Australian blogress Barbara tagged me with a music meme game: "List seven songs you are into right now." Full details can be found at the link above, and while I don't normally forward these around, if any fellow bloggers wish to participate, feel free to join in and provide a link to your blog post in the comments below. In no particular order, here are some fun songs that have been running through my head a lot recently. I looked at my iTunes stats and weeded out some of the more popular songs, trying to focus on songs that might be new finds for my readers.
- At the River by Groove Armada. Truly one of the most beautiful bits of electronica ever made. It's a collection of samples, trombone riffs, and back beats, but this song never fails to calm me. Please ignore the confusing CGI video here, just listen to the song.
- You Know I'm No Good by Amy Winehouse. She's a trainwreck of a human being, the kind you don't take home to mother, but this song combines the brassy notes of a 60s James Bond theme song with modern soul. And it always reminds me of...
- Glory Box by Portishead. A trip hop classic from the British seaport of Bristol. Beth Gibbons' voice will stir deep longings in your soul. (On a related note: Teardrop by Massive Attack.)
- It Is Pitch Dark by MC Frontalot. The king of nerdcore rap delivers this loving tribute to the text-based adventure games of the early 80s. I spent a long time working in technology, and there was a clear divide between those of us that had once loaded programs using cassette tapes and those who had never seen anything more primitive than a CD-ROM. Of course, we all had to bow down to the guys who cut their teeth on punch cards.
- Born Too Late by The Clarks. Ignore the video again, these guys are huge in Pittsburgh and for years I've enjoyed their music. With this song in particular, I always perk up at the couplet "William will you teach me how to write / Cassius will you show me how to fight". Another song with references to greats who have passed away is...
- Nightshift by The Commodores. This is one of those songs that I love to play late at night as I'm winding down from the day, maybe throwing together a post, catching up on e-mails with folks I haven't heard from in a while, or just kicking back and relaxing. The only time I ever hear this song outside of my house is at the grocery store. It's difficult to park the cart beside the pickles and have a poignant moment.
- Us by Regina Spektor. Nothing washes away the taste of horrid Soviet Champagne like the charming piano work of this Russian émigré. Plus her accent reminds me of this girl named Svetlana who worked at a local coffee shop. When I'd stride up to the counter and politely request "Кофе пожалуйста", I'd get gently teased about my wretched pronunciation. Note that Spektor is the composer, singer, and pianist--no prefab popstar here.
1 comment:
Great Ben. I really liked I Was Born Too Late. I had not heard it before. Now trying to talk Bryan into learning it. Fabulous lyrics.
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