Do you miss the space shuttle? I do, and I never thought I'd miss that piece of junk. Looks like I'm not alone -- plenty of musicians sing lonesome songs about space. Here are a few songs to get you thinking about exploring the galaxy.
1. "Intergalactic" by the Beastie Boys
2. "The Year 2000" by the Phenomenauts
3. "Feel So Moon" by Unicorn -- This song is the opening theme to "Space Brothers," an anime about space exploration. The opening sequence alone is worth checking out.
4. "Do You Realize" by the Flaming Lips
5. "Astronaut" by Blitzen Trapper
6. "We Are All Made of Stars" by Moby
7. "Astronaut" by G. Love
8. "What Planet Is This" by the Seatbelts
9. "Lose Control" by Ash -- This song doesn't have any direct link to space, but the sound that plays at the beginning is from a Star Wars TIE fighter and the whole thing generally sounds like The Jetsons on energy pills.
10. "Some Kind of Nature" by the Gorillaz -- Honorable mention to the entire album "Laika Come Home" by Spacemonkeyz vs. Gorillaz.
Showing posts with label Reading Playlist. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Reading Playlist. Show all posts
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
The hearing-loss blues
I don't know exactly how I converted to the blues. My favorite song when I was 6 was "Bad to the Bone" by George Thorogood. I'm fascinated by the idea that a musical style can embody an emotion, but I'm not usually a fan of subtlety. Here's a list of blues songs so loud you don't have to guess at what the singer is feeling.
Rockin' Daddy by Howlin' Wolf
I started listening to Howlin' Wolf my junior or senior year of high school. I first heard of him on the "Screamin' and Hollerin'" station (now defunct) on accuradio.com. I couldn't believe there was an artist who called himself "Howlin' Wolf" and I'd never heard of him. What's more, the name fit the singer perfectly. He sounded like some big cartoon wolf, growling his lyrics and even howling on choruses.
For a few months, I thought I was the only person on the planet who had heard of him. (That's changed now. A couple of weeks ago, I was listening to "Smokestack Lightning" in the office and a co-worker identified it as "the song from the Viagra commercial.") Fortunately, I wasn't the only person who heard of Howlin' Wolf. He influenced blues-rock giants like Cream and the Rolling Stones. This track, done for the Howlin' Wolf London Sessions, was recorded with Eric Clapton on lead guitar, Hubert Sumlin (one of Howlin' Wolf's guitarists) on rhythm guitar, Ian Stewart and Charlie Watts of the Rolling Stones on piano and drums, respectively, and Phil Upchurch on bass. Howlin' Wolf shows a lot of fight for a man in his 60s, and the bass and piano really carry the track.
Act Nice and Gentle by the Black Keys
Shortly after I discovered Howlin' Wolf on Accuradio, a friend told me about Pandora. I tested it out, and it was either on "Howlin' Wolf Radio" or "Ball and Biscuit Radio" that I heard the Black Keys. The music's texture hooked right into my guts. The lonesome slide guitar wailing in the background, the raw, growling guitar and Dan Auerbach's weary but soulful voice again made me wonder why the band wasn't in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I listened to track previews of Rubber Factory every time I went to Borders, worried that some secret task force of Black musicians would swoop in, snatch the CD from my hands and punish me for appropriating their music. A little while later, I learned with a shock that Rubber Factory had been released the previous year, and the Black Keys were a couple of geeky white guys from Ohio. I still sometimes wonder if Auerbach got vocal chords transplanted from a 50-year-old organ donor.
Hello Operator by the White Stripes
I never thought Jack White was black for a second. That didn't stop me from appreciating his approach to the blues, though. One great thing about the White Stripes is you seldom have to analyze their music -- what you hear is what you get.
The Gospel According to John by the Soledad Brothers
Oddly enough, I eventually stopped worrying about the Black Key's theft of African American music because the Soledad Brothers were much worse. One of their albums has the Black Panthers logo on it. If anyone is trying harder to be black than Eminem, it's the Soledad Brothers.
The vocals on this track (and pretty much on every track by the Soledad Brothers) suck. Someone here is confusing soul with fake southern accents. Thankfully, the guitars are loud enough to drown them out. The Interstate-inspired guitar is as loud as the White Stripes, but less vicious.
Ventilator Blues by the Rolling Stones
If anyone can find another song with double-tracked vocals and slide guitar, please let me know. When I head this song, I thought some indie band like the Shins or Pinback invented double-tracking, but I'm glad I was wrong.
Vampires and Failures by Grandpaboy
Who is Grandpaboy when he's at home, you might ask. It's Paul Westerberg, former punk rocker. In 2002, Westerberg released Stereo under his own name and Mono under the pseudonym Grandpaboy. Ironically, the tracks on Mono are much richer musically. Westerberg doesn't always counterbalance his vocals, and most of the time comes off as the anemic ghost of Tom Petty, but the ground-shaking bass in this track counteract him perfectly. Westerberg opens up the soundscape with echoes and backup vocals. During the last chorus, it sounds like he's cutting someone's hair with electric clippers.
Turkey and the Rabbit by T-Model Ford
Once, as a misssionary in Ishigaki, I knocked on the door of an old woman. We started talking to her about the meaning of life. She didn't seem to understand our broken Japanese, but seemed happy to talk to us. "Hey now," she said, "I'm, you know, I'm--" She paused, and I was sure she was going to say she was an ancestor worshiper and not interested in Christianity. "I'm 105 years old."
T-Model Ford is somewhere between 88 and 92 years old and can't remember his own birthdate. Every once in a while, you meet someone so old you can't understand a thing they say -- but you can't stop listening, either, as if they're chanting some spell to keep you entranced. I'd love to see someone try to tell him to turn his music down.
Pride and Joy by Stevie Ray Vaughan with Albert King
I really can't tell what's different about this version of Pride and Joy, other than the bass is cranked way up. It makes me feel like I'm jumproping with moonboots on. There might be another guitar part, some piano in there, but I can't really hear it. Vaughan exhibits here one of the only things white bluesmen ever invented -- he sings the song exactly the same as he always does.
Catfish Blues by Jimi Hendrix
I never considered the advantages of being a catfish until I head this Muddy Waters cover. While I'm not sure of the logic involved, I've since said I wished I was a catfish many times. Sometimes several times a day (ask Sarah).
Rockin' Daddy by Howlin' Wolf
I started listening to Howlin' Wolf my junior or senior year of high school. I first heard of him on the "Screamin' and Hollerin'" station (now defunct) on accuradio.com. I couldn't believe there was an artist who called himself "Howlin' Wolf" and I'd never heard of him. What's more, the name fit the singer perfectly. He sounded like some big cartoon wolf, growling his lyrics and even howling on choruses.
For a few months, I thought I was the only person on the planet who had heard of him. (That's changed now. A couple of weeks ago, I was listening to "Smokestack Lightning" in the office and a co-worker identified it as "the song from the Viagra commercial.") Fortunately, I wasn't the only person who heard of Howlin' Wolf. He influenced blues-rock giants like Cream and the Rolling Stones. This track, done for the Howlin' Wolf London Sessions, was recorded with Eric Clapton on lead guitar, Hubert Sumlin (one of Howlin' Wolf's guitarists) on rhythm guitar, Ian Stewart and Charlie Watts of the Rolling Stones on piano and drums, respectively, and Phil Upchurch on bass. Howlin' Wolf shows a lot of fight for a man in his 60s, and the bass and piano really carry the track.
Act Nice and Gentle by the Black Keys
Shortly after I discovered Howlin' Wolf on Accuradio, a friend told me about Pandora. I tested it out, and it was either on "Howlin' Wolf Radio" or "Ball and Biscuit Radio" that I heard the Black Keys. The music's texture hooked right into my guts. The lonesome slide guitar wailing in the background, the raw, growling guitar and Dan Auerbach's weary but soulful voice again made me wonder why the band wasn't in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I listened to track previews of Rubber Factory every time I went to Borders, worried that some secret task force of Black musicians would swoop in, snatch the CD from my hands and punish me for appropriating their music. A little while later, I learned with a shock that Rubber Factory had been released the previous year, and the Black Keys were a couple of geeky white guys from Ohio. I still sometimes wonder if Auerbach got vocal chords transplanted from a 50-year-old organ donor.
Hello Operator by the White Stripes
I never thought Jack White was black for a second. That didn't stop me from appreciating his approach to the blues, though. One great thing about the White Stripes is you seldom have to analyze their music -- what you hear is what you get.
The Gospel According to John by the Soledad Brothers
Oddly enough, I eventually stopped worrying about the Black Key's theft of African American music because the Soledad Brothers were much worse. One of their albums has the Black Panthers logo on it. If anyone is trying harder to be black than Eminem, it's the Soledad Brothers.
The vocals on this track (and pretty much on every track by the Soledad Brothers) suck. Someone here is confusing soul with fake southern accents. Thankfully, the guitars are loud enough to drown them out. The Interstate-inspired guitar is as loud as the White Stripes, but less vicious.
Ventilator Blues by the Rolling Stones
If anyone can find another song with double-tracked vocals and slide guitar, please let me know. When I head this song, I thought some indie band like the Shins or Pinback invented double-tracking, but I'm glad I was wrong.
Vampires and Failures by Grandpaboy
Who is Grandpaboy when he's at home, you might ask. It's Paul Westerberg, former punk rocker. In 2002, Westerberg released Stereo under his own name and Mono under the pseudonym Grandpaboy. Ironically, the tracks on Mono are much richer musically. Westerberg doesn't always counterbalance his vocals, and most of the time comes off as the anemic ghost of Tom Petty, but the ground-shaking bass in this track counteract him perfectly. Westerberg opens up the soundscape with echoes and backup vocals. During the last chorus, it sounds like he's cutting someone's hair with electric clippers.
Turkey and the Rabbit by T-Model Ford
Once, as a misssionary in Ishigaki, I knocked on the door of an old woman. We started talking to her about the meaning of life. She didn't seem to understand our broken Japanese, but seemed happy to talk to us. "Hey now," she said, "I'm, you know, I'm--" She paused, and I was sure she was going to say she was an ancestor worshiper and not interested in Christianity. "I'm 105 years old."
T-Model Ford is somewhere between 88 and 92 years old and can't remember his own birthdate. Every once in a while, you meet someone so old you can't understand a thing they say -- but you can't stop listening, either, as if they're chanting some spell to keep you entranced. I'd love to see someone try to tell him to turn his music down.
Pride and Joy by Stevie Ray Vaughan with Albert King
I really can't tell what's different about this version of Pride and Joy, other than the bass is cranked way up. It makes me feel like I'm jumproping with moonboots on. There might be another guitar part, some piano in there, but I can't really hear it. Vaughan exhibits here one of the only things white bluesmen ever invented -- he sings the song exactly the same as he always does.
Catfish Blues by Jimi Hendrix
I never considered the advantages of being a catfish until I head this Muddy Waters cover. While I'm not sure of the logic involved, I've since said I wished I was a catfish many times. Sometimes several times a day (ask Sarah).
Friday, November 30, 2012
Songs for moms
Disclaimer: This playlist features (predominantly features, even) bands and music I don't normally like. I just love the mothers in my life so much that I don't care.
Thank You Mom by Good Charlotte
This is a nice song -- smooth acoustic guitars and edgy vocals ala '90s frat-rock (though the song is more recent). I think the song should have extra meaning to Sarah, now. Just try not to think of the "always and forever" song from Napoleon Dynamite.
My Mother Was a Lady by Johnny Cash
A narrative explaining why harassment isn't entertainment.
The Best Day by Taylor Swift
Please refer to the disclaimer at the beginning of the article.
One Woman Army by Kate Earl
I got this track for free on Google Play.While washing dishes, I was about to skip it for a less country-western song, then I realized it was about mothers. Five minutes later, when I stopped crying, I listened to it again. Several times. Kate Earl's vocals are a hodgepodge of different styles. On the choruses, you'd swear she's a straight-up country singer. On the verses, her vowels are extra-round, like Regina Spektor's.
Superwoman by Alicia Keys
This song is like a female-specific "Eye of the Tiger." It's super-inspirational and super-motivational. The world needs more songs like this. On another note, Sarah didn't like Alicia Keys much until she saw her sing the theme from "Gummy Bears" on a late-night show.
The Son Never Shines on Closed Doors by Flogging Molly
Irish punk singers can be surprisingly sentimental, and none more so than Dave King. At every concert I've been to, he dedicates a song to Johnny Cash and a song to one or both of his parents. Listening to this song is like wrapping yourself up in a big fluffy comforter and watching rain fall on the window.
Honorable mentions: The Mother and Child Reunion by Paul Simon
I did a bit of internet research to double-check the song's meaning. It's a crazy story. Well, it's kind of a crazy song. This was a hard playlist to put in order, and this song didn't really fit in anywhere.
Simple Man by Lynyrd Skynyrd
Great song, too long.
Thank You Mom by Good Charlotte
This is a nice song -- smooth acoustic guitars and edgy vocals ala '90s frat-rock (though the song is more recent). I think the song should have extra meaning to Sarah, now. Just try not to think of the "always and forever" song from Napoleon Dynamite.
My Mother Was a Lady by Johnny Cash
A narrative explaining why harassment isn't entertainment.
The Best Day by Taylor Swift
Please refer to the disclaimer at the beginning of the article.
One Woman Army by Kate Earl
I got this track for free on Google Play.While washing dishes, I was about to skip it for a less country-western song, then I realized it was about mothers. Five minutes later, when I stopped crying, I listened to it again. Several times. Kate Earl's vocals are a hodgepodge of different styles. On the choruses, you'd swear she's a straight-up country singer. On the verses, her vowels are extra-round, like Regina Spektor's.
Superwoman by Alicia Keys
This song is like a female-specific "Eye of the Tiger." It's super-inspirational and super-motivational. The world needs more songs like this. On another note, Sarah didn't like Alicia Keys much until she saw her sing the theme from "Gummy Bears" on a late-night show.
The Son Never Shines on Closed Doors by Flogging Molly
Irish punk singers can be surprisingly sentimental, and none more so than Dave King. At every concert I've been to, he dedicates a song to Johnny Cash and a song to one or both of his parents. Listening to this song is like wrapping yourself up in a big fluffy comforter and watching rain fall on the window.
Honorable mentions: The Mother and Child Reunion by Paul Simon
I did a bit of internet research to double-check the song's meaning. It's a crazy story. Well, it's kind of a crazy song. This was a hard playlist to put in order, and this song didn't really fit in anywhere.
Simple Man by Lynyrd Skynyrd
Great song, too long.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Best Bob Dylan covers
The same goes for Dylan covers — most don't seem very special, but if you listen to 10, one might change your life.
Hard Rain by Leon Russel
I heard this cover for the first time in my dad's record collection, then freaked out when I heard it on "Remember the Titans." Remember? It's the part where they're running through the woods of Gettysburg. You don't remember? Well, you've done it now. You've gone and forgotten the Titans.
If You Gotta Go, Go Now by Cowboy Junkies
Dylan was a great songwriter, no question. So great, in fact, that he didn't need to be an even half-decent vocalist. Some of the best Dylan covers just put a smoother voice in front of the mic.
Buckets of Rain by Fistful of Mercy
Without the growling guitars, this cover would be too sweet. A few guitars like these would go a long way in the Byrds' Dylan covers. If someone mixes them in, I'll add a Byrds track to the list.
I'll Be Your Baby Tonight by Norah Jones
See the notes for "If You Gotta Go, Go Now"
Oh, Sister by Andrew Bird
This song has a wacky intro. The first time I really listened to it, I accidentally left a recording of a crowded room playing on my computer. I think it made the track better. As it stands now, it's a great track. Bird brings his trademark string sections and ghost whistling but doesn't chuck a jazzy freak-out into the middle of the song. If I couldn't hear him breathing or double-check on Wikipedia, I'd swear he's playing a saw instead of whistling.
Goin to Acapulco by Jim James and Calexico
Just before the listless guitars and deep-throat-high-vibrato vocals* let you slide into boredom, who comes to the rescue? Trumpets! Martial drumrolls! A glockenspeil? Ah, whatever. Go and have some fun, Calexico.
With God on Our Side by K'naan
Out of all the songs attempting to update or remix Dylan's work, this is the most successful I've heard. The synthetic beats and the words are new, but the song stays true to Dylan's message. The piano echoing through the background and the swelling strings lift the track to a light, airy mood. Dylan's song looked backward — this one feels like it's looking forward.
Yes, "All Along the Watchtower" is probably the greatest Dylan cover of all time, but how many times have you heard it? This live cover is more fresh, more raw (Jimi says, "Yes, I know I missed a verse, don't worry,"at about 5:13).
Outlaw Blues by Queens of the Stone Age
What could possibly improve on Dylan's original, stomping electric-guitar rhythm? More guitars, maybe. Josh Homme is even a little easier to understand than Dylan on this one.
Desolation Row by My Chemical Romance
With this song, the playlist gets a little more weird. My Chemical Romance took an eight-minute dirge, added a couple of guitar solos and finished it in three minutes. No complaints here.
Leopard-Skin-Pillbox Hat by Beck
This cover ditches the swagger of the original but adds a guitar vamped up to monstrous proportions. It keeps the messy, irreverent blues feel, though.
Not Dark Yet by Silversun Pickups
If I ever go on a spacewalk, my suit's music player will have this song. It creates such a huge, lonely soundscape that I zone out when it's playing. The Silversun Pickups have a vocal style you almost can't help but hate on first listen. It sinks in after a couple of verses, though.
The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carrol by Cage the Elephant
If I ever go to space, I'm leaving this song at home because it would scare the bejeebies out of me. Cage the Elephant instills a kind of shuddering energy to their songs, like the glow you feel once you're done crying. They're definitely one of the strangest and most wonderful bands to hit mainstream success. It's fascinating to hear them perform lyrics much deeper than their usual stuff — and their unique style lends a spooky, Tim Buton-esque atmosphere to Dylan's tragic tale of a servant's murder at the hands of a plantation owner.
I Shall Be Released by Jack Johnson
Yes, it sounds like pretty much every other song Jack Johnson ever sang. It puts the playlist down on a nice note, though.
*I like My Morning Jacket, but I think it should be named My Christmas Sweater because Jim James has a thick, warm, thoroughly uncool voice.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Reading Playlist 3: Pretend you're on an island
1. Fishbowl Eyes by Go Jimmy Go
The only thing more islandic than ska is Hawaiian ska. Think offbeats, brass, super-smarmy vocals and steel guitar.
2. Give It to You by G. Love and Jack Johnson
G. Love and Jack Johnson have recorded many songs together, including one for the Curious George soundtrack. The movie was all warm colors and monkey noises, but the soundtrack was amazing. Sarah keeps saying she doesn't remember this, but Curious George was the first movie we ever went to together.
3. Johnny Go Ska by the Toasters
A ska take on Johnny B. Goode by none other than the official historians of ska, The Toasters. Every other song of theirs explains the origins of ska.
4. Stir It Up by Bob Marley
Because your recipe is so tasty.
5. Revolution Rock by The Clash
Get that cheesegrater going. The organ in this song is fantastic. It's a cover of a Danny Ray song. The original was more feel-good -- the Clash added lines like, "I have got the sharpest knife, so I get the biggest slice," and, "I'm so pilled-up that I rattle." They also added the organ and the brass, though, and that seals the deal for me.
6. La Mar by The Beautiful Girls
I think this is the second time The Beautiful Girls have made the playlist. Get used to it.
7. Shima-uta by Rimi Natsukawa
This was one of my favorite songs while I was in Okinawa. The original -- recorded in 1992 -- wasn't written by an Okinawan, but they love the song more than anybody down there. This cover is a lot lighter on the electric rock-ballad guitar.
8. I Can Dig It by Kalai
Utah's favorite Alaska-born Hawaiian.
9. Drunken Master by The Pietasters
This song inspires a wonderful sense of false confidence. I listen to it every time before I take a test.
10. Bangerang Crash by The Specials
I have no idea what any of the words to this song are, but it makes me feel happy.
11. Holiday by Weezer
You may ask why I didn't choose "Island in the Sun." Because no matter what anyone says, the Blue Album was Weezer's best, and this song is the anthem for wishing you were someplace else. Also, the right speaker on my computer keeps crapping out, and "Island in the Sun" doesn't sound nearly as good in mono.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Reading Playlist 1: To read like a champ
Each week, we pick a few songs and load them into a Grooveshark widget for your reading pleasure. If Sarah complains about the playlist, she's joking.
This week's songs are all the songs I could think of about boxing. Plus some songs that make me think of boxing. I've been feeling a little demotivated lately, and nothing makes you want to run up a hundred stairs or run behind a fat man on a bicycle in a pink track suit than boxing songs.
1. "Eye of the Tiger" by Journey
Thanks to Rock Band, my nephew knew all the words to this song when he was 6. My sister said once, at a hockey practice, he got exhausted and lay on the ice for several minutes. When it was time to go, my sister persuaded him to get up and skate to the rink doors. As he skated away, she heard him mumbling something. When she asked, he said he was singing "Eye of the Tiger" for motivation.
A couple of weeks ago, I rode my bike along with Sarah while she went jogging. I tried singing this song to help her train. She told me to stop it.
2. The theme from Rocky
Whenever I see long staircases, I get this song in my head.
3. "Turtle" from the Cinderella Man soundtrack
Cinderella Man is probably my favorite movie. Watch the clip from 1:07 to get the song title.
4. "The Warrior's Code" by the Dropkick Murphys
This is a song about the boxer Mickey Ward. The Dropkick Murphys, in my estimation, are some of the most authentic folk musicians of our time.
5. "Thunderstruck" by AC/DC
How did they ever play this on the radio? The intro is longer than a full minute. Still, it's a great one to get you pumped.
6. "Arco Arena" by Cake
This one has nothing to do with boxing. I'm pretty sure of it.
7. The fight music in Punch-Out!!
This is what I envisioned when I agreed to ride my bike while Sarah jogs. If you haven't played Punch-Out!!, you're missing out on the best (only?) boxing game from the NES.
8. "The Body of an American" by the Pogues
"But he never threw a fight when the fight was right, so they sent him to the wars." You can't tell what Shane McGowan is saying 70 percent of the time, and 20 percent of the time you don't even want to. It's all poetry in my book, though.
This week's songs are all the songs I could think of about boxing. Plus some songs that make me think of boxing. I've been feeling a little demotivated lately, and nothing makes you want to run up a hundred stairs or run behind a fat man on a bicycle in a pink track suit than boxing songs.
1. "Eye of the Tiger" by Journey
Thanks to Rock Band, my nephew knew all the words to this song when he was 6. My sister said once, at a hockey practice, he got exhausted and lay on the ice for several minutes. When it was time to go, my sister persuaded him to get up and skate to the rink doors. As he skated away, she heard him mumbling something. When she asked, he said he was singing "Eye of the Tiger" for motivation.
A couple of weeks ago, I rode my bike along with Sarah while she went jogging. I tried singing this song to help her train. She told me to stop it.
2. The theme from Rocky
Whenever I see long staircases, I get this song in my head.
Cinderella Man is probably my favorite movie. Watch the clip from 1:07 to get the song title.
4. "The Warrior's Code" by the Dropkick Murphys
This is a song about the boxer Mickey Ward. The Dropkick Murphys, in my estimation, are some of the most authentic folk musicians of our time.
5. "Thunderstruck" by AC/DC
How did they ever play this on the radio? The intro is longer than a full minute. Still, it's a great one to get you pumped.
6. "Arco Arena" by Cake
This one has nothing to do with boxing. I'm pretty sure of it.
7. The fight music in Punch-Out!!
This is what I envisioned when I agreed to ride my bike while Sarah jogs. If you haven't played Punch-Out!!, you're missing out on the best (only?) boxing game from the NES.8. "The Body of an American" by the Pogues
"But he never threw a fight when the fight was right, so they sent him to the wars." You can't tell what Shane McGowan is saying 70 percent of the time, and 20 percent of the time you don't even want to. It's all poetry in my book, though.
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