The Mid-week Shuffle

So, I've been thinking a lot recently about the types of songs I've been posting on the blog here, and I realized that I basically only post and talk about my favorite songs by different artists. And as Gerdon said in one of his earlier posts, sometimes even so-so music needs discussing. Odds are at least 80% of my music collection will never get discussed on this site, let alone posted.......that is UNTIL NOW!!! (cue dramatic music)

I've decided that once every week and a half or so, I will leave my post up to chance. I'll open up itunes, hit shuffle, and I'll talk about the next five songs. The quality of the songs on the post will be left entirely up fate. I will then continue this trend until i'm posting too many shitty songs, or we're all bored.....whichever comes first. Now, there's one caveat to this foolproof plan.....all the CD's loaded into my playlist are usually from my favorite bands at the time....but let's view this as an opportunity to explore some of the lesser known songs on these albums. Plus, it'll force me to listen and think about some of the songs I otherwise might not have paid much attention to. So, let's get started with the inaugural edition of the Mid-Week Shuffle.

Wait a sec...I don't remember this being a CHANCE card.....

1. Ben Folds - Not the Same: This song is off his first solo album, Rockin' the Suburbs (you can, and should, buy it here). Its about a friend of his that took some acid at a party and starting acting (predictably) very weird.....and by weird I mean he started telling everyone about Jesus, which I suppose isn't necessarily weird, just different (most likely) from the way he used to act. That being said, its remarkable the ear for a melody that Ben Folds has. Listen back through the majority of his songs and find me a song with a crap melody. I'll mail you a dollar for each you find. Actually, no I won't, but I bet there's not many.

2. Death Cab for Cutie - We Looked Like Giants: This is off the first Death Cab CD I bought, Transatlanticism, and it made me fall in love with them. There's not a bad song on the album, but in my opinion its one of the weaker songs. Sounds to me like he's remembering a long-distance relationship driving to meet up with his lover. They'd experiment with a little sex and listen to Jesus and Mary Chain. Those crazy teenagers.... (Buy Death Cab here)

By the way, you can listen to a live solo Ben Gibbard concert that was broadcast on NPR here. Adding to the coolness is the fact that the NPR concert series is sponsored by Pabst Blue Ribbon. Enjoy.

3. Bright Eyes - Make a Plan to Love Me: This is off of my Cinco de Mayo Spectacular selection, Cassadaga. The beginning sounds like something from A Sound of Music or from the score to, but give it a second. You honestly never know what you're gonna get with Bright Eyes. He's very into BIG productions (as evidenced by this song). Still not sure what I think of this one. Its not bad, but I also can't ever imagine ever thinking to myself, "Hmm, I'd really like to listen to something that sounds like its from an animated Disney film." (Buy Bright Eyes here)

4. Thom Yorke - And It Rained All Night: Thom has always been very good at using his voice as an instrument. This whole album, Eraser, is a perfect example of that. Its very electronic, even more so that Kid A and Amnesiac were. I didn't like this CD to begin with, but the more I listened to it, the more I liked it. It kinda opened me up to electronic music. This one is essentially Thom singing over top of a laptop. This song is the one of the group that I think people will either love or hate. No in between with this one. (Here's where you should go to give it a try.)

5. Dave Matthews - Some Devil: Solo Dave. Some solo Dave sounds like DMB, but some definitely does not. This one does not. Electric guitar smother in echoey reverb. Its a nice, quiet song...nothing to write home about though. Despite being the title track, there are better songs on the album. As if you needed help finding a place to buy a Dave Matthews album, try here.

So, there you have it. There's probably zero chance in hell I would've posted some of these songs on my own. Not that they're necessarily bad song, because they aren't, but if I was going to post about these albums, there are definitely different songs I would've posted. Regardless, just because certain songs are my faves, doesn't mean you'll like them. So we'll share the wealth. Opinions are both welcomed and appreciated. Time to get back to work.

RR