Happy New Year: Week of January 2, 2012

1. "I Don't Know Why"--Ben Kweller, Ben Kweller:
This album was in heavy rotation for me when it came out in 2006. I saw him on this tour, and he was strong live. He has a new album coming out this year, in February. This is a solid song from the album. NO SHAME.

2. "Treefingers"--Radiohead, Kid A:
This album came out while I was living overseas. I prefer the more straightforward Radiohead songs over the moodier, soundscape, experimental noise. This song is one of the latter, one of the slow-burners that works as a transition on the album but does not work on a shuffle. MEH.

3. "Heads Will Roll"--Echo & the Bunnymen, Killing Moon: The Best of Echo and the Bunnymen:
Another song from this recent purchase. I had not heard this song before buying this double-cd a couple of months back. It is a solid song, though not as strong as the better known songs. NO SHAME.

4. "Zanzibar"--Billy Joel, 52nd Street:
I saw Billy Joel live in 1987. He was an incredible live performer. I tend to be a "best of" Billy Joel fan. This is one of the deeper cuts on 52nd street, and one with which I am not familiar. Wikipedia tells me the trumpet solo is from Freddie Hubbard (my friend Mark will have to help me with this one). This song seems to support the description of 52nd Street as more "jazzy." Not familiar with the song, but I wouldn't skip it. NO SHAME.

5. "Salad Days"--Minor Threat, Minor Threat: Complete Discography:
I came to Minor Threat after Fugazi, in other words, after they were long gone. This song is fine but not one I would seek out. NO SHAME.

Week of December 26, 2011

SKIP: 2 Weeks in a row with a skip. This week it is a 30 second "song" from my son's toddler music class. He's not a toddler any more. This "album" was put on my ipod about 8 years ago and really has no business being on it at this point.

1. "Tear"--Red Hot Chili Peppers, By The Way:
All the wrong RHCP songs keep coming up on these shuffles. This song is about as boring as they come. As stated before, this album was the end for me. I liked Californication for the most part, but have not been able to feel connected to any of their music since. Maybe a song here or there. MEH.

2. "Fat"--Archers of Loaf, Icky Mettle:
So psyched that this song came up. I have been in the midst of a full AOL revival lately. Archers of Loaf were an under the radar 90s band. I owned Icky Mettle when it came out but did not listen to it enough. A couple of months ago they did a reissue of this awesome album on Merge Records. The band did a little bit of touring in 2011 and played on Jimmy Fallon for their t.v. debut. SHUFFLE GOODNESS.

3. "I Just Want the Girl in the Blue Dress to Keep On Dancin"--Mike Doughty, Golden Delicious:
Mike Doughty was the lead singer/guitarist for Soul Coughing. I liked some Soul Coughing in the 90s but mostly listened to them because my friend is a big fan. However, I have really liked Doughty's solo albums. This was the last one that I bought. His solo work is a bit more straight forward, singer/songwriter than the Soul Coughing stuff. Good song. SHUFFLE GOODNESS.

4. "In a Simple Rhyme"--Van Halen, Women and Children First:
It is difficult to overstate how huge of a Van Halen fan I was when I was in high school. They were my first concert (1984 tour). I can name just about every song within the first 10 seconds of it playing. I own Van Halen III on CD and enjoyed it. Need I say more. I have never gotten too much into the singer debate. It's always been about Eddie for me. I have honestly lost some interest, since they have not put out any new music in forever. Needless to say, I am anxious to hear the new album in 2012. Not the song I hoped would debut for the band on here, but definitely SHUFFLE GOLD!!

SKIP: You have got to be kidding me. 2 skips in one session. I was given Cal Ripken Jr.'s book on CD and put it on the ipod for a long road trip. This was chapter 3b. Probably need to pull this off the ipod as well.

5. "Helpless"--Sugar, Besides Live
Great way to end this week's blog. I have been a Bob Mould fan for a long, long time. I still buy his music and actually just got a live solo album of his for Christmas. Sugar is, by far, my favorite work of his. Copper Blue is one of my all time favorite albums. "Helpless" is a great song, and this live version is solid. SHUFFLE GOLD!!

Week of December 19, 2011

1. "Never There"--Cake, Prolonging the Magic:
Cake was on heavy rotation in the pre-ipod era, throughout the mid to late 90s. I love this song. This song was on my real live "desert island" mix tape that I took with me when I was in the Peace Corps. I have not heard it in a long time and felt happy immediately when it came up. SHUFFLE GOLD!!

2. "My Lonely Man"--Red Hot Chili Peppers, Blood Sugar Sex Magik:
"Give It Away" and "Under the Bridge" broke the RHCPs into the mainstream with this album's release. I listened to this album a lot when it first came out in 1991. This song was another tribute to original RHCP guitarist Hillel Slovak, who died of a heroine overdose. I believe "Knock Me Down," off of the previous album, Mother's Milk, was also somewhat of a tribute to Slovak. I always liked this song. This was the last RHCP album that was on heavy rotation for me. I should have known when they spelled magic with a 'k' that the end was near for me. NO SHAME.

SKIP: Eventually, something had to come up on the shuffle that required skipping. I have several non-music items. In this case, I have a digital recording of a drunk-dial message that my father-in-law left. It's hilarious but obviously doesn't fit with the shuffle.

3. "All That Jazz"--Echo and the Bunnymen, Killing Moon The Best of Echo and the Bunnymen:
I just bought this double CD 2 months ago! Hanging out with my friends Chase and Mark, I found this best of in the used bin at Wax Trax Records in Denver. For someone who still buys physical CDs this was an awesome find. I was never a huge Echo fan but needed to have these songs in the library. NO SHAME.

4. "Girlfriend in a Coma"--The Smiths, Strangeways, Here We Come:
I was too focused on the hard rock in high school to have even been aware of the Smiths. I did not discover them until my freshman year in college when I had my music taste awakening. This was the current Smiths album at the time, and this was the single. It was a good introduction to the band. I eventually became a bigger fan after hearing The Queen is Dead. NO SHAME.

5. "Guilford Fall"--Fugazi, End Hits:
Recently in the news for getting a lot of their live albums up in digital format, go to http://www.dischord.com/fugazi_live_series to see if any of the shows you witnessed are up. I like this album as a whole. This song is one of the stronger tracks for sure. I'm saving my shuffle gold judgment for a true Fugazi gem, so NO SHAME.

Week of December 12, 2011

1. "Can You Keep A Secret"--De La Soul, 3 Feet High and Rising:
De La Soul is the first hip hop band that I really loved. This song is off of their first album, which is when I began listening to them. For me, their appeal was that they could write fun, party songs as well as socially conscious ones. NO SHAME.

2. "It's My Life"--Talk Talk, The Very Best of Talk Talk:
Mark Hollis has an awesome voice! Unique and powerful. This song is one of my favorites by Talk Talk. They were a band that I heard on the radio some in high school in the 80s but did not really appreciate or enjoy until I was in my 20s, after they broke up. NO SHAME.

3. "Debonair"--The Afghan Whigs, Gentleman:
I consider this song to be an essential 90s indie rock anthem. Gentleman is the album that brought the Afghan Whigs to my attention. I like their first album as well but would not qualify myself as a huge fan. However, this song is a staple for the time period and would make any 90s playlist that I would put together. SHUFFLE GOLD!

4. "The View"--Modest Mouse, Good News for People Who Love Bad News:
This song is one of the better ones on this album. This album brought Modest Mouse a lot of attention. In some ways it put them on the map. However, their more straightforward approach on Lonesome Crowded West is more my taste. I have enjoyed the later albums, just not as much as the earlier. NO SHAME.

5. "Little Room"--the White Stripes, White Blood Cells:
This song feels like a filler, running less than a minute long. This was the first White Stripes album that I heard (probably like a lot of people). Like most of their music it is hit or miss for me. MEH.

Week of December 5, 2011

1. "Birds Fly"--They Might Be Giants, Then: The Earlier Years:

They Might Be Giants are always fun and clever. I tend to like a song here and there from them. More recently, I have enjoyed their albums for kids, having bought them for my kids. This is a short song but doesn't do too much for me. MEH.

2. "The Zephyr Song"--The Red Hot Chili Peppers, By The Way:

I bought this album shortly after being overseas for 2 years. I had liked Californication but was losing my interest in the RHCPs. As I have said in a previous post, I was a rabid fan for a couple of years, especially during the Mother's Milk tour. I don't like this album as much as the earlier ones, but this song works. NO SHAME.

3. "Are You Gonna Be My Girl"--Jet, Get Born:

This song captures the early 2000s for me. All of the "The" bands (the Strokes, The Hives, The Killers, et al) were garnering attention. Even though these guys are missing the "The" in their name, I lump this song in with that particular sound. I always liked this song as a single but was never interested in more than 2 or 3 of this band's songs. NO SHAME.

4. "Your Love"--The Outfield, 80's Hits Stripped:

My friend Mark recently gave me this album. All of the "hits" from the 80s played acoustic style or with less members. Not exactly unplugged. This song takes me back to the high school days, but I was never a fan. This was a radio song for me. I could listen to it without cringing too much but it's not my bag. MILD SHAME.

5. "Give A Little Love"--Rilo Kiley, Under the Blacklight:

I know a little Rilo Kiley but not this song. They are a band that I wanted to listen to more, but they don't maintain my interest beyond a few songs. MEH.

Week of November 28, 2011

1. "Uncloudy Day"--Willie Nelson, The Essential Willie Nelson:
There was an issue of Texas Monthly a couple of years ago that argued that Willie Nelson is the most beloved Texan (see amazing cover here). No matter politics, geography, other allegiance, Texans love Willie. I feel like I was raised on Willie Nelson's music. This is a solid Willie song but not one of my go-to songs. NO SHAME.

2. "Consolation Prize"--Gordon Withers, Jawbox on Cello: A Benefit for Cal Robbins:
I wrote about this album in a previous post. This Jawbox song is off of their first album, Grippe, released by Dischord Records. Solid song. Solid cello version. NO SHAME.

3. "Strip My Mind"--Red Hot Chili Peppers, Stadium Arcadium:
From 88-92, the Red Hot Chili Peppers were one of my favorite bands. I saw them live several times and thought they were doing some interesting things musically. After hitting big with "Under the Bridge" and getting huge national recognition, I lost some interest. Because of my loyalty, I still feel compelled to buy their albums but have not heard much since Californication that maintains my attention. I maybe listened to this album once all the way through. This song blends with a lot of their music from the last several albums. I prefer the band's earlier, heavier approach to the Anthony Kiedis ballad singing. Needless to say, I don't think they are so interesting anymore. MEH.

4. "Let's Hear it for the Boys"--Deniece Williams, Footloose Soundtrack:
Shuffle Shame has finally happened! I constantly mocked my sister for over-playing this soundtrack when we were kids. The movie was fun once but the recent remake seemed completely ridiculous. I guess I have this soundtrack for the Hagar song?? Poppy, soundtrack, radio poop. Not for me. SHUFFLE KILLER!

Week of November 21, 2011

1. "Only Son"--Liz Phair, Whitechocolatespaceegg:

In her heyday, Liz Phair was my wife's rock n roll hero. I really liked her first couple of albums. This album was her 3rd and her last solid effort in my opinion--right before she "jumped the shark," some would say. Her approach to making music and perceptions of her as an innovative songwriter changed after this album. This song is fine, and despite cries of Phair being a "sellout" later in her career, I feel NO SHAME.

2. "No Blue Skies"--Lloyd Cole, Lloyd Cole:

I first heard Lloyd Cole in my college radio dj-ing days. I'm not sure how I got a hold of this album, but it is the one that I remember. It is not my bag. MEH.

3. "Darling I Need You"--Bad Brains, God of Love:

After one of their longer hiatuses without lead singer H.R., this was the first full length album with the original lineup since 1989. I have not listened to this album much at all. When I need my Bad Brains fix, I go to the earlier albums. Not a fan of their politics but love their early stuff and their place in pioneering DC hardcore. A good song, NO SHAME.

4. "The Last Remaining Light"--Audioslave, Audioslave:

Audioslave may be the first "super group" to make an appearance on this blog. This was the debut album of Chris Cornell (Soundgarden) singing with the Rage Against the Machine band. When it came out, I thought it had some promise. This was the only recording of theirs that I bought. There are a few strong songs on this album, but "The Last Remaining Light" is not one of them. A bit too plodding for my taste. MEH.

5. "Big Brown Eyes"--Old 97's, Too Far to Care:

Being from Texas, I suppose it is obligatory for me to have some Old 97's in my catalog. They are a band that I should listen to more but haven't taken the time. It seems to me that this is a band that I would need to see live to get fully connected. That is essentially what it took for me to appreciate Wilco and some other country/alt country artists. Anyway, not a bad song. NO SHAME.

Week of November 14, 2011

1. "Why Me Lord?"--Johnny Cash, American Recordings:

I respect Johnny Cash and have these albums because they were important at the end of his career when he started working with Rick Rubin. As much as I appreciate his legacy and importance, I have to be in the right mood to listen to him. I don't think I have ever gotten all the way through this album. So, with all due respect, MEH.

2. "Heads Down"--Farewell Bend, ?? (from mix made by a friend):

I have absolutely no idea who this band is. The song sounds pretty good. My friend Jason made this mix for me. He and I have quite a bit of musical taste overlap. I'm sure I listened to this song at least one other time, when I first received the mix. Based on this listen, I will say obscure but NO SHAME.

3. "Motorist"--Gordon Withers, Jawbox on Cello: A Benefit for Cal Robbins:

Gordon Withers is a cellist who clearly loves DC hardcore. Jawbox was a Dischord band in the 90s. Withers covered Jawbox songs for this album as a benefit for J. Robbins's (singer, guitarist of Jawbox) son Cal who has a rare condition, Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). Withers and J. Robbins are now in a band together, Office of Future Plans, which has a new album coming out on Dischord in about a week. Motorist is a great song, and Withers does cool stuff with his cello version. NO SHAME.

4. "Bad"--U2, The Unforgettable Fire:

As noted in a previous entry, The Unforgettable Fire is my favorite U2 album. This was one of the singles off the album and reminds me of high school in a good way. Definitely a strong enough single to warrant SHUFFLE GOLD!

5. "Steady, As She Goes"--The Raconteurs, Broken Boy Soldiers:

The Raconteurs were Jack White's first side project from the White Stripes. This is literally the only song off of this album that I know or have any desire to listen to. I am not a huge Jack White fan, but I dig this song. NO SHAME.

Week of November 7, 2011

1. "Chemistry"--Rush, Signals:

Like most folks my age, I became a Rush fan with the release of Moving Pictures, when I was in 7th grade. So, Signals is the first album by Rush that I paid attention to when it came out. I got it on cassette for Christmas and listened to it A LOT. Throughout high school, my holy trinity was Rush, Van Halen, and Triumph, so Rush gets the first SHUFFLE GOLD! of the 3.

2. "And the Android"--Gut, Seek Sound Shelter:

Big shout-out to my longtime friend and brother-in-law Todd. He and our friend Rob put out some music as Dot-Zit Records in the early to mid 90s. This was their compilation of Texas punk/hardcore bands at that time. Gut was a group of awesome kids from Bryan, TX. They ended up in Austin and made some great music and were fun as hell live. Not my favorite song by them, but definitely NO SHAME.

3. "Soon"--Firehose, If'n:

Another one from Firehose's If'n album. I got on board with Firehose with their later albums. I'm not real familiar with this song but NO SHAME, because Firehose is always awesome.

4. "The Confession"--Roger Wallace, It's About Time:

Roger Wallace is a country singer/songwriter from TN who lives in Austin. I saw him at an in-store performance at Waterloo Records in Austin thanks to my friend Danny. He plays a more traditional style of country and has a great voice. Unfortunately, this song is more of a story-telling--more talking than singing-- and not terribly interesting to me. MEH

5. "I Don't Know Anything"--Hoodoo Gurus, Magnum Cum Louder:

This was the only album I bought by the Hoodoo Gurus. They were a solid rock band from Australia who had some great songs on college radio. I saw them live once, and they were great.

NO SHAME

Week of October 31, 2011

1. "Slip"--Quicksand, Slip:

Quicksand was an awesome New York hardcore band. They were often compared to Helmet at the time. Quicksand introduced me to Walter Schreifels, previously of Gorilla Biscuits and currently of Rival Schools. He is a songwriter that I have followed ever since. This song is the title track off of Quicksand's first full length. I had this album on tape and played it regularly in the car when I was in grad school the first time, in 1993. Definitely one of the strongest tracks on the album and one that I continue to listen to. 3 weeks in, I am happy to label this song as the first example of SHUFFLE GOLD!

2. "Commerce, TX"--Ben Kweller, Sha Sha:

BK is a great singer/songwriter from TX. This song is one of the best off of his first solo, full-length. Since my friend Mark went to school in Commerce, I played this song for him to convince him of BK's greatness. Solid single and definitely NO SHAME.

3. "Eat for Two"--10,000 Maniacs, Blind Man's Zoo:

I saw the 10,000 Maniacs on this tour in the late 80s. This was my favorite single from this album. I discovered this band right after I became a huge R.E.M. fan in 1987. Because Michael Stipe sang on their In My Tribe album, I bought it and became a fan. Natalie Merchant was iconic when I was in college, so I have great memories of this band. NO SHAME.

4. "Stop Whispering"--Radiohead, Pablo Honey:

I am definitely a fan of Radiohead but could not get on board with this album. At the time, "Creep" was the only song that got any attention, and it was overplayed, in my opinion. Later albums got my attention, Ok Computer in particular. I don't know this song, but I tend to be a completer with bands that I like, so NO SHAME.

5. "Puzzle"--Lou Barlow, Emoh:

On my scale of heroic songwriters, Lou Barlow is up there. I am a huge Dinosaur Jr. fan, Sebadoh's Bakesale is one of my favorite albums, and his recent solo work as been amazing. This was his first solo album released on Merge Records, and this song was one of my favorite tracks off that album. Definitely another example of SHUFFLE GOLD!!

Week of October 24, 2011

1. "That Buckin' Song"--Robert Earl Keen, Walking Distance:

I like a lot of Robert Earl Keen's music. I have a soft spot for him since he is a fellow alum of my alma mater. His sense of humor often works in his music, but this song and the obvious, bad play on words is too corny for me. Just say the F-word, dude. MEH

2. "In Memory of Elizabeth"--Firehose, If'n:

Unfortunately too often confused with hair-rockers firehouse, Firehose is the 90's indie band made up of 2/3 of the Minutemen. They were a great live band, and Mike Watt is always solid. Though this song is a bit on the mellower side and does not do much for me, I feel NO SHAME.

3. "Promenade"--U2, The Unforgettable Fire:

Reminding me of my cassette listening days, this was the side A closer off of my favorite U2 album. Not a strong enough single to be shuffle gold, but absolutely NO SHAME.

4. "Jellyman Kelly"--James Taylor and The Kids, Songs from the Street: 35 Years of Music:

I am not a JT fan, but this song is fun to sing with the kids and is on an awesome compilation of music from Sesame Street. Though for my kids, this box set has tons of great music from great artists being accompanied by your favorite muppets, puppets, and happy PBS kids. Even JT elicits NO SHAME.

5. "Emancipated Minor"--Ani DiFranco, Red Letter Year:

I have seen Ani DiFranco live about 4 times over the past 15 years. She was always great live. I am not as familiar with her more recent albums, including this one. The song is pretty good. I need to give this album some more listens. NO SHAME

Week of October 17, 2011

1. "The Nurse (Live)"--The White Stripes, Glastonbury 2005:

I have never been a huge fan of the White Stripes and do not know this song very well. Of all of the "THE" bands from the early 2000s, The White Stripes were the most consistent until their recent breakup. NO SHAME.

2. "Nature"--India Arie, Acoustic Soul:

Arie's debut album was my wife's find in 2001 when we returned from overseas. I would not have known this song by name, but the album was in heavy rotation at that time. I like her later stuff, but this album seems the most solid. NO SHAME.

3. "Johnny, Are You Queer?"--Josie Cotton, Valley Girl Soundtrack:

Definitely got this song from my friend Mark. An awesome 80s movie that I have seen many, many times. The song is only good for reminding me of the movie and captures the era for quirky pop. MILD SHAME (not a shuffle killer)

4. "Time"--Ben Folds, Songs for Silverman:

Not my favorite Folds album, but I have been a fan since the Ben Folds Five days. Not a song that I would dial up on my own, but NO SHAME.

5. "Screaming at a Wall"--Minor Threat, Minor Threat: Complete Discography:

I came to Minor Threat via Fugazi. I am a big Ian MacKaye fan and am always happy when Minor Threat comes up on the shuffle. I was not into punk in high school in the mid-80s, so Fugazi was more my time. However, Minor Threat definitely defined the DC hardcore scene well, and this disc was a key part of my education for the 80s punk/hardcore that I missed. NO SHAME