Thursday, March 3, 2011: Ustad Sultan Khan - Tarana (Thievery Corporation Remix)

Music is everywhere.

But why? What is the purpose of music? Especially when it's everywhere?

And I mean everywhere. Remember when it was just in elevators? Now whole shopping districts have loudspeakers pumping out tunes for the masses.

Seems to me like music is a means to an end, rather than and end unto itself.

Today, music, even more than being a commodity in and of itself, is mostly used to push other commodities. Products, sure, but people as well. The curse of "branding".

For me, music should transcend the normal, and transport the listener into something other. Not even "higher", whatever that means, but just other. Takes the listener to a place other than where they are. Whether telling a story, making a statement, or just evoking a mood.

This track, for me, does exactly that.

And what a glorious mood it evokes.

Enjoy.

CSOTD Bonus Edition: Nada Surf - Popular

Let's keep the High School Never Ends theme going, shall we?

Remember, kids, being attractive is the most important thing there is

If you wanna catch the biggest fish in your pond

You have to be as attractive as possible

Live it.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011: Bowling For Soup - High School Never Ends

"Four years, you think for sure
That's all you've got to endure
All the total dicks, all the stuck-up chicks
So superficial, so immature

And then when you graduate
You take a look around and you say, "Hey, wait!"
This is the same as where I just came from
I thought it was over, oh, that's just great

The whole damned world is just as obsessed
With who's the best dressed and who's having sex
Who's got the money, who gets the honeys
Who's kinda cute and who's just a mess

And you still don't have the right look
And you don't have the right friends
Nothing changes but the faces, the names and the trends
High school never ends"

-Bowling for Soup


I graduated high school in 1986 - and it just never ends.

No truer words have ever been spoken than the lyrics of this song.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011: The Twilight Singers - Blackbird And The Fox

March, 2011

Let's start out a new month with some new music.

While the name The Twilight Singers immediately conjures up rows of sparkly, sun-drenched, angst-ridden vampires warbling show tunes, I assure you that this is something quite different, and infinitely cooler.

The group was originally formed as a side project by Greg Dulli, lead singer for The Afghan Whigs, in 1997. After the Whigs disbanded The Twilight Singers became his main gig.

And what a gig. Just like the Whigs, this is seriously fabulous music.

Unlike the Whigs, however, I hope this project gets the recognition it's deserves.

Off their brand spankin' new album Dynamite Steps, here is their collaboration with the amazing Ani DiFranco.

Enjoy.  Over and over again, once you put this on your playlist, I assure this tune won't leave for a while.

Monday, February 28, 2011: Willie Williams - Armagideon Time

It's Monday.

If you are complaining about your dead end job, about the bills you got to pay, about how you didn't get any this weekend, about gaining those extra few pounds, about how the cat tore through your furniture or how your in-laws are coming to visit, if you are complaining about your drab, dull life, just remember that a lotta people won't get no supper tonight,

A lotta people going to suffer tonight,

'Cause the battle, is getting harder,

In this Iration, it's Armagideon.

So remember to praise Jehovah, and He will guide you.

Sunday, February 27, 2011

No blogging on a Sunday.

See you Monday!

Saturday, February 26, 2011: Depeche Mode - Get Right With Me

It's tough to blog about the big groups.

I can't tell you how long I've contemplated which Beatles song I would blog about. I tend to lean towards In My Life, only because I think it's about the most perfect song ever written.

But with a band whose catalog is as big, broad and certified classic as the Beatles, the Stones, or Dylan or whomever, where do you start? If you only had one chance, one song, what would you choose?

The decision, therefore, is really easy: Make no choice. Stop thinking about it. Get all that pressure off your shoulders and, if persuaded, then simply chose a song that you like, or you think is underrated. Or maybe a song that brings back certain memories.

Any of these decisions draws the pressure off making the "right" choice and simply lets the song arrive a bit more naturally. Less forced. And, obviously, more cool.

Off their widely underrated Songs Of Faith and Devotion album, todays choice is simply a song I've been thinking about for a while now.

Slowly, hopefully, SOFAD will crawl out of the shadows and take its rightful place as one of the top three Depeche Mode albums ever.

Which means, obviously, one of the ten best albums ever made.

And, this weekend, take these lyrics to heart. Get right with someone.

Whatever that means to you.