Monday, December 31, 2007

Thursday, December 27, 2007

M83 - "Teen Angst"

M83 - "Teen Angst": "The beat has the steady clip of someone running, but the keyboards sound like wave crashes with the vocals as the resultant spray on top. Dreamy.
(Related note: I've heard the new M83, out next year, and it's freaking awesome. I cannot wait for it to come out!)"

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Michael Penn - "Now We're Even"

Michael Penn - "Now We're Even": "Once a part of Michael's Free For All album, this track vanished when RCA re-issued Free For All and his debut record, March on one disc. Strangely, the track was not resurrected for the Palms and Runes, Tarot and Tea compilation on SBMG/Legacy - but at least my pals at Legacy were willing to play ball and attach the track to the digital version of the record. It's bad enough when b-sides fall off the face of the earth as formats change and time passes, but an album track suffering that fate is pretty horrible. Thanks to Legacy for not allowing that to happen here!"

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Ludacris - "What's Your Fantasy (Remix)"

Ludacris - "What's Your Fantasy (Remix)": I love this song for two reasons:
1. The yelling of "Remix! REMIX! REMIX!!" at the beginning of the song. I just think it's funny to call it out like that.
2. It's awesomely nasty, but catchily so. Serious parental advisory on this one."

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Lusk - "Backworlds"

Lusk - "Backworlds": "Despite featuring a former member of Tool, this song couldn't be any more dissimilar from that band. Here, lush production swirls hushed vocals, squiggly keyboards, metallic guitars and atmospheric washes into a offbeat pop wonderland.
There are probably only four people who get this joke, but - I wonder, is Paul D'Amour still on honeymoon in Turkey?"

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Cake - "Never, Never Gonna Give You Up"

Cake - "Never, Never Gonna Give You Up": "Cake does Barry White and it actually works, in a fun way. I seem to recall that this is from the American Werewolf In Paris soundtrack, which I might have had at the time (for some reason? maybe someone gave it to me?), so it's triggering a 1997 flashback for me.
(The track now appears on Cake's new b-sides/rarities comp.)"

Monday, December 17, 2007

Giant Drag - "This Isn't It"

Giant Drag - "This Isn't It": "Normally, I don't blog about the same artist three times, let alone three songs from the same record, but I am here, for Giant Drag's "Hearts and Unicorns". (I know, I checked.) The vocals are sweet and sad, the music is fuzzy, the chord progression really works for me and...damn, I just love this record. It almost scares me to hear whatever they do next, because it might never be this good."

Friday, December 14, 2007

Snoop Dogg - "Sensual Seduction"

Snoop Dogg - "Sensual Seduction": "This song is a pretty cheesy love jam and one that would be unbearable if it wasn't coming from Snoop Dogg. Somehow, in his hands - despite the fact that he's singing now - this song becomes a real pimp anthem. And I don't mean 'pimp' as in booty-kickin' street pimp - I mean 'pimp' as in smooth seducer...which is basically what the song's about. I should be lamenting this soft turn for him, but it actually makes me respect him more."

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Serge Gainsbourg - "Panpan Cucul"

Serge Gainsbourg - "Panpan Cucul": "A belated souvenir from my trip to Paris. I picked up a bunch of Gainsbourg comps (unreleased in America, although most of the material is still available here in one form or another) and, while catching up on my foreign purchases last night, I turned up this track. I hadn't heard it before, but hearing Serge hiss about spankings (if I translated correctly) over a slow 70s-style piano-and-guitar groove is just...well, awesome."

Monday, December 10, 2007

The Teenagers - "Starlett Johansson"

The Teenagers - "Starlett Johansson": "I admit this track caught my eye because of the title, but it proves interesting beyond that - a weird mix of Euro spoken word and breathy indie pop, all somewhat about Ms. Scarlett Johansson."

Friday, December 07, 2007

Superchunk - "Tie A Rope To The Back Of The Bus"

Superchunk - "Tie A Rope To The Back Of The Bus": "...mainly because I am sitting at the back of the bus on the way to and from work every day, on the MUNI. But also because I love this song!"

Wednesday, December 05, 2007

Barbara Lewis - "Hello Stranger"

Barbara Lewis - "Hello Stranger": "One of my favorite 'oldies radio' songs, along with Eddie Floyd's "Knock On Wood". It's just a really smooth song with suave backing vocals, enough rhythm to be interesting and a perfect touch of both longing and 'come hither' from Barbara herself."

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

Krokus - "Screaming In The Night"

Krokus - "Screaming In The Night": "This post comes with thanks to Nick and the Interweb. While watching Metal Mania on VH1 Classic with Nick the other night, I described to him this video I remembered from the early days of MTV, where a metal band were some kind of slaves in a future world, but somehow wound up in a 80s-style diner, watching their 'former world' on the diner TV. The problem was, I couldn't remember who the band was or what the song was - or, likely, never knew in the first place.
Turns out, I didn't quite remember it all correctly, but - after 24 years (!) of not knowing who/what the video was, it turns out the correct answer was Krokus and 'Screaming In The Night.' Now the long-running mystery has been solved!
It's not the best transfer, but if you want to see the video, you can watch it here and read this great written summation of the video here. Seriously awesome 80s metal video."

Monday, December 03, 2007

Heart - "Barracuda"

Heart - "Barracuda": "I finally started playing Guitar Hero III this weekend and I was very excited to try my hand at this little number. Of course, I sucked my way through the first take, since I once again* underestimated the wicked guitar work of Heart - but never again!

* - See "Crazy On You", along with my initial Guitar Hero post on the Rhapsody Staff Blog.

P.S. - Since last month, it's hard for me to think of this song without thinking of Glenn F's impression of Celine Dion doing this song. Priceless!"