Ladies and gentlemen, the awesome audio stylings of Eddie Jackson. I have no idea what kind of music was put forth by Eddie -- or "Jackson," if you're nasty -- but I've got to assume it was zany. Maybe not "barbershop zany" or "vaudeville zany," but certainly zany. Just look at the expression on his face! Either he's zany, or he's just suffered a massive stroke. Perhaps both.Alright, time for the Friday Random Ten. You know the rules: Take out your iPod, set it to random, and give us the first ten songs that stumble forth. If you're feeling particularly zany, feel free to offer a Coolness Self-Audit as well.
Here's mine:
1. Neil Young and Crazy Horse, "Cortez the Killer" -- This is one of my favorite Young songs. Sure, the lyrics don't kick in until you're nearly at the four minute mark, but if they started a second sooner, the song would be ruined, I tells ya, ruined! 9/10
2. Malvina Reynolds, "Little Boxes" -- What a great tune. This is an old folk classic from the early 1960s, a nice little indictment of suburban conformity: "And the people in the houses all went to the university / Where they were put in boxes, little boxes, all the same / And there's doctors and there's lawyers, and there's business executives / And they're all made out of ticky tacky and they all look just the same." I don't get Showtime, but apparently this is the theme song for the new suburban show "Weeds." If so, I may have to check that out. 10/10
3. The Stooges, "1970" -- This isn't my favorite Stooges song. Hell, it's not even my favorite year-themed Stooges song. ("1969" is such a better tune you have to assume Iggy took the end of the '60s as a major blow.) Still, it's Iggy Pop, and he's cooler than me. And he's cooler than you, punk. 7/10
4. They Might Be Giants, "Ana Ng" -- I like this song, but TMBG are almost certainly the exact antithesis of "cool." They used an accordian, for chrissakes! 4/10
5. Willie Bobo, "Spanish Grease" -- This song, however, is incredibly cool. Nice Latin jazz-funk from the late '60s, full of a great groove, nice horns, and a nice call-and-response chorus. Sweet. 10/10
6. The 5.6.7.8.'s, "Ah So!" -- Just your standard 1990s Japanese-sexpots-dressed-as-cavegirls rockabilly. We've all seen it a million times, but this is a nice, rollicking tune. 8/10
7. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, "In This Home on Ice" -- A nice little bit of indie pop from Brooklyn's finest. Alec Ounsworth's vocals sound a little less David Byrne-ish on this track, but still has a nice groove to it all. 9/10
8. David Bowie, "Moonage Daydream" -- A nice little strutter from Ziggy Stardust. Sure, some of the lyrics may be hard to decipher ("Keep your ’lectric eye on me babe / Put your ray gun to my head") and the kazoo-like chorus is a crippler. But the overall glam rock thrust is still pretty sweet. 7/10
9. Barbara Lewis, "Hello Stranger" -- An amazing, haunting doo-wop song that I only recently rediscovered while watching an old episode of "Homicide." (Whoever picked the music for that show was a genius, by the way.) Absolutely perfect. 10/10
10. De La Soul, "Wonce Again Long Island" -- I've said it before, and I'll say it again. De La Soul is easily one of the most important hiphop groups of the past decade. Right up there with Outkast and the Roots in a holy trinity of hiphopitude. From the criminally overlooked Stakes is High CD. 9/10
That's a nice 8.3 average. It would have been even better without They Might Be Giants nerding up the place. Thanks a lot, dweebs.
Think you're better than me? Or at least better than TMBG? Drop your own Friday Random Ten in the comments below, with or without the season's hot accessory -- the Coolness Self-Audit.
13 comments:
Well, we got a few inches of snow in the DC area last night, and the whole of DC is on a liberal leave policy today, which means us liberals stayed home! So you'll be blessed with my full music collection! I must say that I'm going to cheat a little and exclude Mrs. T's music from my top 10. Otherwise it'd be nothing but James and the Cure. Gag.
1) The Only Way - ELP. Delicious anti-establishment-religion song. "Kneel at the shrine, deceived by the wine." Take that, Thomas a'Beckett! 9/10
2) Still Loving You - Scorpions. Okay, let's just call off this week's FRT right here. You just don't get better than this. you know what this means. I have to break out an 11 out of 10 for this one. That's right, I've turned it up to 11.
3) Proud Mary - CCR. You're still reading? I already told you the FRT is done! Stick a fork in it! Okay, if you're just desperate for a larger dose of Thrillhous's music stash, you can't beat a little CCR. 9/10
4) House Finch - Donald and Lillian Stokes. Dammit! Why are my songbird recordings in here? In case you guys were wondering, the House Finch is a totally bad-ass bird. Really, they're like the Black Sabbath of birds. 0/10
5) In the Mood - Rush. Off their first album, before the more-than-competent drumming of Neal Peart was part of their sound. Kinda dumb, but a fun song. 8/10
6) Red Sector A - Rush. Live version of this one, which is about the Holocaust. Not a great Friday song, but in general a great song. 8/10
7) Moonchild - Chris Cornell. Kind of a poopy song off his solo album. Half the songs on this vinyl are awesome, the other half make me want to punch myself. 2/10
8) Wanna Be Startin' Somethin - MJ. I have a feeling this is "Mean Jean" Schmidt's theme song. You're all cowards! 9/10
9) Another Brick in the Wall - Floyd. I've gotten into Floyd lately, partly thanks to the recommendations of iRod. The Wall stuff is just so overplayed, though. I'm sick of it. 5/10
10) Stairway to Heaven (Live) - Zep. What a way to finish! Talk about overplayed, but dammit I still love this song. 10/10
You're welcome.
This week I've supercharged my system with Christmas songs, so they should make an appearance here.
1) Moth in the Incubator - Flaming Lips. Off the free to download Fearless Freaks Soundtrack, it's live version with a bizarre rambling intro by the lead singer. Damn fine if you like the Lips noise. 8/10
2) Italian Song - Matson Jones. Two chicks playing cello and singing. Don't know much about the band, but this tune is great. 8/10
3) Jazz - A Tribe Called Quest. Not the best song off The Low End Theory. 6/10
4) Holiday on Skis - Al Caiola & Riz Ortolani. A holiday medley with fun, jangly guitars and swooping winds. If you doubt the coolness of this tune, Al Caiola is the guy who did the theme songs to "The Magnificent Seven" and "Bonanza." 9/10
5) Hell No, I Ain't Happy - Drive by Truckers. Quite a juxtaposition to the last song, but a cool tune, nonetheless. The beer can opening sound effect at the beginning totally works. And makes me thirsty. 8/10
6) Changes - Black Sabbath. I get Sabbath in my FRT, and it's this song? This is like having a Doctor Who marathon of nothing but Colin Baker episodes. 2/10
7) The Man with the Bag - Kay Starr. What a great song by an incredibly wonderful forgotten jazz singer. Kay Starr's voice is a real treat, and does this song justice. 10/10
8) Auld Lang Syne - Guy Lombardo & His Royal Canadians. I like hearing this song once per year, but if it comes a little early it may as well be this version. Guy Lombardo is cooler than you think. 7/10
9) Why Was I Born? - Ella Fitzgerald. I would listen to this woman sing anything, even that "If I knew you were coming I'd have baked a cake" song. I bet Ella could have made "We Built this City on Rock and Roll" a pleasant experience. 8/10
10) The Hardest Button to Button - White Stripes. Nice way to launch into Friday. 9/10
Welcome aboard, JT. Any friend of Willie's....
Thrillhous, while I'm excited to see the entire musical range of your home operations, it pretty much looks like the standard Thrillhous repertoire. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
I bet Ella could have made "We Built this City on Rock and Roll" a pleasant experience.
She might be the only one who could. Or is there a song so horrible that not even she could save it?
O.M., I don't think I've heard a single one of your songs before. That's puts me in a big coolness hole before I even get stsarted.
T'Hous, I walked into the office this morning with a song I determined would break the 10 barrier as well...what will it be?
I don't think even Ella could save it... It's not like Grace Slick didn't have some pipes. That song is just total shit. One of the Worst Songs of All Time.
Sorry if my overwhelming coolness has made you suffer, Mr. Furious. I have no control over it.
1. "One Thing" - INXS Old school. This was the terrible video where they are all sitting around eating a bunch of "vagina" fruit. It's not "Don't Change", but it's good. 7
2. "Cure For Pain (live)" - Morphine I think I mentioned how I first heard Morphine (played in a bar in DC). Well, when I got home this was one of the first tunes I got off the old Napster. 8
3. "How Soon Is Now" - Everclear An okay cover of a great, great song. The original is easily a 9, this version dials back to a 6. The Love Spit Love version is an 8.6
4. "Flagpole Sitta" - Harvey Danger One of the many interchangable one-hit band singles from the mid-nineties. It's fine. Another old Napster grab. 7
5. "Like Dreamers Do" - Radiators A band of semi old guys from N'awlins. If you ever heard them on the radio, it was probably this tune. Another band caught from my Deadhead roommate, while still avoiding the Dead infection. I guess the Little Feat, Rads, etc are sort of an inoculation for me. 7
6. "TBD" - Live From the MTV unplugged show. 8
7. "Whip It" - Devo Such a good song for being so completely ridiculous. I can't hear it with out thinking of the video. Bizarre. 9
8. "Lead a Normal Life" - Peter Gabriel An nice little xylophone-driven tune from the melted face album. Kind of strange to hear songs like this outside the album context. 7
9. "Psalm for the Elks Lodge Last Call" - The Weakerthans No wonder they are "weaker than," it's probably from hauling around sonbg titles like that. From a CMJ mix disc or something.8
10. "Couldn't Stand the Weather" - SRV Perhaps the best song of all time. Certainly in my Top 3. "These go to eleven..."11
7.8 average. A mixed bag, but Stevie finished it strong.
Please allow me to share with you my Friday Random 10 beers. I crack open my fridge, bottle opener in-hand, and share with you the beers in my fridge.
1) My homebrew. I don't have any clever names for my homebrew, because that's just weird. It's an American Pale Ale, and has all the trappings thereof: hoppy nose, pretty floral, maybe a little grassy. Big hops bite up front, followed by an immediate mellowing by sweet malt (I used 6 poiunds of it in the brewing process afterall). Finishes clean, but after about 2/3 of the glass, it got just a tad "tinny." Not bad, if I do say so myself, which I do. 7/10.
2) Brouwerij Lindeman's Framboise Lambic. Raspberry beer. It pours rose red with a pink head, and has no discernable taste of malt or hops. It's all raspberry, folks, which is exactly what a framboise lambic should be (framboise being French for raspberry...). It was tart, but not heavy or syrupy. Very drinkable; it drank like champagne. Interesting, and worth a try. 8/10.
3) Sam Adams Black Lager. This is outstanding. Poured into the glass black as coffee, with a brown head that dissipated quickly. Smelled spicy, with slight chocolate and coffee. Tasted big coffee, chocolate undertones and a sweet malt. This is a great winter beer, though just a tad thin. No hoppy bitterness at all, so people who like sweeter beers will enjoy this solid offering from the Brewer and Patriot. 8/10.
4) Bell's Batch 7000. Holy moley. This beer is amazing. I could offer this beer in slices instead of in a glass. Thick and chewey. It poured midnight black on a cloudy night with no lights black. I smelled coffee and currants, with a little chocolate. The taste was an explosion. Just incredible. Coarse coffee, like Espresso, with a slight bakers/bitter chocolate taste that combines to yield a really heavy molasses taste; that really bitter molasses you use to make cookies, that turns out sweet and thick in the end...that kind of molasses. This was a huge-bodied beer that they'll only brew this once, so when it's out, it's gone forever. 9/10. No, screw it. 10/10.
5) Michigan Brewing Company Superior Stout. Smells of roasted coffee mixed with either dark chocolate or bakers chocolate. I tasted the roasted coffee up front that mellowed to a buttery taste. I really like that about this beer - the buttery taste at the end. Floral hops throughout. 7/10.
6) Bell's Two Hearted Ale. This is the Bells version of IPA. Pours a huge head, with massive, piney hops nose and flavor. Easy on the malt, but it's a hops-lover's hoppy IPA. Hippety hop. 8/10.
7) Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale. First and foremost, lots of grapefruit on the nose and taste, with piney hops throughout. The hops linger, giving it a nice, full taste. There was a hint of something like coriander in it too. I just can't get over the grapefruit. Great holiday offering. 8/10.
8) Founders Breakfast Stout. Why breakfast? Coffee. Giant coffee aroma, hugely roasty, very similar to a can of Folgers with hints of prune and nut, toffee and chocolate. Real coffeehouse mocha cappuchino, chocolate syrup, with a dryer, cocoa powder bittersweetness easing into the finish. Complex, but quite delicate and smooth. 9/10.
9) Dogfish Head Raison D'extra. 20% ABV. Beer meets wine. This is a sweet malt-bomb. Raisins, currants, plums, brown sugar. Heavy and slippery on the tongue. They brewed this beer with loads of raisins in the end. Really interesting, quite heavy. I could only do 1 in a sitting. 7/10, because it's so...different.
10) Michigan Brewing Company/Celis Grand Cru. This is a great example of a "double wit." This tastes heavy on the citrus and spices, like a good Belgian should. Crispy beer, with bubbles as violent as champagne. Yeasty notes with the appropriate fruit/banana esthers. Solid beer from a brewery that started more than 50 years ago in Belgium, the exact recipe of which has now made its way to Texas and finally rests with the Michigan Brewing Company, of all places. 7/10.
"think"?? bitch I know....and jt, don't be so hard on yourself, very nice FRT and my god, you've got the balladeering baseballer who was instrumental in the career of one of my favorite all time artists, mr Jim Croce!! And irod, WFT?? Apparently you have never listened to the mighty ‘changes’ tripping your ass off while contemplating flight from the top of your dorm building, magical I tell ya…….
1-Big Star – Dony --- off the new ‘In Space’ often referred to as Big Star II, it’s good mellow pop, but nothing like you feel it should.6/10
2-Cat Power – The Greatest --- Chan Marshall’s drowsy moan makes me swoon, she might not be the greatest, but she’s up there. 7/10
3-Ben Folds – Bastard – why yes, yes I am….and Ben Folds makes some damn fine melancholy pop tunes.8/10
4-Damien Marley – Khaki Suit --- with Bounty Killer and Eek-A-Mouse, ragga reggae the way it should be done. Damn this disc just gets better and better.8/10
5-The Everybodyfields – his ponitiac – I’ve just discovered these guys and the haunting Americana is complete old school rural heartache, it simply feels pure and painful.9/10
6-Merle Haggard – let’s chase each other around the room --- merle just sounds too happy in this one, I can only believe that he means let’s get real real drunk, chase each other around the room of the trailer with sharp objects without waking ALL the kids…..8/10
7-Bob Marley – Pimper’s Paradise – yeah, it gets overplayed, and it boarders on some disco liteness of the corresponding times, but it packs all the politi-social commentary that made Marley’s music so powerful – well that and how fucking good it all was. 9/10
8-The Hold Steady – the swish --- so yeah, I’ve seen a few of the blogs posting best o 2005 lists and not enough have the hold steady’s Separation Sunday on ‘em, fools.8/10
9-My Morning Jacket – One Big Holiday --- yes Jim, it really is……9/10
10-PS I Love You – where the fuck is kevin shields? – ahhh an ode to the maestro of reverb drenched shoegaze, by a crazy motherfucker who loves female tennis players and reverb drenched shoegaze pop.10/10
Otto, I too know the curse of They Might Be Giants. They make some good music, but are rarely cool. And although Ella is musical royalty, if she had done "We Built This City On Rock & Roll" she would have turned it into "(We Built This City On) Scoodly-bweeeee-dap-a-dap-a-dap & Roll". And now that I have imagined that, I desperately want to hear it.
1. San Quentin (live) - Johnny Cash. Although he has not always been cool, Johnny Cash has always been awesome. The song wouldn't be the same without the inmates screaming after every line. 10/10
2. Theme to Mystery Science Theater 3000 (live) - Man Or AstroMan?. Not cool, but it rocks. Plus, when you announce it as "the love theme to Matlock", it sells it even better. 4/10.
3. Poster Of A Girl - Metric. A moderately down-tempo number, synth-pop influenced. Still groovy. 8/10.
4. The New Year - Death Cab For Cutie. Not really sure where the guys were going on this one. It's okay, but it's not great. 6/10.
5. Funky Thing - Medeski Martin & Wood. I really like MMW's blend of funk, jazz, and dance. An essential part of my music collection. 9/10.
6. Once Upon A Time In The West: Main Theme - Yo-Yo Ma. I defy anyone to tell me that Yo-Yo Ma and Ennio Morricone are not cool. 10/10.
7. Come Together - The Beatles. I really don't like this song. 3/10.
8. The Hideout - Sarah Harmer. Finally saw this woman live this year, and she was really good. Didn't do this song, which is a shame. 7/10.
9. If It Wasn't For You - Handsome Boy Modeling School. Man, this is a great group. Anyone who can get The Ladies Man to endorse you has balls. 9/10.
10. Sex Machine - James Brown. Nobody can deny the raw power of the Godfather. 10/10.
This week is a very respectable 86; uneven but ultimately cool.
I'm sorry I missed this week's spin, but I was busy a) not getting the yoga job I auditioned for today and b) putting my cat to sleep at the vet. As a result, smitty's FRT is most appealing to me at this point....
Is that Michael Jackson song really titled that? Learn something new every day....
the whole of DC is on a liberal leave policy today, which means us liberals stayed home!
Yeah, the non-liberals (AKA hard workers) such as myself went to work. Most of my coworkers deemed their roads impassable (sooo not true). Net effect: a day of web surfing and shopping trips. Same for T'hous, but he also had to come up with excuses for not doing my laundry.
Moonchild - Chris Cornell
Haven't we seen this before? I feel like I've already questioned his tribute to The Neverending Story .
That movie was blatant false advertising.
We miss you Phil Hartman.
Heh. I was scrolling down to make the same joke.
"Mrs. Simpson, I haven't seen a case this clear-cut since my lawsuit against the makers of the movie The Never Ending Story."
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