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Do the Shuffle

Posted at 12:02 PM on February 1, 2008 by Tony Lopez (4 Comments)

Come on, no whammies! No whammies!

“Conventional Wisdom,” Built to Spill
Built to Spill are still touring in support of You in Reverse. They recently announced that they’ll be appearing at the Langerado Music Festival on the Big Cypress Indian Reservation in southern Florida this March. Here’s a live version from a gig in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Doug Martsch is apparently a big hoops fan. You can challenge him to a game of one-on-one right here.

“Parachute Woman,” The Rolling Stones
OK, pointless debate time. Here’s a thorny question for you? What band, generally speaking, are you more in the mood for: The Beatles or The Rolling Stones? I think this was the mysterious fifteenth question that the Buddha refused to answer. I’ve got to go with the Stones on this one. The short explanation is that I lean towards music that comes from the gut more than from the head. The Stones are more visceral than The Beatles and that’s just more attractive to me.

“Vicious,” Lou Reed
Featuring a guitar hook that never gets old, this is the lead-off track to Transformer. Here he is doing an extended live version in Paris in 1974. The band plays it extremely tight as Lou attempts to break the land speed record! A mellower Reed later explains Andy Warhol’s role in the creation of the song.

“Burnt Out Car,” Saint Etienne
This English trio is probably best known for their dance treatment of Neil Young’s “Only Love Can Break Your Heart.” Sarah Cracknell has said the group plans to release a best-of disc later this year. Considering they put out a singles collection just three years ago, I’m not sure the world is quite ready for another one.

“Hollywood Freaks,” Beck
Nooooo! Just when I thought I’d escaped him, Beck drags me back into his funky clutches. Midnight Vultures is such a ridiculously over-the-top album. Which is exactly why it’s so enjoyable. “Hot like a cheetah, neon mamacita”? “Hollywood Freaks” was the song where I actually began questioning Beck’s sanity. He does know how to bust a move, though.

What popped up on your player?

Comments (4)

Funny, I was just listening to Transformer earlier today.

Gordon Lightfoot - Early Morning Rain
I love this guy.

Wilco - Impossible Germany
I think Danny Sigelman liked this song a bit more than I did, but still a highlight from Wilco's latest album, Sky Blue Sky. One of my most memorable Musicheads moments was debating with Mark Wheat whether the climactic guitar attack was more like Television or the Allman Brothers.

Grand National - Litter Bin
Underrated alternatechno duo from the UK. I find myself drawn to their inherent pop core.

Eels - The Medication Is Wearing Off
I'm probably the only person on earth who hasn't been dazzled by Electro-Shock Blues. A few superb tracks, but it really drags in parts. Don't get me wrong, I still love the band.

Bob Dylan - Spirit on the Water
This week's theme might as well be "somewhat disappointing albums". Sorry folks, but Modern Times didn't do much for me at all.

Posted by Mac Wilson | February 1, 2008 7:14 PM

No whammies! I loaded up some older stuff into my iTunes/iPod this week, reflected in my first 2 shuffles.

Kate Bush "The Man With The Child In His Eyes"
I was a big Kate Bush fan in the mid-80s. This gorgeous song is from her very first album The Kick Inside. Written when she was only a teenager, the album shows amazingly mature song writing and a talent for lyrical beauty, and this song is no exception.

The Kinks "Living On A Thin Line". Who doesn't enjoy a little Kinks once in a while? I certainly do. While their earlier stuff (Village Green era) is probably their best, they were still turning out excellent pop well into the eighties.

Goldfrapp "Strict Machine". Althought I'm not usually a fan of "dancey" music, I do love the funky dance pop that Alison Goldfrapp produces. Sometimes she sounds a lot like Kate Bush, but not on this tune!

Viva Voce "When Planets Collide". This bluesy husband and wife duo sometimes reminds me of a smoother White Stripes, with roles reversed. Just listen to Anita's lovely voice contrasted against her blistering guitar!

Spiritualized "Come Together". Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space might just be one of my favorite music discoveries of last year, and ranks up there as one of the more clever & entertaining entertaining album artwork I've seen. Much of the album is floaty, spacey and psychedelic, but this particular cut rawks hard!

Posted by Auntie | February 1, 2008 8:43 PM

Yes, Mac, you are in fact the only person on earth who was not dazzled by Electro-Shock Blues!
;-).

So, are you gonna check out Mr. E at the Pantages in April anyway?

Posted by Auntie | February 1, 2008 8:45 PM

Tony, do you have another favorite Spiritualized album besides Ladies & Gentlemen...? While that album blew me away, I just wasn't crazy about Amazing Grace. Perhaps I need to go backward in their catalog.

Posted by Auntie | February 2, 2008 11:34 PM

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Do the Shuffle

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