Friday, July 22, 2005

Friday Random Ten

It's once again time for the Friday Random Ten. Unless you've been in a coma, you know the rules by now. Get out your iPod -- or your iPod-like knockoff from one of those competing brands like Sorny, Panaphonics, or Magnetbox -- put it on random, and give us the first ten songs.

If you're feeling frisky, feel free to add on the Coolness Self-Audit. Someone asked me by what standards we should define "coolness." I worked at a hipster-filled radio station in college, where most of the other DJs were cloned from the assistants working with John Cusack in "High Fidelity" -- you know, Jack Black and Not Jack Black. I generally try to imagine their reaction, and go with that. (Alternatively, you could always use the Millhouse standard, as long as your mom does, in fact, think you're cool.)

Anyway, here's my list:

1. Loretta Lynn, "Fist City" -- A catfight set to sweet, sweet country music? Sold. 6/10.

2. The Clash, "I'm So Bored with the U.S.A." -- A nice punk anthem with lyrics like "Move up, Starsky / For the C.I.A. / Suck on Kojak / For the U.S.A." I'm both stirred and strangely aroused. 7/10.

3. MC Pee Pants, "I Want Candy" -- If you've never seen the "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" episode with this song, then you probably have something approaching a social life. Still, this is hysterical and gets bonus points for being the only rap tune to reference Jessica Tandy. 10/10.

4. The Gories, "Outta Here" -- An outstanding garage-grunge trio from Detriot, Rock City. There might be two, or perhaps three, chords in this song. Less is more, my friends. 7/10.

5. Sly & the Family Stone, "I Ain't Got Nobody (For Real)" -- A scorching song off their incredible second album, Dance to the Music. Killer organ work, which we all know is spelled c-o-o-l. 9/10.

6. Elvis, "Burning Love" -- A brief flash of goodness during the otherwise sad journey to Jabbatown. But nothing performed by a man with that many sequins and peanut-butter stains can be considered cool. Nothing. 3/10.

7. Dilated Peoples, "Pay Attention" -- Great hip-hop tune with a piano loop and a hat-tip to Chuck D. Plus, lyrics like: "So much smoke when I'm this high, I sky-write." 8/10.

8. Creedence Clearwater Revival, "Effigy" -- Easily my favorite CCR tune. About six minutes long, with lyrics about a revolution against Richard Nixon. An obscure political rocker? That'll do, pig. That'll do. 6/10.

9. The Black Keys, "10 A.M. Automatic" -- These guys are getting a little bit of recognition, ever since their "Have Love, Will Travel" appeared in that truck ad this spring. (Suck it, Bob Seger!) This song isn't my favorite, but it sure is a scathing rocker. 8/10.

10. Radiohead, "There There (The Boney King of Nowhere)" -- My iTunes is crammed full of Radiohead, so it was only a matter of time. Great tune off Hail to the Thief, especially the part where they shift down an octave or so in the guitar riff of the chorus. Just loverly. 7/10.

Let's see, that gives me a 7.1 average. According to the Cool-o-Meter, that puts me somewhere between Tito Jackson and Tito Puente in the grand scheme of coolness. I can live with that.

Alright, your turn. Drop your own Friday Random Ten in the comments, with or without the Coolness Self-Audit.

14 comments:

alex supertramp said...

okay, Otto man - I have to give extra special props -- you gots some good taste, although I might dispute the low 6/10 score on "Fist City" .....
1)Black Haired Boy- Grey Delisle - evoking an image of Dolly Parton joining the Carter Family on their journey through Civil War balladry, simply beautiful. 7/10

2)5 Shots of Whiskey- Hank III - "Lady ya taught me how to hurt and cry/Each day I’m not with you/I die more inside...So give me 5 shots of whiskey/To help kill the misery and pain/Ya put me through" .. now that is some straight from the heart tear in my respective beer (or drug/drink of choice) heartbroke country. 6/10

3)Pissbags and Tubing- Mike Watt - okay, this song is pretty hard to listen to and far to repetitive, but what is a concept album rock opera about near fatal peritonitis loosely based on Dante's Divine Comedy without an ode to catheters? 6/10.

4)Satisfied Mind- Ben Harper - with the Blind Boys of Alabama, this entire release is simply awesome blending Harper's soulful croon and the power of the Blind Boys gospel drenched spirit with some captivating slide and some smooth organ -- I too got me a satisfied mind. 7/10

5)Passover- Joy Division - Everyone wants to be Joy Division - no one can. People say Ian wasn't that depressed, I don't believe a word of it. 9/10

6)Banana Pancakes- Jack Johnson - so okay porchcore boy number one is way mellow, and sorta cheesy generic acoustic pop that appeals to the basest elements of the common denominator, but I love it; and I can think of almost no one else I would rather be.5/10

7)Your Little Hoodrat Friend - The Hold Steady- these guys are still growing on me but this track alone is by far worth the cost of admission (so to speak)- but don't accuse them of unfaithfulness "I ain't never been with your little hoodrat friend/What makes you think I'm getting with your little hoodrat friend?/ Your little hoodrat friend got me high though"....me too.7/10

8)Fuck and Run - Liz Phair - oh Liz, this early demo has my girl longing for those bygone days of love and romance, y'know "secret old shit/like letters and soda" - one of the most amazing albums (Exile in Guyville) from a truly amazing (and yeah, sexy as hell) artist - she caught some flack for the last release but there are some good cuts on it and sure it's a bit poppy, but she's hotter than ever. 7/10

9)Good Friday - CocoRosie - I'm not sure what to make of this new folk movement, but I really dig these too that push the limit on haunting little girl vocals, electronics and delicate acoustic foundations. 7/10

10)The Laws have changed- New Pornographers ... (full disclosure - I am head over heels in love with Neko Case) ... These guys rock, they helped put the current craze of Canada based indie rock on the map, and I think helped kick start indie pops current hipster popularity (all while releasing a number of amazing solo/side project - the most accomplished of the group of course being the lovely and amazingly talented Ms Supertramp, errr Ms. Case) - the laws have changed and great rock will rule again - an added bonus is that Neko sounds like a back in the day Liz Phair.8/10

Yossarian said...

1. Mayan Pilot - Splash Down - this is the best song by the best group that you have never heard of. They released an ep and also appeared on the Titan AE soundtrack, but that's about it as far as I know.
10/10

2.Workin' For the Weekend - Loverboy - Much like Ottoman, my iTunes is also crammed full of Canadian rockers, like Rush, Truimph, Anne Murray, so it was it was only a matter of time that we saw Loverboy (I actually just read the origianl post - I don't know how I confused Radiohead and Canadian Rockers - sorry) 7/10

3. Say It Ain't So - Weezer - In between games of Dungeons and Dragons, Weezer puts out some ass-kick music. If that is what it takes to rock, all I have to say, is pass the 12-sided dice, I'm going in after the magical orb of dunst. 9/10

4.Our Lips Are Sealed - GoGo's -Not the first girl group, but my favorite. 7/10

5.Silent Night, Holy Night -Johnny Mathis-

6.Bloopers - ThunderCats -Not as funny as Casey Kaesm temper tantrum, but still damn funny - is not cool though though. 5/10

7. Lesson 01 - Japanese Lesson - how uncool am I. Is this negative cool? I was actually using my iTunes for learning. Would anybody belive me if I said that I was just burning this for a friend? Illegally?Yeah that makes me sound tough , right? ( Please don't call the authorities though.) 0/10

8. If You Were Gay - Avenue Q - Is Broadway cool? How about Broadway with puppet? How about Broadway with puppets that swear? still no, huh. Well it's enjoyable - 5/10

9. Redemption Song - Johnny Cash & Joe Strummer - Thank God! I was dieing her with Broadway and Japanese lessons. Two great icons. This is cool. 10/10

10. Cult Of Personality - Living Color - Some 80's rock to end the list. I see you all playing air guitar to this one. "i'm the the cult-a,i'm the the cult-a, i'm the the cult-a, i'm the the cult-a, i'm the the cult-a, i'm the the cult-a, i'm the the cult-a," Great lyrics Cory. 9/10

Rough week. My coolness has been shaken to the core (thank you Japanese lessons and broadway). I am going to do something really cool this week. any suggestions?

Otto Man said...

Yossarian, that may be the most random random ten I've ever seen. Well played.

And Alex, if you think my 6/10 was too low for Loretta, I've got to say yours was too low for Mike Watt. Of course, he's so cool he wouldn't care.

BuffaloTheory.org said...

Here goes:

1) “We Both Go Down Together” The Decemberists (Picaresque) - in small doses, their pretension doesn't overwhelm.

2) “Me Calienta” Rosco (Bendita La Fe) - this represents the downside of borrowing other people's music. Must be from my bro-in-law because of his Cuba connection, but I got nothing. His gaze on the album cover is dreamy.

3) “Gone at Last” Paul Simon (Still Crazy After All These Years) The SNL bit where Connie Hawkins challenges him to a basketball game is one of the funniest things ever. "Well, I’m spotting him a 1-foot 4-inch height advantage. I have to be honest, that’s gonna be a factor in this game. He’s got me on speed and shooting ability. ... I’ve gotta stay with my strengths... basically, singing and songwriting."

4) “Stickshifts and Safety Belts” Cake (Fashion Nugget) There's probably a place in pop for Cake, I just wish it wasn't in my random ten.

5) “Visions of Johanna” Bob Dylan (Blonde on Blonde). I was shocked SHOCKED when it turned out this album wasn't the soundtrack to my favorite lesbian porn movie.

6) “Sonora’s Death Row” Robert Earl Keen (West Textures). Keeping the story song alive. and well. And let it be a lesson to the kids, stay away from the mescal.

X) "Sera Talks to the Cab Driver" (Leaving Las Vegas Soundtrack). I'm not counting dialogue, but I'm documenting it so as not to run afowl of the Friday random ten requirements.

7) “Go On Ahead” Liz Phair (Whitechocolatespaceegg)... I agree with Supertramp that she gets dinged too much for her later stuff. Her self-titled album might have been an attempt at pop stardum a la Britney and Christina, but it's pop through the the eyes of an aging, newly-single mom who happened to sing "Chopsticks." That the same woman who wrote "Fuck and Run" now sings "Little Digger" is pretty extraodinary.

8) “What’s Going On” Marvin Gaye (What’s Going On). Damn good stuff. And it's nice to hear a Washingtonian say, "war is not the answer."

9) “I Won’t Be Home No More” Hank Williams Sr (Lonesome Blues). It looks like it's the Friday Random Ten that Hank Williams came to town. How drunk do you have to be to get fired from the Grand Ole Opry?

10 “La La Love You” Pixies (Doolittle). And with my final entry, I fade to Black Francis.

I've said too much.

Otto Man said...

I'll jump on the Liz Phair bandwagon. I cringed at her little Avril Lavinge Makeover, but you can't deny her past stuff was great.

That first album is packed with excellent songs, and "Fuck and Run" might just be the best of them all. As far as the third album goes, I especially love the song "Girls' Room." Maybe because it sounds like the theme to my favorite porn movie, a little bit of classic cinema called "Porky's."

On another note, I like Buffalo Theory's idea for the non-music parts. Acknowledge them, but don't count them. Sort of like the Census Bureau and illegal aliens.

Damn you, ALF. Damn you straight to hell!

Thrillhous said...

Time to take coolness to a new level, a Thrillhous level!

1) Crazy Train - Ozzy. So sick of his TV show. 9/10

2) A Time and a Place - ELP. Too cool for you guys. 9/10

3) Lady Starlight - Scorpions. Nope, never listened to this one. Well, I've heard the first few seconds of it, and it's all violins and stuff. I ain't listening to no symphonies from germany! 0/10

4) Down in a Hole - Alice in Chains. Yet another song title that could be applied to Rove. 9/10

5) Bounce - System of a Down. 6/10

6) Whole Lotta Love - Zeppelin. I think this one came up in my first random 10. Maybe this thing ain't as random as it should be. I like the beginning and ending to this song, but what's up with the three minutes of sounds in the middle? 5/10

7) The Wanton Song - Zeppelin. Yeah, this thing is as random as a caleidoscope. Not one of my favorite songs. 5/10

8) Rock the Night - Europe. Now we're doing some rockin! 9/10

9) Intolerance - Tool. One of their best tunes. 9/10

10) Intro (Dream Sequence) - Alice in Chains. 43 seconds of feedback and chortles. What's not to love? 5/10

Ra_wiggum said...

1) Sanctify Yourself - Simple Minds My first concert ever. someone offered me a joint and I freaked out. Now I freak out because my dealer doesn't deliver to Brooklyn 9/10

2) State of the Nation - New Order
Wow, lots of 80s 7/10

3) Exodus - Bob Marley & the whalers 8/10 See freak out comment for song 1

4) Songbird - Fleetwood Mac
More 80s. I'm old 7/10

5) Longing - Karsh Kale
Some obscure asian electronic. If you are brown, you'll understand. 7/10

6) Prototype 3 - Seb Fontaine DJ set OK, so this brings me to the 90s when I'd go to raves, and freak out for (on) other reasons 10/10

7) I Eat Cannibals Total Coelo (from Classic MTV 80s mix)
If you need me, I'll be at Culture Club in Chelsea 8/10

8) Celebration Day - Led Zeppelin
10/10 Robert Plant is a God!

9) Zoo Station - U2 9/10 No more african debt!!

10) Over You - Roxy Music / Bryan Ferry 10+/10 Greatest band ever!!!!!!!

Ra_wiggum said...

By the way, can anyone see my picture?

Otto Man said...

Sorry, Wigglepuppy, it just comes across as "Image Hosted by Tripod" here.

alex supertramp said...

yos -- that truly was a random ten, plus you sparked an oh so rare moment of motivation with your unheard band comment, and while I don't think they do it for me I get the interest in Splashdown .. since you're a fan you might want to check out:
fan site

ectophiles
and definitely this one
symbion

Thrillhous said...

I'm assuming Malibu Stacy was talking about my cool songs.

Otto Man said...

Yes, she's a huge fan of Europe. The continent.

Mrs_Thrillhous said...

I find it hard to believe that Thrillhous's top 10 list is truly random. Where's Yes? or Soundgarden? or Tito? I need an auditor.

Studiodave said...

(1) It's A New Day James Brown
(2) I Typed For Miles Jets To Brazil
(3) Guitars, Cadillacs Dwight Yoakam
(4) No Woman, No Cry The Fugees
(5) Unfaithful The Wedding Present
(6) Drown Son Volt
(7) Here Comes My Baby Cat Stevens
(8) Only A Fool The Black Crowes
(9) 6th Grade Roller Now It's Overhead
(10) Tempted Squeeze

Too tired for clever insights. Hope everyone's the Fonz out there in internet world.