of freedom and romantic adventure better? The answer is no song.
Os Mutantes - "Balada do louco"
Yardbirds - "Little Games"
James - "Burn The Cat"
Ben Kweller - "How Should It Be (Sha Sha)"
The Hold Steady - "Navy Sheets"
John Vanderslice - "White Plains"
Feist - "Brandy Alexander"
Stephen Malkmus - "Troubbble"
The American Analog Set - "Jr"

And then I got to work.

Today's Stats
Total songs listened to: 10
Total minutes of music (approx.): 36
Song with the most previous plays: "How Should It Be (Sha Sha)" - 12
How I Rate Today's Playlist (1-10): 6
Miscellaneous factoid about my trip to work today: My last trip to work for a week. Vacation next week. See ya!

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Busted (Day 189)

Vetiver - "Busted"
Yo La Tengo - "Daphnia"
Nirvana - "Lithium"
Here's my thought for the day. (And to be clear, you're lucky I have even a single thought. Sorry to slide into daddy blog mode again, but day 2 of the single parent experiment was a great big FAIL. Poor little A vomited all the contents of his baby stomach - - more than you'd probably imagine - - all over himself and his crib around 9:45pm. Occasional vomiting and much sleeplessness followed - - for him both, for me the latter. Now back to the program...) Is "produced" still a dirty word in music? I guess somewhere around the 90s lo-fi craze of Neutral Milk Hotel, Sebadoh, GBV etc., saying something sounded "produced" was almost akin to saying "it sucks monkey balls." Of course that was never really true. And this song just jumped out at me this morning as Exhibit A. Oh man, the production on "Lithium" sounds good: clean electric guitar riffs, pristine vocals, and the quiet spaces in between making room for the crashing chorus. Really this whole record was a thing of beauty in the production department. Of course all credit is due Butch Vig
(who also twiddled the knobs on The Smashing Pumpkins' Gish.) According to Wikipedia, Vig "incorporated overdubs and vocal doubletracking, whereas Nirvana's previous album, Bleach (produced by Jack Endino) had a more 'lo-fi' sound. Kurt Cobain originally refused to double-track his vocals and guitars but Vig reportedly got him to comply by saying 'John Lennon double-tracked'." It also goes on to mention that Kurt later criticized the album's slickness, although that's a bitter pill to swallow considering the enormous success. Although we all know how ambivalent he was about that... Anyhow, I think the stigma is pretty much gone today, don't you? Bands like Grizzly Bear, Animal Collective and even Flaming Lips seem to pretty much craft their sound in the production end of things. Then again, I'm no expert. Least of all today.
TV On The Radio - "Shout Me Out"
Gnarls Barkley - "The Boogie Monster"
Bob Dylan - "Highway 61 Revisited"
Luna - "That's What You Always Say"
Whiskeytown - "Reasons To Lie"
Coldplay - "We Never Change"

And then I got to work.

Today's Stats
Total songs listened to: 9
Total minutes of music (approx.): 38
Song with the most previous plays: "Busted" - 6
How I Rate Today's Playlist (1-10): 8
Miscellaneous factoid about my trip to work today: Windy!

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Don't Go Down (Day 188)

Silkworm - "Don't Make Plans This Friday"
Elliott Smith - "Don't Go Down"
The Beastie Boys - "High Plains Drifter"
Pinback - "Shag"
Son Volt - "Adrenaline and Heresy"
The Go-Betweens - "Born To A Family"
The National - "Beautiful Head"
The Polyphonic Spree - "Section 24 [The Fragile Army]"
Honestly, I was half asleep on my way to work today. ipodwidow is out of town so I'm doing single parent duty for a couple of nights. No biggie, but it's nice to share the load with someone else when a certain 10-month-old wakes up at 12:26 AM seemingly convinced in his still-developing brain that it's morning. It took an hour-and-a-half to change his mind. Anyway, this was the first song to kind of wake me out of my stupor. I never noticed until today how Bowie-like the Spree are. There's that exaggerated drama of art rock and even the vocals have a DB-like tinge. The drama is in spades too. Spare opening piano, followed by booming chorus and even theatrical bits like the sound of typing make this song a lot of fun.
Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - "Firecracker" (live)
Thelonious Monk - "Well You Needn't"

And then I got to work.

Today's Stats
Total songs listened to: 10
Total minutes of music (approx.): 47
Song with the most previous plays: "Don't Go Down" - 10
How I Rate Today's Playlist (1-10): 6
Miscellaneous factoid about my trip to work today: Some of the kids in my daughter's class apparently dictated to their teachers the story behind some pictures they'd drawn. My kids' was longer than the others. Sorry I couldn't get the actual picture in the frame too, but please note the monster's healthy alternative to eating other children.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

FAIL (Day 187)


Saw the Apple logo for a fleeting moment this morning - - and then the screen went blank. It wasn't even followed by the low battery icon. Could this be the last days of the iPod? Aww, wouldn't that be sad? Considering my phone is also on the brink of death, I just might have to get one device that combines both phone and iPod functionality. If only they made such a device. What? They do? Eureka!

And then I got to work.

Today's Stats
Total songs listened to: 0
Total minutes of music (approx.): 0
Song with the most previous plays: n/a
How I Rate Today's Playlist (1-10): n/a
Miscellaneous factoid about my trip to work today: Okay, truth be told. The real reason I even bothered blogging today is because I wanted to post this sweet little photo I took with my phone this AM while walking the dog.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Guest Room (Day 186)

Weezer - "Take Control"
The New Pornographers - "My Rights Versus Yours"
The Thrills - "Saturday Night"
Sparklehorse - "Return To Me"
Keane - "Try Again"
Dolorean - "Just Don't Leave Town"
We interrupt this quasi-music blog for a quasi-movie entry. Basically even though there are a plethora of good songs today on this gym-lengthened playlist, I just feel like I have to comment on the 1975 classic Jaws. What happened was, as I hit the treadmill and got set to do a little running to music, I did a little channel surfing on the machine first. Jaws was on, and I couldn't resist. I have probably seen this move nearly 100 times and it is still so insanely watchable it's borderline ridiculous. Although at 3 I was too young to see it in the theaters obviously, I can vividly remember my mother talking about her reaction to it. She was so scared that she had to get up and go to the lobby as soon as she heard even one bar of John Williams famous score. I got around to it on the ol' VCR (remember those). We were an early adopter in our house and this was definitely one of the first movies we owned. At first I too was scared for obvious reasons. The scene that always got me was when Brody and Hooper find the remains of Ben Gardner's fishing boat and Hoop goes down to inspect the hull only to find a bug-eyed and semi-decomposed head of Benny still lodged in the hatch. That's a run-of-the-mill shocker, but most of the fear comes from the dread - - heightened by the score, right mom? But there is so much more to this movie than cheap horror gags. Upon repeated viewings with my friend CB (and when I say repeated I mean dozens and dozens), it was the humor that stuck with us. This movie is freaking funny in parts. There is a slight moment that for some reason always cracked me up: After Quint squishes a beer can, the egghead Hooper crushes his coffee cup, mocking the old fisherman's machismo. Such a throwaway moment, but not only is it funny, it goes a long way towards developing the two opposing characters. It's seriously storytelling at its finest, and truth be told I (like millions of other kids) wanted to be Steven Spielberg when I grew up. Oh well. In case you've forgotten or - - egads! - - never seen it, behold one of the scenes I saw today while at the gym and how incredible both Richard Dreyfuss and Roy Scheider are - - even on dry land. Keep an eye on Scheider pouring the wine at about 2:12 and Dreyfuss' line about "letting in breathe." Classic.



Spoon - "Don't You Evah"
Vetiver - "Belles"
Jenny Lewis - "Jack Killed Mom"
Devendra Banhart - "Insect Eyes"
The National - "Guest Room"
Coleman Hawkins - "Spotlight"
The Beatles - "Yellow Submarine"
Weezer - "Keep Fishin'"
The Lemonheads - "Rule Of Three"
The Teen Kings - "An Empty Cup And A Boken Date"
Port O'Brien - "In Vino Veritas"
Thurston Moore - "Off Work"
Hüsker Dü - "Pride"

And then I got to work.

Today's Stats
Total songs listened to: 22
Total minutes of music (approx.): 70
Song with the most previous plays: "Guest Room," "Return To Me" - 9
How I Rate Today's Playlist (1-10): 9
Miscellaneous factoid about my trip to work today: Yesterday, 50 degrees. Today, snowing. I give up.

Friday, January 30, 2009

When My Love Crosses Over (Day 185)

Versus - "I Love The WB"
Franz Ferdinand - "Auf Achse"
Today's playlist felt even random-er than most. Lots of styles. Some bands I haven't heard in a while. Etc. And this track was a highlight. I'm kind of into Franz Ferdinand right now. I remember liking them when the rest of the world discovered them - - then dismissing them as one-hit wonders. But lo-and-behold (if that's even how you spell that), their new album is pretty darn good. It mixes Brit synth pop with some fuzzy rock and there's even a folky flourish at the end. Am I alone in my new-found Franz fetish?
Comets On Fire - "Dogwood Rust"
Smog - "Easily Led"
Taj Mahal - "Blind Boy Rag"
Annuals - "Mama"
My Morning Jacket - "I Will Sing You Songs" (live)
The National - "Slipping Husband"
John Hiatt - "When My Love Crosses Over"

And then I got to work.

Today's Stats
Total songs listened to: 9
Total minutes of music (approx.): 42
Song with the most previous plays: "When My Love Crosses Over" - 9
How I Rate Today's Playlist (1-10): 7
Miscellaneous factoid about my trip to work today: Today's commute seemed oddly quiet. Are people fleeing the big city for quieter, CHEAPER, living situations? And can I come?

Thursday, January 29, 2009

On The Sunny Side Of The Street (Day 184)

Animal Collective - "Lion In A Coma"
Grizzly Bear - "Two Weeks" (live)
Animal Collective - "Banshee Beat"
I think I like Animal Collective's much ballyhooed album Merriweather Post Pavillion, but I'm still not sure how much. However today's two songs in close proximity definitely signal that the band is evolving in a good way. The former, from Pavillion, is still trademark AC - - electronic noise, cacophonous percussion, overlapping vocals. But it's also generally focused, concise and rhythmic. Whereas, "Banshee Beat" from 2005's Feels, is way more atmospheric and meandering. Change is good.
Devendra Banhart - "Dogs They Make Up The Dark"
Sufjan Stevens - "Holland"
Man, hearing this song today made me want a new Sufjan album. Where is it? Can't wait for the opus on my home state, New Jersey. I can just imagine what he'd do with the Turnpike, Pine Barrens, Thomas Edison, Jersey Devil, et al.
Dan Zanes - "On The Sunny Side Of The Street"
The Elected - "Don't Get Your Hopes Up"
Led Zeppelin - "Dazed And Confused"
Hmm. Not sure this Zep song has aged particularly well. (I won't mention this to my co-worker who actually just got "Zoso" and the other three symbols from IV tattooed on his bicep this week.) Other songs from the first album have stood up better, I think ("Good Times Bad Times," "How Many More Times"). This track just sounds a bit too grandiose, perhaps. It's hard not to think of a Jimmy Page "bow" solo...and then, naturally, Spinal Tap.





The Polyphonic Spree - "Section 24 [Fragile Army]"
Paul Westerberg - "Good Day"

And then I got to work.

Today's Stats
Total songs listened to: 10
Total minutes of music (approx.): 44
Song with the most previous plays: "On The Sunny Side Of The Street" - 20
How I Rate Today's Playlist (1-10): 7
Miscellaneous factoid about my trip to work today: Actually, this happened yesterday. In honor of the late John Updike I read his 1960 New Yorker essay on Ted Williams last game, "Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu". Not only is it awesome (this may be common knowledge and I may be late to the party), but it also contains my new favorite sentence about what makes sports so great found in American literature.
Nevertheless, there will always lurk, around a corner in a pocket of our knowledge of the odds, an indefensible hope, and this was one of the times, which you now and then find in sports, when a density of expectation hangs in the air and plucks an event out of the future.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Plans (Day 183)

Pixies - "Debaser" (live)
Zumpano - "Jeez-Louise"
A really nice long, list that encompassed a short trip to the gym and the commute to work. This particular song helped fuel part of my time on the treadmill (thanks power pop!), but also made my thoughts wander to an entirely different band: Frank Allison and the Odd Sox. If you lived in Ann Arbor in the late 80s or early 90s you know exactly who I'm talking about: Long hair, quirky, nasal voice, rocking backup band. Every once and a while I'll come across my vinyl copy of Monkey Business and it'll bring me right back to that chilly gem of a town in the Midwest. I had to find out what's up with Frank when I got to work today and it turns out he's had a bit of a wild ride: On the cusp of success, he lost his voice to something called spasmodic dysphonia
. He was forced to put down the guitar for seven years and in the meantime he bought and operated a movie theater. Then, out of the blue, he got his young daughter a ukulele. She lost interest in the instrument, but he fiddled with it and eventually re-taught himself to sing - - and then he started recording again. Take that, Behind the Music! And good for you, Frank. Anyone else out there remember Frank Allison and The Odd Sox?



N.E.R.D. - "You Know What"
Deerhoof - "Giga Dance"
The Starlight Mints - "Pages"
The Books - "Take Time"
The Mountain Goats - "Diru Lipatti's Bones"
Bright Eyes - "Down A Rabbit Hole"
Superchunk - "Marquee"
Q-Tip - "Official"
Annuals - "Track 57"
Dolorean - "Morning Watch"
Grizzly Bear - "Plans"
The Rolling Stones - "Shake Your Hips"
Colin Meloy - "The Gymnast, High Above The Ground" (live)
Elvis Costello & The Attractions - "Sittin' And Thinkin'"
The Roots - "I Will Not Apologize"
Bod Dylan - "Who Killed Davey Moore?"
De La Soul - "Change In Speak"

And then I got to work.

Today's Stats
Total songs listened to: 19
Total minutes of music (approx.): 64
Song with the most previous plays: "Plans," "Morning Watch" (tie) - 8
How I Rate Today's Playlist (1-10): 9
Miscellaneous factoid about my trip to work today: Devised recipe for beating cold with G - - roar like a lion at top volume.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Central Booking (Day 182)

A.C. Newman - "Miracle Drug"
Devendra Banhart - "Chinese Children"
Devendra Banhart - "Queen Bee"
Fountains Of Wayne - "Janice's Party"
Kings Of Leon - "Razz"
Shuggie Otis - "Happy House"
Pavement - "The Hexx"
Yo La Tengo - "Stay Away From Heaven"
What do these two things have in common?





















Umm, apparently this song. This Yo La Tengo instrumental on the Prisoners of Love compilation was evidently recorded for the soundtrack to the 2001 movie The Invisible Circus. Who knew? Although it looks like a cheesy Cameron Diaz rom-com, maybe the poster is deceiving. Per Wikipedia:
Phoebe O'Connor's California dreamin' days are done. Lost and confused in post-free love San Francisco, this headstrong flower child (played by Jordana Brewster) decides to unravel the mystery of her sister's (Cameron Diaz) suicide in Portugal. In her desperate search for answers, Phoebe is forced to face the past, as well as disturbing truths about her own future.
Okay, maybe it's not awful. I'd hope YLT would have at least read the script. If they did it for the Benjamin$ (which is also okay), it doesn't appear that it really paid off. Anyone see actually this movie?
Midlake - "You Never Arrived"
Los Lobos - "Is This All There Is?"
Bishop Allen - "Central Booking"
The Black Keys - "Black Door"
Devendra Banhart - "Insect Eyes"

And then I got to work.

Today's Stats
Total songs listened to: 13
Total minutes of music (approx.): 46
Song with the most previous plays: "Central Booking" - 14
How I Rate Today's Playlist (1-10): 6
Miscellaneous factoid about my trip to work today: G and I agreed - - our faces turned into Popsicles.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Postcards From Italy (Day 181)

Beck - "Youthless"
Bonnie "Prince" Billy - "A KIng At Night"
Blonde Redhead - "Untitled"
The White Stripes - "Icky Thump"
Iron & Wine - "On Your Wings"
Animal Collective - "Unsolved Mysteries"
It sounds like Animal Collective has made the first bid for best album of '09 - - if you believe the raves. I will remain steadfastly apprehensive. I am still a bit immune to their supposed charms. I like weird. I also like tuneful. I'm much happier when the two meet up and have coffee. That occasionally happens on this track from their 2007 album Strawberry Jam. (Much better than the celebrated Sung Tongs, if you ask me.) Hopefully this evolution means Merriweather Post Pavilion is something to get excited about. Anyone listen to it yet?
Belle & Sebastian - "Mayfly"
Billy Bragg & Wilco - "Stetson Kennedy"
Charles Mingus - "Pedal Point Blues"
Interpol - "Heinrich Maneuver"
Beirut - "Postcards From Italy"
Fuck, Italy. Here's your postcard from America. 1/20/09.


The Republic is alive and well. Wish you were here.

And then I got to work.

Today's Stats
Total songs listened to: 13
Total minutes of music (approx.): 45
Song with the most previous plays: "Postcards From Italy" - 15
How I Rate Today's Playlist (1-10): 7
Miscellaneous factoid about my trip to work today: I have a cold.

Friday, January 16, 2009

Waltzing Matilda (Day 180)

Josh Ritter - "Next To The Last Romantic"
Times New Viking - "The Statue Pt. 1"
The National - "Squalor Victoria"
David Cross - "Certain Leaders in Government Look or Act Like Certain Pop Culture Refe"
Songs: Ohia - "The Black Crow"
Norah Jones - "Wake Me Up"
Townes Van Zandt - "Talkin' Karate Blues"
Silkworm - "Don't Make Plans This Friday"
Dan Zanes - "Waltzing Matilda"
The Polyphonic Spree - "Middle Of The Day"

And then I got to work.

Today's Stats
Total songs listened to: 11
Total minutes of music (approx.): 38
Song with the most previous plays: "Waltzing Matilda" - 11
How I Rate Today's Playlist (1-10): 6
Miscellaneous factoid about my trip to work today: The condensation from my nose breath froze on the hair of my upper lip.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Starlings Of The Slipstream (Day 179)

Colin Meloy - "On The Bus Mall" (live)
The Ponys - "We Shot The World"
Money Mark - "Black Butterfly"
Will there be a post in 2009 where I won't apologize about not posting. Yes! Starting now. The discussion is off the table. Just take what you can get, people. So what am I thinking about today? (Except for the fact that a mother fucking plane landed in the Hudson River this afternoon! Incidentally, this shot
that a guy took on his cell phone should win a Pulitzer. It's amazing.) Anyway, the subject is this: I (heart) the iPhone. No, I don't have one. But iPodWidow does and it is a pretty damn cool machine. (I'm just going to keep stating the obvious here.) So, why don't I have one. Well: A) It's expensive. B) I have a perfectly good phone (a Samsung Blackjack). C) I have an iPod with 60GB. You see, 'C' is really what's holding me back. The iPhone would be the perfect device if it was a phone, browser and, at minimum, 60GB iPod. Well, at least that's what I used to think. Do I really need 60GB? The truth is my iPod only has 45.99GB of music on it right now, after nearly 3 years of loading shit onto it. And although it's fun to have so many songs at your disposal (especially for the purpose of this blog), there is obviously some fat to trim. No better example than this song where I pause right here. Not sure what I was expecting form Beastie Boys collaborator Money Mark's solo album, but it is a weird affair that I certainly don't need to tote around with me all the time, everyday. With a 32GB iPhone, I could still have a ton of songs (7,000 actually, or about 700 albums) and that super-sweet phone too. Don't be surprised to hear about an unfortunate accident happening to my cell phone one of these days...
My Morning Jacket - "Old Sept Blues"
Os Mutantes - "Senhor F"
Sebadoh - "Downmind"
Karen Dalton - "In A Station"
Micah P. Hinson - "Letter To Huntsville"
Spoon - "Small Stakes"
The Mountain Goats - "Your Belgian Things"
Vivian Girls - "I Believe In Nothing"
The Beastie Boys - "The Sounds Of Science"
Pavement - "Starlings Of The Slipstream"

And then I got to work.

Today's Stats
Total songs listened to: 13
Total minutes of music (approx.): 42
Song with the most previous plays: "Letter To Huntsville", "Starlings Of The Slipstream" (tie) - 5
How I Rate Today's Playlist (1-10): 7
Miscellaneous factoid about my trip to work today: What's sweeter than a 3-year-old trying to catch snowflakes on her tongue?

Friday, January 9, 2009

Santa Ana Winds (Day 178)

Dinosaur Jr - "This Is All I Came To Do"
Tobacco - "Little Pink Riding Hood"
Matthew Sweet & Susannah Hoffs - "Monday, Monday"
The Wedding Present - "Santa Ana Winds"
Full disclosure: This is Wednesday's playlist. I know, like my New Year's resolution to hit the gym, my promise to blog daily has already hit a snag. Wednesday and Thursday were hectic at work. (Layoffs didn't help. I'm fine, thanks for asking.) And then I left the iPod in the office! But rather than leave you hanging another day, here's something from the week even if it's not from "today". (It's shorter than usual due again to real-life conversation with my new commuting friend.) So, back to the music: This song comes from a 2008 album that could have at least made my honorable mentions list from the Best Albums of The Year post. But really my initial excitement about the record quickly waned. Still, good stuff. The title places this as a very L.A. record and the cover (a palm tree and neon lights) pretty much confirms it. But it dawned on me I realized I don't really know exactly what the Santa Ana winds are. Oh, Mr. Wikipedia....

The Santa Ana winds are strong, extremely dry offshore winds that characteristically sweep through in Southern California and northern Baja California in late fall into winter. They can range from hot to cold, depending on the prevailing temperatures in the source regions, the Great Basin and upper Mojave Desert. However, the winds are remembered most for the hot dry weather (often the hottest of the year) that they bring in the fall.
But, wait, there's more! These beloved winds have been featured in quite a bit of popular culture, especially music. I think this is kinda fascinating so I'm going to go ahead and show you the
list collected on Wikipedia of mentions of the winds in popular song - - from this decade alone!
  • The song "Mansfield" from Elton John's 2001 album Songs from the West Coast mentions a "California moon" and contains the lyrics "The Santa Ana winds blew warm into your room".
  • Bad Religion mentions the winds a few times, using their nickname "murder winds", "St. Anne's skirts are billowing" and the line "The fans of Santa Ana are withering" in the song "Los Angeles Is Burning" from the 2004 album The Empire Strikes First. "When the hills of Los Angeles are burning/ Palm trees are candles in the murder winds/ So many lives are on the breeze/ Even the stars are ill at ease/ And Los Angeles is burning."
  • The song "Catch My Disease" (2005) by Ben Lee has the lyrics "She told me about the winds from Santa Ana/ And that's the way I like it."
  • Danish band Mew's song "The Zookeeper's Boy" from their 2005 album And the Glass Handed Kites refers to the winds in the lyric "Santa Ana winds bring seasickness."
  • Jason Mraz's unreleased "Silent Love Song" refers to the Santa Ana winds.

All that and this Wedding Present song isn't even on the list! But here's the best bit of arcane Santa Ana wind culture I learned in the last five minutes: In Cycle 11 of America's Next Top Model featured a shoot where contestants portrayed natural disasters. Contestant Analeigh Tipton portrayed the winds. Now you know.
Nada Surf - "Blonde On Blonde" (live)
Bill Evans - "All Of You (Take 3)"

And then I got to work.

Today's Stats
Total songs listened to: 6
Total minutes of music (approx.): 28
Song with the most previous plays: "Santa Ana Winds", "All Of You (Take 3)" (tie) - 4
How I Rate Today's Playlist (1-10): 7
Miscellaneous factoid about my trip to work today: It (and I mean Wednesday) was a horrible rainy day and G and I missed the bus.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Young Pilgrim (Day 177)

Cat Power - "Lived In Bars"
Marah - "Feather Boa"
Ida - "What Can I Do"
The New Pornographers - "July Jones"
The Flying Burrito Brothers - "Four Days Of Rain"
Robert Pollard - "Love Is Stronger Than Witchcraft"
Um, yeah. I super-sized the playlist. Actually a little side trip to the barber was the real reason for all these great songs. Not to mention a stop for a great cup of coffee at - - plug alert - - Joe The Art Of Coffee. I've been meaning to check out one of the locations of this NYC coffee chain which supposedly has some great joe. It's true. The apple walnut muffin is pretty good too. Also, love the name which is why I pause here because this Pollard song has my favorite song title on today's list. Pollard can definitely rock a song title - - almost as well as he twirls a mic. Unfortunately the actual song pales in comparison to the name. It's kind of a lackluster affair from the otherwise pretty strong solo record, From A Compound Eye.
Sebadoh - "Kath"
The Beatles - "Drive My Car"
Sparklehorse - "Heart Of Darkness"
Belle & Sebastian - "Beautiful"
R.E.M. - "World Leader Pretend" (live)
TV On The Radio - "Crying"
Seu Jorge - "Rebel Rebel"
Bob Dylan - "Talkin' Bear Mountain Picnic Massacre Blues"
My Morning Jacket - "Rollin' Back"
Gnarls Barkley - "Crazy"
The Shins - "Young Pilgrim"
After getting pretty burnt out on this band (I'm look at you, Natalie Portman), I think I'm ready for a full-bore revival! This acoustic song from the great Chutes To Narrow sounded so sweet this morning. (And pretty much iced what I plan to listen to on the way home tonight.) Anybody know what's up the band? Wincing The Night Away is nearly two years old.
The Elected - "Fireflies In A Steel Mill"
Magnetic Fields - "Fido, Your Leash Is Too Long"

And then I got to work.

Today's Stats
Total songs listened to: 19
Total minutes of music (approx.): 75
Song with the most previous plays: "Beautiful, "Young Pilgrims" (tie) - 12
How I Rate Today's Playlist (1-10): 9
Miscellaneous factoid about my trip to work today: It had to take 2 trains and 2 buses. I think the MTA should pay me.

Monday, January 5, 2009

A Night In Tunisia (Day 176)

The Polyphonic Spree - "Have A Day/Celebratory"
Ry Cooder - "Los Chucos Suaves"
Bob Dylan & The Band - "Apple Suckling Tree"
My Bloody Valentine - "Touched"
Holly Golightly - "Headstart"
Dizzy Gillespie & Charlie Parker - "A Night In Tunisia" (live)
It's 2009, y'all! I'm rested, relaxed and re
ady to kick this blog back in high gear. But just not today, of course. Not that I won't list what I listened to on my way to work today, but I won't be starting off with some kind of Earth-shattering post thanks to a short, and less-than-sweet playlist. It was one of those morning where I rode the subway with another pre-school dad post drop-off, so plugging in was out of the question. In the absence of many songs, I will throw up an addendum to my last post featuring my favorite albums. I have two more that could have easily made that list. The first is one I just plain forgot until Comoprozac reminded me by picking it as his #3 album of the year - - Port O'Brien's All We Could Do Was Sing. CP was right, if you're not tapping your toes 0:38 into the first song, "I Woke Up Today," you have no pulse. The second album is one I just fell in love with over the New Year's break. I was perusing NPR's year-end music blogs and on the Top 10 Great Unknowns list I heard this: Blind Pilot's 3 Rounds And A Sound. Oh. My. It's a couple of dudes from Portland making some beautiful sounds. Check it out here.

And then I got to work.

Today's Stats
Total songs listened to: 6
Total minutes of music (approx.): 17
Song with the most previous plays: "A Night In Tunisia" - 7
How I Rate Today's Playlist (1-10): 5
Miscellaneous factoid about my trip to work today: My daughter walked the entire way to the bus stop this AM and then told me she can't wait to tell Mommy. Ditto.