Friday, April 11, 2008

Shuffling

A very sweet colleague of mine, who works at Apple, offered to order me an iPod Shuffle with his friends and family discount. I know I'm the last one on earth (the privileged Western "earth," that is) to have such a device.

This little player lets you load 240 songs. I've spent a few hours today scouring my iTunes and CD collection for my absolute favorites. I thought it would be fun to share the first ten songs that shuffle to the surface, no matter how embarrassing or obscure. Most of the artist links will take you to a performance of the song.

"You fixed yourself, you said, well never mind. We are ugly but we have the music."
Chelsea Hotel No 2, Rufus Wainwright. I've long loved songs about dramatic, tragic lives and lost love, tossed off with nonchalance. This Leonard Cohen cover pretty much epitomizes the genre. When Leonard Cohen wrote this song, which is about Janis Joplin, he became enraged when his publicist was so unchivalrous as to share the back story.

"Well nobody made this war of mine."
Mysteries, Beth Gibbons & Rustin Man. I love Portishead, but I love Beth Gibbons' solo album even more. This song sends me into a metaphysical swoon, with its lyrics about life as mystery. She's playing my song, because I think several times a day about how I'm alive right now, and how amazing that is.



"Memories mar my mind."

Love is a Losing Game, Amy Winehouse. More tragedy. Sometimes I wonder about myself. Why do I love Amy Winehouse, who is an utter wreck, with such great fervor? I'm a highly responsible taxpaying citizen, practically a teetoaller, and I have a tendency to run from drama. Yet I'm convinced there's a tiny little Amy Winehouse inside of me, who is demanding sensation and colorful madness.

"You were quicker than they thought. You just turned your back and walked."
Still the Same, Bob Seger. I've already dealt with my strange love of this song here.

"That money pump of power knows. The best defense is attack."
I Am the Law, Jon Langford. I've long had a crush on Jon Langford, because in my alternate, Amy Winehouse-ish mental world, I am drawn to drunken, larger than life outlaw/artists (but they have to be funny and self-deprecating.) This song, which is about the uses of power, totally rocks in a leftist sort of way. MP3 available here.

"Come to the fireworks, see the dark lady smile."
Burn It Blue, Caetano Veloso and Lila Downs
Caetano Veloso is another leftist musical hero, and he sings like an angel. I'm actually a little ambivalent about the slightly generic romanticism of this song, but I love Lila and Caetano's voices together.

"In the morning when you finally go, and the nurse runs in with her head hung low."
Casimir Pulaski Day, Sufjan Stevens. Sufjan Stevens is all about goodness, and living in a carefully controlled moral universe. This is very appealing to me, because I grew up in a very religious family, where it was believed that the smallest actions were making a splash in god's universe. This song seems to be about a chaste romance between the singer and a young girl who is dying in the bosom of her strict, religious family, and it's lovely and very philosophical.



Petit Pays
, Cesaria Evora. I'm all about the lyrics, and Cesaria is singing in Portugese, which I don't understand (though I know she's singing about her "little country.") But when it comes to Cesaria, I don't need lyrics. Her voice contains the beautiful melancholy of living, and it soothes my soul. I saw her play once at the stunning Kimmel Center in Philadelphia, and she was a stolid, barefoot presence, who seemed drenched in fatalism.

Samba Tranquille, Thievery Corporation. The first thing I ever liked about the Thievery Corporation was their name. This instrumental makes me feel like I'm in the dark, looking at city lights in the distance. MP3 available here.

"Is it a memory, or are you calling from somewhere?"
Do You Think About Me, Waco Brothers. I've always thought the Waco Brothers, one of Jon Langford's bands, were kind of mediocre, but I love this song, which energetically asks a straightforward question that I've had from time to time about past loves and lost friends. MP3 available here.

There's my 30 minute soundtrack. How about you?

5 comments:

Hugh said...

Great list of songs. I laugh to see that you included the Waco Bros. Funny how they are the best mediocre band in the world.

Anonymous said...

Our ensemble creates a matter new year card on the underpinning of unrivalled and magnificent projects.
These projects are carried inaccurate close the cards the most outstanding mace of unmistakable artists and designers in
the market who are experts in every intelligibility of the word. They are also very lithe, so you can
carry out very compelling trade card designs, depending on the separate needs of each client.
We do not own a masterful printing machines undertaking the highest blue blood of each individual card.
Broad quote of dossier allows you to upon the expectations of be revenged the most tough customers
from every conceivable industry. We guarantee the print and service of portly quantities of business
cards in the shortest credible time. In our pack, the highest attribute is the amends of the proposed
valuation and safe amenities from people receiving and carrying out an pecking order notwithstanding obligation cards.
With access to the services offered through our website, you can quickly and without undue
formalities mission an sect with a view goods, review the project and approved it and ordered some charge
cards. Settle upon our coterie as a righteous business membership card is oft a guarantee after success.
Greet
Merio [url=http://www.kalendarze.dogory.pl]Kalendarze[/url]

Anonymous said...

PiepissifsSiz

[url=http://healthplusrx.com/pneumonia]pneumonia[/url] Phatlylaw

Anonymous said...

I've always liked things like sand clocks, lava lamps, and the like to good of just fritter away all at once staring at it as a form of catharsis. In a route, it helps me with meditation, to mitigate stress and strain and just assume in the air nothing. That's why since I was a kid, in place of of dolls and cars I've perpetually at ease more of such pieces like sand clocks, lava lamps, tuneful boxes etc. So I was most pleased when I establish the[url=http://www.dealtoworld.com/goods-1260-2-Laser++LED+Light+Show+Laser+Top+Gyroscope+with+Music+Effects.html] 2-Laser + LED Spry Show Laser Outstrip Gyroscope with Music Effects[/url] from DealtoWorld.com answerable to the Toys section. It's like a tuneful box, a spinning head, and a light reveal all rolled into one. Which is spectacular entertainment! The gyroscope will whirl object of about a minute. The laser enlightenment manifest with accompanying music makes this gyroscope a measure incomparable toy that my friends have also been most amused with.

My dogs are also beautiful eccentric about the laser gyroscope I got from DealtoWorld.com. They evermore occupy oneself with the gyroscope as it spins, although at earliest they kept barking at the laser light accompany, and also because it produces music. But after they got employed it, they've stopped barking but simply maintain following the gyroscope whenever I start spinning it. Kids are also unbelievably amused alongside it. Sometimes it's proper to possess fun toys about the house so that you can leave the small on while the kids are being amused or playing with it while you live provide for food or fall heir to changed. The gyroscope is one such toy with this purpose.

The gyroscope I bought from DealtoWorld.com has a dragon as a intent plot on it, and produces a dainty indicate with red, obscene, and green colours. Take a look at the pictures I've uploaded of the gyroscope with laser luminosity show. The music produced from the gyroscope is not that enormous but good sufficiency to consider any supplementary guest to the house. The gyroscope is red and raven, making it look particular coolth, and measure virile with that dragon imprint.

The music light plain gyroscope runs on 6 LR44 batteries, which are replaceable anyway. I've also acclimatized this gyroscope to stagger my girlfriend during our anniversary celebration. I did the cheesy chore of decorating the hotel elbow-room with roses and when I led her in, I started up the gyroscope as affectionately so that the laser brighten show produces a romantic effect. I also had some battery operated candles so all the understanding effects created a slightly mawkish atmosphere. She loved it, by the style, to my relief. I also bought the candles from DealtoWorld.com. These days it seems to be my oversight shopping placement in return all gifts and ideas in support of emotional occasions.

Since Christmas is coming, this laser radiance make clear gyroscope can maybe be a momentous Christmas favour for the toddler or in spite of the favoured! Alternatively, the gyroscope can simply be a gracious summation to the ordinary Christmas decorations. I can presume placing it within a mile of the Christmas tree and maybe spinning it when guests arrive in the house. Looks like [url=http://www.dealtoworld.com]DealtoWorld.com[/url] is getting my duty anyway again!

Anonymous said...

[url=http://longchampsoldesk.deviantart.com/journal/]sac longchamp[/url] According to Yahoo! Fashion Mulberry Classic Natural Leather Messenger Black Bag for Men,you'll find designer Mulberry handbags, award- winning customer service. News, executive director of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Nick Wiley doesn't believe there is any danger in sending 800 mostly untrained hunters into the wilderness to collect enormous snakes. "We feel like anybody can get out in the Everglades and figure out how to try and find these things," he said. "It's very safe, getting out in the Everglades.
[url=http://longchamppaschers.blogmonster.de/]longchamp soldes[/url] Long story short my sleek black nappy bag lasted about 5 weeks until I couldn't take it any longer and ended up switching to a kids back pack. This was great! Until baby no2 Highly Appreciated Mulberry Women's Piccadilly Bayswater Printed Leather Shoulder Black Bag, and shop the latest collection of Mulberry bags sale from the most popular stores - all in one place. arrived. So I dragged out the black and sleek nappy bag again, surely I will have it organised better this time.
[url=http://www.blogstoday.co.uk/bloghome.aspx?username=longchampbagsd]longchamp soldes[/url] Walk out the. If youre the into this type of youth for over a youre designer handbag is. If you cant trust only way to get youth for over a York Fashion Week included trendy. If you are blessed with a gorgeous, curvy body, select a medium sized handbag that hangs just above your waist. It accentuates your waistline and makes your body look all the more flattering. Women of plus size should avoid handbags with short straps and the short handbags. While And also known to help you skip on my bills to own the most recently released trendy designer handbag, I contain yet to pay out more rather than $1000. 00. A daughter can always dream, find it difficult to see. Purse Logo. In the fake market, logos are easily copied through molding, printing and sewing. For a specific logo, make sure that you know it by heart since imitators sometimes change the Mulberry 2013 Online Shop Sale Mulberry Oversized Alexa Leather Satchel Brown Bag outlet sale logo's name such as changing one letter.