I generally have a great distaste for anything that has to do with looking back at the previous year. There is one geeky habit that I suppose is a holdover from my formative years however, and that is a list of songs that I couldn’t get enough of over the course of the year…
songs that always served to change my consciousness somehow. I have always kept this habit safely away from other humans, but I thought that maybe you would want to share some titles that made you leap or weep. I have found some of my favorite tunes by mining the wisdom and experience of others. I admit that my list lacks the kind of eclectic flavor deserving of these pages so please fill in the blanks.
songs that made me sing aloud eliciting looks of pity from other drivers
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “Way Out”
Jon Langford- “All Roads Lead Back to Me”
Portastatic- “Sour Shores”
songs that made me want to drive too fast
Mission of Burma- “Is This Where”
Built to Spill- “Goin’ Against Your Mind”
Pere Ubu- “Caroleen”
songs that proved that rust ain’t a factor
Bob Dylan- “Ain’t Talkin”
Neil Young- “Roger and Out”
songs that even my students liked
Lady Sovereign- “Those Were the Days”
Lupe Fiasco- “Kick,Push”
songs worthy of The Beach Boys or Big Star
Califone- “Spider’s House”
Yo La Tengo- “ Black Flowers” or “I Feel Like Going Home”
songs that took me other places
Kaki King-“…Until We Felt Red”
Juana Molina- “Rio Seco”
Joanna Newsom- “Sawdust and Diamonds”
Bonnie “Prince” Billy- “Cursed Sleep”
so there- sixteen reasons to like the 2006 music world. As for the biz, I have to agree with my pal Nick that getting paid by the song ain’t gonna bring home the bacon. Half of the above mentioned songs came from entire albums- the other half were single song downloads. Single song downloads that in the past might have been album purchases…note to musician self- don’t quit the day job.
songs that made me sing aloud eliciting looks of pity from other drivers
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “Way Out”
Jon Langford- “All Roads Lead Back to Me”
Portastatic- “Sour Shores”
songs that made me want to drive too fast
Mission of Burma- “Is This Where”
Built to Spill- “Goin’ Against Your Mind”
Pere Ubu- “Caroleen”
songs that proved that rust ain’t a factor
Bob Dylan- “Ain’t Talkin”
Neil Young- “Roger and Out”
songs that even my students liked
Lady Sovereign- “Those Were the Days”
Lupe Fiasco- “Kick,Push”
songs worthy of The Beach Boys or Big Star
Califone- “Spider’s House”
Yo La Tengo- “ Black Flowers” or “I Feel Like Going Home”
songs that took me other places
Kaki King-“…Until We Felt Red”
Juana Molina- “Rio Seco”
Joanna Newsom- “Sawdust and Diamonds”
Bonnie “Prince” Billy- “Cursed Sleep”
so there- sixteen reasons to like the 2006 music world. As for the biz, I have to agree with my pal Nick that getting paid by the song ain’t gonna bring home the bacon. Half of the above mentioned songs came from entire albums- the other half were single song downloads. Single song downloads that in the past might have been album purchases…note to musician self- don’t quit the day job.
You're right about Pere Ubu's "Caroleen"...that thing has stuck in my head ever since I first heard it...