iTunes Shuffle 10/31/14

1. Stereo MC's - "Connected"
2. Bonnie Raitt - "Not Cause I Wanted To"
3. Drake - "Houstatlantavegas"
4. Broken Bells - "The High Road"
5. Tori Amos - "My Favorite Things" (live Manchester Apollo, Manchester, UK 6/5/05)(Rodgers & Hammerstein, orig. from The Sound Of Music, debuted on Broadway by Mary Martin & Patricia Neway, in film by Julie Andrews)
6. Widespread Panic - "And It Stoned Me" (Van Morrison cover)
7. Cuckoo Chaos - "Jesus Flag American Fish"
8. Afternoon Naps - "Argyle Spring"
9. Active Child - "Johnny Belinda"
10. Eleanor Friedberger - "Early Earthquake"

Well, "Connected" sure is a fun way to start a mix you listen to every morning for a week. Lots of other great music in this set too.

Bonnie Raitt's "Not Cause I Wanted To" is from Slipstream, one of her finest records in years. She is such a special artist. I always love Drake, and I do not care what other people think about it. Tori makes something wonderful out of "My Favorite Things," which I always viewed as a throwaway song. Then again, I really am not a fan of The Sound Of Music. Give me The King & I any way. #gaycardrenewedagain #yulbrynner

I'm liking Cuckoo Chaos more and more. Their song titles are ridiculous ("Slut Barf" appeared here recently), but they remind me a bit of Vampire Weekend. Active Child is also becoming a fast favorite of mine. Their song "High Priestess" appeared here recently as well. Finally, of course, Eleanor Friedberger is a genius.

Enjoy! Everything's on Spotify this week.

iTunes Shuffle 10/24/14

1. Janis Joplin - "Summertime" (George & Ira Gershwin, orig. from Porgy and Bess. First recording sung by Abbie Mitchell, film version sung by Loulie Jean Norman. Also made famous by Billie Holiday.)
2. Arthur Alligood - "Why'd You Let Me Go Cold?"
3. GRMLN - "The Kids Don't Stand A Chance" (Vampire Weekend cover)
4. The Rural Alberta Advantage - "Frank, AB"
5. Judy Garland - "The Man That Got Away" (Harold Arlen & Ira Gershwin, from A Star Is Born)
6. Combustible Edison - "Hallway Ted" (from Four Rooms)
7. Chopin: Nocturne No. 20 in C-Sharp Minor (Posthumous)(Evelyne Dubourg, piano)
8. FOKN Bois - "Thank God We're Not A Nigerians"
9. Paul Thorn - "You're Not The Only One"
10. Phantogram - "When I'm Small"

Standards involving a Gershwin featuring heavily here. Big fan. And Judy Garland's "The Man That Got Away" is one of the most impressive things she ever did. #gaycardrenewed

Other thoughts:

1. GRMLN's Vampire Weekend cover is just lovely.
2. Chopin is always welcome.
3. Following Chopin with a Ghanaian duo which describes its genre as "gospel porn rap" is even more welcome.
4. That Ghanaian gospel porn rap? I am a lily-white American and I have no knowledge of intra-African rivalries, but high quality talkin' shit transcends all national barriers. Shit-talking about soccer:

"You barely qualify
But then you get stuck
President Goodluck
But you still suck."

That's grade-A talkin' shit right there.

5. Phantogram is so awesome.

Two songs not on Spotify this week. You need to listen to the GRMLN one. The Combustible Edison one is just a 30 second jazz interlude from an old soundtrack and it's not on YouTube either. I don't feel like uploading it.

Enjoy!

iTunes Shuffle 10/17/14

1. Kurt Vile - "Jesus Fever"
2. Nicole Atkins & The Black Sea - "You Come To Me"
3. Adventure - "Smoke And Mirrors"
4. Lockah - "Sly Winking Usury"
5. The Spring Standards - "Reply"
6. Amy LaVere - "We Went Sailing"
7. Anenon - "Shifts"
8. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - "Over And Over Again (Lost And Found)"
9. Panda Bear - "You Can Count On Me"
10. Manic Street Preachers - "This Joke Sport Severed"

A mix that starts with Kurt Vile is already on the right track. Nicole Atkins rocks hard. Other highlights are The Spring Standards, Manic Street Preachers and the Panda Bear song, which is incredible and has appeared on this mix before. Oh, and there's a good bit of dancy electronic music in here if you like that sort of thing, including this Lockah track, which is not on Spotify.

iTunes Shuffle 10/10/14

1. Diplo & Blaqstarr - "Get Off" (DJ Rob 3 Remix)
2. Arcade Fire - "Wasted Hours"
3. Active Child - "High Priestess" (CFCF Remix)
4. Incubus - "Vitamin"
5. Kate Bush - "This Woman's Work"
6. Something Corporate - "Me And The Moon"
7. Bill Evans Trio - "Detour Ahead" (Take 1)
8. Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - "The Beach Song"
9. Bleached - "Dazed"
10. Ben Taylor & Carly Simon - "After It's Over" (orig. Benjamin Taylor)

Carly Simon singing backup on her son's song. That's a level of cool neither you nor I will ever attain.

Diplo & Blaqstarr get things off to a fun start. The Active Child song is absolutely beautiful, and of course, the Kate Bush is one of the finest, most beautiful songs ever written. Then piano-driven rock from Something Corporate, followed by phenomenal jazz from the Bill Evans Trio. I need more jazz in my life. And other things. Solid mix.
Two of them are not on Spotify this week, but they're two of the best songs, so don't be lazy.

iTunes Shuffle 10/3/14

1. Cryptacize - "Tail And Mane"
2. Kool Music - "The Secret Of The Ooze"
3. Cuckoo Chaos - "Slut Barf"
4. Bach: Cantata #21, BWV 21, "Ich Hatte Viel Bekümmernis" - Sinfonia (Theatre Of Early Music, Daniel Taylor, conductor)
5. Aimee Mann - "Little Tornado"
6. Smashing Pumpkins - "Rocket"
7. Amanda Jo Williams - "Light On"
8. Fort Atlantic - "The Wrecking Ball"
9. Cains & Abels - "Never Be Alone"
10. Featureless Ghost - "Flash"

Some great names here and yes, I am aware that a song called "Slut Barf" is next to a Bach sinfonia. Such is my music collection. And it's a catchy fucking song. Also, Cryptacize, while it sounds like it would be some metal band, is not. Also jaunty.

Otherwise, any mix with Aimee Mann is a good mix. Fort Atlantic is one of my favorite discoveries of the last few years. Their music is just lovely.

All on Spotify this week: