July 10th 2008 Playlist
July 11th, 2008 / No Comments » / by JHolt
I’m not a celebrity. I’m pretty sure that I would never want to be one either. Except for one factor. No, not money. And no, not chicks. (Ok, I probably wouldn’t pass on either, but still) The one true benefit of becoming a celebrity? Lists. No, not those uber-pretentious ‘Best/Worst Dressed’, “Hot Bikini/Super Fatty’ tabloid magazine/Ryan Seacrest-hosted show lists. Top-Five sort of lists. In this case we’ll use iTunes ‘Celebrity Playlists’ as an example. On this night in mid-July 2008, if I were a celebrity, tonight (and maybe only tonight) my list would sound as such:
- Danzig - “Mother”: What’s not to love about this songs? One word. Badass. A fantastic opener to any mix. And a rock-out-with-your-sock-out song for sure.
- Billy Idol - “Dancing With Myself”: For many of the same reasons as above. Only not so badass. But lots of fun. Who doesn’t like to dance with themselves some time?
- Sparta - “Erase It Again”: I re-fell in love with this song recently. Love Sparta, and more specifically, Jim Ward’s writing. And his voice. Gravely. Tired yet alive. Full of all the right emotions at all the right times. Good guitarist too. The ringing guitars in this song are exactly what I love out of song. Futuristic. But not Star Trek crap.
- Lynyrd Skynyrd - “Simple Man”: I’m not a huge fan of anything that promotes hicks flying the rebel racist flag. And I’m not even a big fan of Skynyrd. But I LOVE this song. If ever I get married I think this would be my mother/son dance. It reminds me of my mom. I like that. And it’s unconventional in that regard. A little long perhaps for a dance song, but one you could rock out to.
- Thrice - “Night Driving”: If you’re not down with Thrice you suck at life. But seriously, their double-double concept album The Alchemy Index is a brilliant listen. All four disks are stellar. And this song, which I refer to as “The Goonies song”–listen to it and think back to that part in The Goonies where he comes across One-Eyed Willy’s booty–is one to lose yourself in.
- Modest Mouse - “The View”: A booty-shaker. So what if I’m shaking my booty in my chair. Modest Mouse rules. Great songwriting that’s a lot of fun. “And if it takes sh*t to make bliss well I feel pretty blissfully.” I love that damn line.
- Paul Davis - “I Go Crazy”: Sue me. I’m a sad bastard music loving SOB. There’s a handful of songs in your lifetime that preserve themselves like Twinkies or cockroaches during an atomic blast. For me this is one of them. I remember the first time I heard this song. I was a four. I was sitting in the back seat of my cousin’s car, riding along the Niagara River. The cool wind was blowing through my mop top hair. Life felt good. Now, twenty-six years later, every time I hear it I remember something concrete. Or someone. Tonight, it’s a someone.
- From Autumn To Ashes - “The After Dinner Payback”: I’m also an angry boy. At least when I’m stuck behind slow bastards on the road. Or stupid people, well, everywhere. There are too many of both in this world. And they all suck at life. This song’s a little screamo, but who doesn’t like to scream?
- Temple Of The Dog - “Hunger Strike”: If I could have the voice of any male singer it would be Bob Seger. A close second, Chris Cornell. Third would probably be Eddie Vedder. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this damn song. A great sing-a-long. It’s a roll your windows down and sing-a-long jam. I wish they would have done more together. Hell, they’re two of the few bands–especially “grunge” bands–that I actually liked in the ’90’s.
- Ani Difranco - “Independence Day”: Fitting, considering the time of year. I fell in love with this song the first time I heard it. “And I, I don’t think war is noble, and I don’t like to think love is like war.” Damn. One of my top-three all-time favorite songwriters. My female Dylan. Brilliant.
- Mariah Carey - “I Stay In Love”: Off of her new album. This song makes me think of being fifteen again. In the same vein as any of her hits from the early to mid 90’s. Still a beautiful voice. Still catchy hooks. There’s a romanticism in this song. I don’t know if it’s the song itself or the feeling it gives me. Either way, I love it; almost immediately Top-160 ever worthy for me. Guilty pleasure or not, I love her.
- Bob Dylan - “Summer Days”: If you can’t get down with this song you have no soul. Simple enough. This song is everything that’s good about life. About living. You cannot listen to this song and not dance. Tap your toes. Swing with whomever is standing next to you. The three times I’ve heard this song in concert I’ve danced with a random person beside me. And I dance like a window-licker. Who cares? It’s fun. And who can’t use a little fun in their life?
- Jimmy Eat World - “A Simple Chorus”: Been a JEW fan since back in the graduation from high school in 1996 days. This album was the soundtrack to my summer of 2001, my first summer away from home, on my own. I would drive aimlessly down the backroads of Pennsylvania blasting this album. And this song, I love it. Always enjoyed the “Crimson and Clover” reset towards the end. “I wanna always feel like part of this was mine. I wanna fall in love tonight.” Simple. Cheesy. Right up my alley.
- Michael Jackson - “P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing): Michael is a genius. I’m not using the past tense. He is. Denial isn’t a damn river in South America. Thriller is one of the best albums ever. No contest. And I hate, hate, HATE how entire generations only know him as a pedder-ass. That sucks. Dude was the best pop artist. Ever. This is one of my staple jukebox jams. It has a special meaning currently. A ringtone I love to hear. Yeah.
- Nas - “Ether”: One of my top-five all-time favorite songwriters as well. He was one of the first–and only–singers who’ve made me hit the ‘Rewind’ button over and over. Say what? “Ether” is bad ass. He tears Jay-Z two new ones. Funny. Perfect mix of schoolyard fight and grown man throw down. The best diss track ever. By the time he calls him a “Tae-Bo ho,” yeah, it’s over. I love Jay-Z, but damn. Dude got worked. This song always made me wish that writers had feuds like this, where they’d have “battles.” If nothing else, that is motivation to be a writer who is read. Just so I could f**k with somebody else in print.
- Emma-Lee - “Isn’t It Obvious”: I’m not even being a homer. Just because I’ve mentioned her music so much through the years. Her new album Never Just A Dream comes out August 8th 2008. It’s brilliant. Really. And this is my early favorite (or second favorite–I am partial in that regard) on the album. Her voice is especially beautiful here. A great end-all song. Looking for a way to say goodbye? Listen. And buy her damn album when it comes out. You WON’T be disappointed. I promise. And if you are I’ll let you kick me in the nuts. That’s how sure I am you’ll love it.
- Damian Marley w/Nas - “Road To Zion”: The social consciousness of his father with a voice that’s entirely his own. Great beat. Great writing. Nas’ verse is money. The album as whole is stellar but I love this song in particular. If ever you come across his “Austin City Limits” performance on PBS, watch it.
- Sigur Ros - “All Alright”: The first time I heard this song the piano made me think of Rocky. If for no other reason I liked it. But really, I love me some Sigur Ros. And finally, in this song I know what the hell they’re saying. But really it’s another melancholy masterpiece. More than probably anyone else this band has been the soundtrack to the better part of my last four years. Great writing music. Great song to just zonk out to. In fact, I’ll go do that now.
Power to the people. And stuff.
