chasingkerouac

I know what will make a blah day better - sharing the love of music! Another electic mix of what's been rotating on my iTunes for the past couple of days.

Some Sunday Music

1. Sway - Michael Buble [Buy]
Sometimes a girl's just gotta dance. And I swear, there's something about this boy's voice that just does good things for me. It's fun, it's flirty, it echoes back to the love of the Rat Pack days and it was featured in the movie The Wedding Date if that rings a bell for anyone going 'where have I heard this before...' I love him, have loved him since he was just a late night infomercial and have many of his that go through my rotation.
Fav line: Like a lazy ocean hugs the shore, hold me close, sway me more...

2. Por Una Cabeza - The Tango Project [Buy]
More on the lovely little dance fixation from previous, this is probably the most recognizable tango to those of us who don't actually dance. Performed originally by Carlos Gardel, The Tango Project created a completely instrumental version that has been featured in the hot and sexy dances scene of films such as True Lies and Scent of a Woman. Makes me want to dance, honestly.

3. Me And Bobby McGee - Janis Joplin [Buy]
Really, what can you say about Janis Joplin? Distinctive sound, distinctive message, I love her to death. This is probably the best known of her songs, even if most people refer to it by it's most famous line rather than the actual title of the song. Infinately sing-a-longable, and I was recently reminded of it when the audience broke into it as a sing-a-long during an intermission at the Maryland Shakespeare Festival. Good times.
Fav line: Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose. Nothin ain't worth nothin' but it's free.

4. Electrical Storm (William Orbit Mix) - U2 [Buy]
If anyone doesn't know of my VAST adoration of U2, well, now you do. This was a remix of Electrical Storm written for the 'Best of U2' compilation albums being released circa 2002. And while some people weren't a fan, I'm a big fan of the remix. It's sensual, and I love Bono's voice in all of it's delightfully imperfect glory. U2 is love to me, in any way shape or form, and, yeah, that's all that I can say about that *lol*
Fav line: You're kept awake dreaming someone else's dream...

5. Jesse's Girl - Rick Springfield [Buy]
This? This is just 80stastic. Rick Springfield is a guilty pleasure - not least because he just came back to General Hospital for a while, and GH is love. It's fun, it's fluff, and it's fun to sing at the top of your lungs while driving down the road... or cleaning the bathroom dancing to your iPod. Pure love.
Fav line: Y'know I feel so dirty when they start talking cute, I wanna tell her that I love her but the point is probably moot...

So, there were music memes floating around previously, but as I'm terrible about remember meme rules, I'm just gonna post some Friday music for general consumption. They're currently favorites on my iTunes. And hey, who knows, maybe this'll be a weekly thing cause I love music, and I love sharing music, because what good is music if there is no one to listen to it? It's a whole tree falls in a forest thing. Although I have to admit, my favorite koan is 'what is the sound of one hand clapping?'

My Asian Religions prof from college would be giddy that I could work 'koan' into a sentence. And would flip that this wasn't the first time *lol*

And I will warn you, I have ecclectic taste. I've rarely met a genre that I didn't enjoy.

Some Friday Music

1. Wagon Wheel - Old Crow Medicine Show [Buy]
Bluegrass. Mellow bluegrass. I originally found this one looking up a line from sirduke's journal, I think. But any song that that mention places I've been gets an automatic yay from me, specially since I adore Raleigh and will one day return. Fav line: "And if I die in Raleigh, at least I will die free"

2. Crazy - Gnarls Barkely [Buy]
This is more urban pop, with a bit of dance and the slightest bit of tech thrown in. GB is a collaboration between DJ Dangermouse and Cee-lo, and I just adore the sound. I originally found this by flipping through MTV at 3am and finding the video, which is this great psychodelic ink blot progression. Hypnotised me, and I just had to have the song. There just something about his voice and a great American Bandstand quality - 'it's got a good beat, and I can dance to it'. Fav line: "It wasn't because I didn't know enough, I just knew too much"

3. I Shall Not Walk Alone - Blind Boys of Alabama [Buy]
And here we go a little gospel. It sounds like it should be a capella, but the piano in the background is a nice addition I think. It's a beautiful song, sung by guys with a beautiful story, and I just love songs with heavy meaning that feel light singing them. Fav line: "Break the chains that hold us down, and we shall be Forever bound"

4. Nine Million Bicycles - Katie Melua [Buy]
Mellow Brit pop. It's a light and fluffy love song, which I usually veer away from because of the sacchrine aftertaste, but her voice is just too cute. And the numerical thing that she does with her lyrics in this songs is amusing in it's own right. It's the cotton candy of pop, and sometimes we all need some sugar. Fav line: "There are six billion people in the world, more or less, and it makes me feel quite small, but you're the one I love most of all"

5. House of the Rising Sun - The Animals [Buy]
The Animals are some classic rock. I fell in love with them while writing about their song 'Sky Pilot' for a paper I was doing on protest music of the Vietnam era a few years ago. And I could get into a great discussion on the history of the lyrics for HotRS, but I won't do that here, because the Animals arrangement is enjoyable on it's own. I mean, how can you not enjoy an organ solo? Fav line: "I'm goin' back to New Orleans, to wear that ball and chain"

EDIT: Since this is musically relevant. My brother just came in here to show me a cell picture his friend just sent him. Turns out that Dave Matthews ala Dave Matthews Band was eating dinner just down the road from me. At one of my fav lil restaurants in my little MD town. First off, what on earth is he doing here? Secondly, sooo much cooler than the usual Cheney/Rumsfeld/insert third Bush employee of the week that the restaurant usually gets. I should upload some DMB in honor of that. Need to find the cds...