random 5

I had a feature on my other blog that involved listing, with comments, the first five songs that came up on "shuffle" on my Ipod once a week. I'll just switch that over here, for the moment.

1. Hair of the Dog - Bauhaus. I thought Bauhaus was all about vampires and depression and dressing in black and mawkish sentimentality. You know, "goth". But this song kicks ASS! Check out these lyrics (2nd verse):

The man whose eyes were sore from obscenities
Kept on looking
The man whose heart bled, killed by compassion
Kept on feeling
The man whose legs buckled under exertion
Kept on running
The man whose ears burned to the sound of his own name
Kept on listening

Hair of the dog

Razor guitars and snarling words, and yet, somehow, I am strangely comforted. Keep on fighting.

2. Hey Joni - Sonic Youth. I used to be a rabid Sonic Youth fan, but now, eh, not so much on their new stuff. This song comes off what is arguably their classic album (or the beginning of their descent into pop crap, depending on who you ask) Daydream Nation. I'm of the "classic album" category, and this song rattles and roars. Faboo!

3. The Old Grunt - Guided by Voices. This album was constantly in the player after the woman who broke my heart (the one before my lovely wife) did her business in my head. It's lo-fi, and sort of nice, but really has very little impact on my thoughts right now. Shmea.

4. Respectable Street - XTC. YEAH! Love XTC (they totally kick ass over Adam Ant), and this song was the first song I ever heard by them, I think. I was really sick for a couple of weeks in eighth grade, and my mom rented me any video I wanted, so I asked for Urrgh, A Music War which was this awesome live concert video of all these new wave and punk bands. It had the Cramps, and The Police (back when they were punk-esque) and Magazine, and UB40, and XTC, and Siouxsie and the Banshees, and Oingo Boingo, and Citizen Fish, and a whole bunch of other bands that I can't remember. This was one of my favorite songs back in High School.

5. Last Chance on the Stairway - Duran Duran. Man, it must be 80's appreciation day on my iPod or something. Yes, I love Duran Duran. In a very heterosexual way and with no erotic overtones whatsoever (not like a certain wife I might mention, whose love for Simon, John, and Andy was, shall we say, of a more desirous nature.).

And for those of my friends who are into the heavier music a la Wolfmother and the like, you MUST check out Earl Greyhound. Holy shit, them doggies can rock. You can download their single "S.O.S." at their website. Do it now, so you can say you were down from the jump.