I call new rule: henceforth on Fridays I shall ‘Refresh’ the iTunes Party Shuffle, and talk you through whatever comes up. No sneaky manipulation; I give you the first five no matter how embarrassing, even if it’s 28 Days or something.
Ready? Here we go. [Click.]
Oh my gosh! What a cool set! This is the equivalent of having people drop by when you’ve just spent the whole day cleaning. It won’t always be this good, really.
Cherry Blossom Girl by Air Album: Talkie Walkie
I think this might be the finest album I have heard in a long time. I first heard Air when they had just put out “Moon Safari” and I thought it was funny, sort of eighties analogue throwback. But now they’ve really outgrown their original concept, and just made really beautiful music in the way they know how. There is not one ‘skip song’ on this entire album, and even my favourite albums have one. I would love to take Jean-Benoît Dunckel and Nicolas Godin and lock them in a room and make them listen to nothing but Duruflé, and then see what they do.
Forever Young by Youth Group Album: Forever Young (Single)
You can tell I’m old because I remember when Alphaville did this song in 1983? 4? Okay, even if I can’t remember, it’s still a good song, and the kids from Youth Group have done a good job on it, keeping the drumbeats steady, letting loose the rockishness close to the end. Minus points for you if you only know about the song because it was on the O-friggin’-C.
The World is Sick by Machine Translations Album: Bad Shapes
I really like MT. This album’s an early one, and this copy contains a brief message to me from Mr J Walker himself. What a guy. Oh, the song. It’s okay. Acoustic guitar mixed with his trademark electronic touches. Strings add atmosphere. You should check it out.
Rotund For Success by Severed Heads Album: Rotund for Success
Severed Heads? you ask. That sounds pretty hardcore. No, I reassure you. They used to be industrial and experimental, but Tom Ellard has polished and honed that Severed Sound to what could perhaps be called a dancy sheen. This album is lost and wandering; Tom sings slantwise across the strange chords. Bonus lyric: Aircraft adorn my hair/Small boats adhere to my feet/I may be omnipotent, but/I can be discreet.
Hollywood Freaks by Beck Album: Midnite Vultures
I did not really get this album until I realised it was a goof; he’s doing a piss-take on soul/funk. But it’s a piss-take that sounds better than an actual soul album, and therein lies the genius. It’s a late-night party, and it’s hilarious. Fantastic bass riff. What the hell is that one guy shouting? Beck giggles at the end of the track so you know he’s just kidding.
Good job everyone! It’s a rap.
Does it make me more interesting if I tell you that number six was ‘The Way You Move’ from Outkast’s album Speakerboxxx?
No?
27 May 2006 at 3:18 pm
this anonymous bloggers favourite air songs: sexy boy and venus.
negative on the last question…however what DOES make you interesting is that your site would come up if you google the words “severed heads” “zombie lurch” and “lock them in a room”… i would be proud as i would be if i infixed an expletive into “oc”
by the way…your friday blog ritual sounds promising and far more alluring than friday night games on channel ten…
28 May 2006 at 10:06 am
No dissin’ the Games! Any show that can simultaneously demean sports stars and actors deserves our heartfelt thanks, even if it does look like it should be on the air at 3.30 just after school lets out.
Yes, those are wonderful Air songs. They’ve never written a bad song, unless you count “Wonder Milky Bitch” which on my iTunes is currently set to ‘unchecked’. Ahem.
Good to have you on the blog, anonymous.