Do The Shuffle

Hey there. Tony Lopez has passed the "Do the Shuffle" baton on to me, so I'll be posting a different random 5-song set from my "mp3" player every Friday. Feel free to post your own set in the comments section.

Eels - "Elizabeth on the Bathroom Floor"
A haunting little sketch that kicks off what is arguably Eels' magnum opus, Electro-Shock Blues. It perfectly captures the woozy dread of waking up in front of the toilet. E is a fascinating character, and for some more insights into his head, be sure to check out his in-studio performance and interview with Mary Lucia from a few weeks ago.

The Smiths - "Still Ill"
Tony was not the biggest Smiths fan, so I look forward to bringing you plenty of the lads from Manchester. I probably enjoy the pure sounds of their debut more than any of their other albums.

The Fiery Furnaces - "My Egyptian Grammar"
Mildly cute song from their newest, underwhelming effort, Widow City. Unless their next album really does turn out to be the great lost ABBA record, I'm on the verge of giving up on the Friedbergers.

Michael Penn - "Walter Reed"
Oddly, this track from Penn's Mr. Hollywood 1947 concept album was written long before the recent scandals broke.

The Mountain Goats - "Tianchi Lake"
Mark Wheat really loved this number when he discussed the new album Heretic Pride on Musicheads. It's an actual lake on the border between China and North Korea (not the border between Greece and Albania -- a cookie to anyone who gets the reference) that is reportedly haunted by a Nessie-esque sea creature.

Nice job Mac and thanks for taking up the mantle!

Let's spin the wheel and see what this week brings:

Men At Work - Dr. Heckyll and Mr. Jive
I wonder if this is giong to bring on a wave of '80's nostalgia. Not their best song, but I still enjoy it. I always liked Colin Hay's voice.

Los Lobos - Will The Wolf Survive
Looks like the Pod is yearning for the '80's. I never really followed their career that closely, but I remember hearing this song and loving it. I always loved David Hidalgo's voice as well.

The Beatles - Paperback Writer
A jump back in time. This is one of my fave Beatles tunes. Killer opening guitar riff, the introduction of McCartney's melodic bass riffs, great harmonies, and it wasn't until many years later that I realized that they were singing "Frere Jacques" as the background harmonies.

Violent Femmes - Used to Be
From "Why Do Birds Sing?". One of my fave tunes from the Femmes.

The Fratellis - Chelsea Dagger
The Scottish "glam" rock trio. These guys are so darned much fun to listen to. "Costello Music" was one of my faves of the past couple of years. It still gets plenty of spins on the CD player at the house.

Mates of State - "Running Out"
This is such a great song. It is so heartbreaking when she belts out "Tired of singing" almost as if she could sing it forever...

Dump - "So Long"
This is James McNew of Yo La Tengo's side project. just him in his pajamas recording really really great songs. This one reminds me of the Magnetic Fields. It's from "A Plea For Tenderness", one of my all time favorite albums. His voice breaks my heart.

Cat Power - "Keep On Runnin'"
Sometimes I LOVE Cat Power. Sometimes, not so much. Right now, it's not really working for me. I like this song just fine. just not right now. hm.

Kelly Clarkson - "Since You Been Gone"
There was a period of time when I was obsessed with this song. My bus ride to work is about twenty minutes and some days this would be the only song I would listen to on the way there. or the way home, given the day.I still love this song. Her performance is flawless. The production and arrangement; same. Just a great song.

Owen - "Good Deeds"
I think this guy is kind of an Acquired taste along the lines of Connor Oberst. I really love it. Every time I hear one of his songs, I think, "I gotta listen to this a lot more".