↓ Jump To Navigation

Michael Bennett writes

iPod/MP3 Friday Shuffle — Happy Birthday David Bowie Edition

Can one birthday wish be enough for the man originally known as David Robert Jones, who changed his name to David Bowie so as not to be confused with Davy Jones of The Monkees? Or does one have to wish a Happy Birthday to The Thin White Duke, The Earthling, The Man Who Fell To Earth, Ziggy Stardust, Aladdin Sane, and so on and so on? Perhaps the best way to celebrate the birthday of a man whose career was premised on versatility and change is to show him your musical diversity. So give David a special birthday wish in his golden years by grabbing your iPod or MP3 player, hitting shuffle, and sharing the first 10 songs that come up.

  1. Cockeyed Ghost — I’m OK You’re Not OK (Neverest): Cockeyed Ghost was a cool power pop band that sprang from a rich late-‘90s L.A. scene that also spawned Wondermints and The Negro Problem. They didn’t get quite the same notoriety of those two acts, but the band added punkish energy and finely honed sense of classic pop (a la Elton John and The Beach Boys) to create a distinctive sound. Moreover, frontman Adam Marsland is a creative lyricist who manages to be prolix without getting in the way of the music. This song moves from driving sunny pop-rock to quiet melodicism and ends with a spunky guitar breakdown.
  2. James Brown — Let Yourself Go (The 50th Anniversary Collection): This is one of the Godfather of Soul’s early funk tunes. Or rather, this song is one of the bridges from Brown’s primal R & B to something a bit more fluid and grooving. Even in the early stages of developing funk, the depth of the arrangement is pretty amazing. And it would only get better from here.
  3. The Hives — You Got It All…Wrong (The Black And White Album): I love how these guys have evolved without losing their garage-y essence. This song has great bursts of guitar but contrasts it with some relatively pretty guitar passages. This makes the driving parts of the song sound all the more rocking.
  4. Ray, Goodman & Brown — Stay (The Best of Ray, Goodman & Brown): When the ’70s R & B vocal group The Moments ran into some contractual problems with their record label, they changed their name, signed with a major label and finally moved from the R & B charts to the pop charts. Their classic vocalizing had its roots in street corner doo-wop singing, best exemplified on their Top 5 smash “Special Lady”. This wasn’t a smash, but the smooth vocals and beautiful harmonies meld well with a mid-tempo song with a few disco production touches.
  5. The Greenberry Woods — You Know The Real (Yellow Pills, Volume 3): The Woods had two major label albums in the ’90s, playing sweet power pop, falling somewhere between Jellyfish and Fountains Of Wayne. This outtake is featured on one of the classic Yellow Pills compilations, which are essential for power pop fans. This is a psychedelic pop number with an obvious Beatles influence. It features strong vocals from the Huseman brothers, who later went on to form Splitsville.
  6. Muddy Waters — (I’m Your) Hoochie Coochie Man (The Anthology): Waters was an innovator, who was one of thousands of African-Americans who migrated from the Deep South to Chicago and brought the Delta Blues with them. Muddy was at the forefront of bringing the electric guitar to Mississippi blues and that has resonated throughout music, from contemporaries like Bo Diddley to Led Zeppelin to The White Stripes. This song is such a standard bearer. Even if you haven’t heard it before, you have heard before.
  7. The Left Banke —I’ve Got Something On My Mind (There’s Gonna Be A Storm): The band that hit big in the ’60s with “Walk Away Renee” had plenty of other baroque pop delights. This song has massed harmony vocals and amazing keyboards (one of them kind of sounds like a harpsichord) and strings. The Left Banke has inspired a lot of modern orch-pop bands, such as The Ladybug Transistor.
  8. The Lightning Seeds — Like You Do (Dizzy Heights): This British band, led by Ian Broudie, had a minor hit during the alt-rock era with a song called “Pure”. They were a Brit-pop band with a strong ’60s Swingin’ London vibe, but Broudie, who was also a successful producer, added lots of cool contemporary production tricks. This song is a dazzling showcase for Broudie’s songwriting, with its melodic twists and turns and inventive dense production, with strings, backing vocals, loads of percussion, and a whole lot more.
  9. Billy Bragg — Moving the Goalposts (Don’t Try This At Home): A pretty number from Mr. Bragg, which belies the hangdog lyrics about love and romance. But, to be honest, the lyrics don’t fully hang together on this song, which isn’t typical for Billy. But the music makes it worthwhile.
  10. They Might Be Giants — Hope That I Get Old Before I Die (They Might Be Giants): If you have any affinity for They Might Be Giants and haven’t seen the documentary Gigantic, by all means do so. It’s not earth shattering cinema, but it’s an affectionate look at John Linnell and John Flansburgh. The main premise of the film is how incredibly unlikely it is that the two Johns ever found a relatively large audience, and, you know, it is hard to believe. This silly nugget from the band’s debut has Linnell’s accordion up front and awkward drum machines playing a modified polka tempo. And it’s a lot of fun.

Posted on January 8, 2010 • Permalink • 7 Comments

Save to Delicious • Share on Facebook • Digg This! • Tweet This!

Categories

Leave a Comment

Commenting is closed for this article.

What They're Saying

Michael Gibson, on Jan 8, 05:47 AM, wrote:

I’m beat. This weekend all I’m going to do is lay on my couch and sleep. Maybe I can find a way to play video games in my sleep, but that may just be too much exertion. Here’s to hopefully the last thing I do all week, put together this shuffle.

1. Descendents – Cameage (All)
2. Braid – I Keep A Diary (Frame and Canvas)
3. Future of the Left – Arming Eritrea (Travels With Myself and Another)… See More
4. Saves The Day – Take Our Cars Now (Ups & Downs)
5. Burning Airlines – Blind Trial (Identikit)
6. The (International) Noise Conspiracy – Let’s Make History (Armed Love)
7. Bad Religion – Kyoto Now (The Process of Belief)
8. Lemuria – Buzz (Get Better)
9. They Might Be Giants – Where Do They Make Balloons (No!)
10. Dillinger Four – I Coulda Been A Contender (This Shit Is Genius)

It seems my iPod has called it quits on the week as well and just rehashed a shuffle from about 8-10 years ago.

Mike Scales, on Jan 8, 07:16 AM, wrote:

Wow, weird. Dunno what else to say…

1. Necrophagist – The Stillborn One
2. Trivium – Dying In Your Arms
3. Yakuza – Praying For Asteroids
4. Anticon – We Ain’t Fessin’
5. Johnny Cash – Would You Lay With Me (In A Field Of Stone)
6. P.O.S. – Savion Glover
7. Hank Williams III – Not Everyone Likes Us
8. Jawbox – Green Glass
9. The Didjits – Weird Waxed And Wired
10. Misfits – Death Comes Ripping

Owen, on Jan 8, 07:25 AM, wrote:

1. Iron Maiden – Dream of Mirrors
2. Talking Heads – Making Flippy Floppy
3. Hank Williams III – 7 Months, 39 Days
4. The Beatles – I’ve Just Seen a Face
5. David Bowie – Station to Station
6. Simon & Garfunkel – My Little Town
7. Robert Palmer – Bad case of Loving You
8. Hunters & Collectors – Lumps of Lead
9. Cilla Black – You’re My World
10. The Clash – Rock the Casbah

Umm… ok…

Billy Kalb, on Jan 8, 07:36 AM, wrote:

1. J.J. Burnell – Euroman (So Young But So Cold): From a pretty rad comp of early-‘80s French post-punk and electronic pop. Bleak as hell!
2. Air – Playground Love (The Virgin Suicides): Other than 10,000 Hz Legend, the Air album I forget about the existence of most often. Which is a shame — it’s awesome.
3. Syd Barrett – Baby Lemonade (Barrett): My knowledge of his non-Floyd stuff is sadly lacking, and gladly being worked on.
4. Eels – Selective Memory (Daisies of the Galaxy): This record turned my world upside down when I heard it at age 14. Apparently the piano on this track is the one Neil Young used on After the Goldrush. Just what I heard somewhere.
5. Billy Bragg & Wilco – Meanest Man (Mermaid Ave Vol. 2): I read that Mr. Bragg and Wilco did not get along very well at all during these sessions. No idea why they made two full records then, but glad they did.
6. Aaliyah – Rock the Boat (Ultimate): You’re damn right.
7. Sparklehorse – See the Light (Dreamt for Lightyears in the Belly of a Mountain): I will get this band someday, I promise.
8. Kraftwerk – Autobahn (Autobahn): A three-minute edit of this 23-minute epic actually became a hit in the U.S. in 1975. Yes, really.
9. New Young Pony Club – Grey (Fantastic Playroom): Not my favorite track on the disc, but still good, sassy fun from these tight post-punks.
10. White Williams – In the Club (Smoke): Do you like T. Rex? White Williams may be for you.

Tony, on Jan 8, 07:50 AM, wrote:

So this was my shuffle for the morning commute. I’d been listening on shuffle while shoveling snow; when I went to turn it on again for my commute, I didn’t notice the “shuffle” had gotten turned off, and the result was something my (librarian) friend Sarah likes to call “the librarian shuffle”: 10 unrelated songs in alphabetical order. I didn’t notice this until just now. (I also didn’t notice, apparently, that I was hearing the same song twice. That would have happened while I was getting on the train, and was understandably distracted.) In any event, a good “shuffle” this week.

1. Imperial Teen / It’s Now / The Hair, the TV, the Baby & the Band
2. Ella Fitzgerald / It’s Only a Paper Moon / The Songbooks
3. Ella Fitzgerald / It’s Only a Paper Moon / Verve Jazz Masters 46
4. The Magnetic Fields / It’s Only Time / i
5. Tom Waits / It’s Over / Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards
6. Papas Fritas / It’s Over Now / Buildings & Grounds
7. The Flaming Lips / It’s Summertime / Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
8. The Streets / It’s Too Late / Original Pirate Material
9. The Style Council / It’s a Very Deep Sea / Confessions of a Pop Group
10. The Duritti Column / It’s Your Life, Babe / Onda Sonora: Red, Hot, and Lisbon

Jenna Murfin, on Jan 8, 08:28 AM, wrote:

So, I just got an iPod – for my birthday – about 2 weeks ago. I KNOW! And, I am admitting to it here. I am enjoying it, surely, but haven’t loaded it up as much as I’d like just yet. That said, here is my “shuffle 10” for this Friday, January 8 (Happy Birthday, Kelly! – my brother; and a Happy Birthday to our dear, deceased Elvis Presley).

1. True Love Will Find You In The End – Daniel Johnston – Late Great Daniel Johnston
2. Fire & Fast Bullets – Blitzen Trapper – Furr
3. i remember – devendra banhart – smokey rolls down thunder canyon
4. Speak Plainly, Diana – Joe Pug – Joe Pug
5. Trouble With Dreams – Eels – Blinking Lights and Other Revelations
6. Fred Jones, Part, 2 – Ben Folds – Rockin’ The Suburbs
7. Welcome Everyone – The Dreamtree Shakers – Dream and You Will See (my husband’s kids band – for real!)
8. Sibam – Orchestra Baobab – Made In Dakar
9. Watchin’ Joey Glow – Steve Goodman – Anthology: No Big Surprise
10. King’s Crossing – Elliott Smith – Unfinished “Basement” Tapes

Oooh, that was fun!

sjmick, on Jan 8, 09:18 AM, wrote:

Happy Birthday to David! I’d like for one of his songs to come up (Breaking Glass, anyone?), like one did for Owen, but let’s roll 10d11659 and see…

1. Everybody’s Down – No Age
2. When You Don’t See Me – The Sisters of Mercy
3. I Am What I See – Single Gun Theory
4. Piece of Pie – Stone Temple Pilots
5. Jump They Say – David Bowie (!)
6. Slow Dancing – U2
7. Plants & Rags – PJ Harvey
8. Cloudy Days – The Ocean Blue
9. Primal – Slowdive
10. Sea Breezes – Roxy Music

I’ll take it and blow out those candles.

S-

<
February 2012
 
SMTWTFS
   1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
26272829   

View the full archives »

Article Categories

Adam Yauch, Alice Cooper, Andy Partridge, Appearances, Architecture In Helsinki, Aretha Franklin, Art Brut, Artist Spotlight, Battles, Beauty Bar, Beck, Belle & Sebastian, Best Of 2009, Best Of 2010, Best Of 2011, Big Freedia, Bill Stevenson, Biz Markie, Blake Schwarzenbach, Bobby Conn, Bon Iver, Bottom Lounge, Braid, Brownsville Station, Buck Owens, Cadillac Palace, Cat Power, Chan Marshall, Charlie Christian, Chicago, Chicago Bands, Chicago Filmmakers, Chirp Night At The Whistler, Chirpradio, Chk Chk Chk, Chris Difford, Coach House Sounds, Colin Blunstone, Colin Newman, Comedy, Community, Concerts, Contests, Crocodiles, Curtis Mayfield, Cymbals Eat Guitars, D. Boon, Dan Smith, Dave Davies, David Bazan, David Vandervelde, David Wicik, Death Cab For Cutie, Death Set, Debbie Harry, Deerhoof, Democracy Burlesque, Double Door, Doves, Dum Dum Girls, Ed Schrader's Music Beat, Eleanor Friedberger, Empty Bottle, Evan Dando, Evanston Space, Friendly Fires, Fundraiser, Future Islands, Gang Gang Dance, Geoff Barrow, George Clinton, George Harrison, Giveaways, Gold Panda, Graham Parker, Gram Parsons, Grrrl On Grrrl, Guy Picciotto, H.r., Harvey Pekar, Hideout, High Places, Hollows, Ian Curtis, Industry, Interview, Ipod, Ipod Shuffle, J. Mascis, James Williamson, Janet Weiss, Japandroids, Javelin, Jello Biafra, Joan Of Arc, Jodie Foster, Joe Lally, John Deacon, John Waters, John Zorn, Judson Claiborne, Kathy Valentine, Kelley Deal, Kim Deal, Kmfdm, Kurt Vile, Ladyfest Midwest, Laura Szumowski, Lincoln Hall, Lists, Ll Cool J, Local Community Radio Act, Local Music, Lonely Forest, Lpfm, Lux Interior, Marc Bolan, Matt Kimmel, Maureen Tucker, Memory Tapes, Metro, Michael Lux & The Bad Sons, Midwestern Housewife, Mike Chapman, Mike Mills, Miki Berenyi, Movies, Mp3, Mp3 Shuffle, Music Box, Naked And Famous, Neil Finn, Neil Young, Neon Marshmellow Fest, News, Nina Hagen, Nostalgia, Off!, Off Book, On The Web, Otis Redding, Ozzy Osbourne, Paul Stanley, Paul Westerberg, Personal And The Pizzas, Phantogram, Phil Lynott, Podcast, Pop Culture, Portage Theater, Profiles, Pymalion Music Festival, Ray Charles, Reading List, Record Fair, Rediscovering Our Record Collection, Reggie Watts, Residencies, Reviews, Rhett Miller, Riv, Robert Wyatt, Ryan Adams, Schubas, Scotland Yard Gospel Choir, Seen And Heard, Serge Gainsbourg, Seth Feinn, Shuffle, Sleepy Sun, Sonny & The Sunsets, Spank Rock, Split Reel, St. Vincent, Stephen Morris, Steve Jones, Stevie Wonder, Subterranean, Suggs, Syd Barrett, T-Shirt, Theater, The Hold Steady, The Hood Internet, The Mayne Stage, The Mid, The Sandwitches, The War On Drugs, This Week, Thomas Dolby, Tim Kinsella, Tommy James, Trans Am, Tricky, Uic Pavilion, Vee Dee, Vic, Video, Vincent Price, Volunteering, Washed Out, Webcomics, Weekly Voyages, What Community Radio Means To Me, Whistler, Wilco, Will Oldham, Wire, Yuck, Zola Jesus, Zoo-Mouse-Key Press

The work of the Chicago Independent Radio Project is supported in part by a generous grant from the Crossroads Fund. More information at crossroadsfund.org.