Wow. This took an eternity to do! I skipped a few where I didn't have that number on my chart and just subbed other numbers in other places. Blah...blah...blah...

1. How did you get into 31?
Melvins
There really isn't any neat story behind it or anything...just one of those bands you read about, see merch for or whatever and end up checking out.

2. What was the first song you ever heard by 22?
There is no 22! It looks like the closest is Beastie Boys at 21. The first song with them would have been Girls, courtesy of an older brother singing it constantly for a while when we were kids.

3. What's your favourite lyric by 29?
For Gram Parsons, it's "We'll Sweep Out the Ashes in the Morning"
"We're two people caught up in the flame
that has to die out soon
I didn't mean to start this fire and neither did you
So tonight when you hold me tight
we'll let the fire burn on
And we'll sweep out the ashes in the morning"

That whole fire/sex metaphor is just too damned fun.

4. What is your favourite album by 49?
There is no 49! For Eugene McDaniels, I'll go with "Headless Heroes of the Apocalypse" which was a nice surprise upon first listen.

5. How many albums by 13 do you own?
The Sonics
Looks like about six, including some vinyl! :D

6. What is your favourite song by 50?
There is no 50! For the The Dead Milkmen, "I Walk the Thinnest Line" is pretty brilliant but I'm quite fond of "Thing That Only Eats Hippies" for the fun factor.

7. Is there a song by 4 that makes you sad?
Wilco
"How to Fight Loneliness" is a pretty big bummer:

How to fight loneliness?
Smile all the time
Shine you teeth 'til meaningless
And sharpen them with lies
And whatever's going down
Will follow you around
That's how you fight loneliness
You laugh at every joke
Drag your blanket blindly
And fill your heart with smoke
And the first thing that you want
Will be the last thing you ever need
That's how you fight it
Just smile all the time

8. What is your favourite song by 15?
No 15! I'll have to redo this some time after I've scrobbled more. Clem Snide is at 14 and I really like a lot of the Clem tunes, "Jews for Jesus Blues" and "Something Beautiful" are definitely up there.

9. What is your favourite song by 5?
The Monks
It's tough to pick a single favorite from stuff I really like like this. "monk time" is certainly one of the tops.

10. Is there a song by 6 that makes you happy?
Leonard Cohen
Wow. His stuff isn't often terribly happy, but "Chelsea Hotel #2" makes me smile. It's the sweetest song about a blowjob I can think of.

11. What is your favourite album by 40?
Butthole Surfers
I'll go with "Locust Abortion Technician" but don't take me too seriously on it, I haven't listened to enough of their stuff to seriously pick favorites.

12. What is your favourite song by 10?
No 10! For Andrew Bird, I'm awfully fond of "Why?" It makes me want to do things to him. ;)

13. What is a good memory you have involving 33?
No 33! For James Brown, I guess it would be memories of a male friend becoming enamored with "Sex Machine" which makes me giggle because the friend is a funny guy and that's not even close to being Brown's best song.

14. What is your favourite song by 37?
Jonathan Richman
He's such a fun guy. Of course it's hard to pick a single tune, but I'll select "Parties in the U.S.A." for today.

15. Is there a song by 19 that makes you happy?
No 19! We'll go with The Cure. While it's not the most artistically significant song they've got, "Just Like Heaven" is spectacu-fucking-happy-tastic! That opening keys bit and the "SHOW ME, SHOW ME, SHOW ME..." swell my heart every time and it's nearly impossible not to sing along. Okay, now I'm smiling just at the thought of it! :)

16. How many times have you seen 21 live?
I've seen none of my 21s live (Françoise Hardy, Al Green, Beastie Boys) but back before I went sour on the concept of marriage, I thought it'd be pretty sweet to have Al Green sing at my wedding.

17. What is the first song you ever heard by 23?
No 23! And I'm skipping this one because this is taking me far too long.

18. What is your favourite album by 11?
Andrew Bird
Armchair Apocrypha but The Mysterious Production of Eggs has a lot going for it too.

19. Who is a favourite member of 1?
What's my favorite member of Eef Barzelay? Hehehehe...naughty, naughty.

20. Have you ever seen 14 live?
I've seen Jeff Tweedy twice.

21. What is a good memory involving 45?
No 45...skipping...takes too long...blah blah blah.

22. What is your favourite song by 16?
No 16! Curtis Mayfield is nearby and I'll be damned if that Pusherman song isn't one of the coolest tunes ever.

23. What is the first song you ever heard by 47?
No 47...blah, blah, blah.

24. What is your favourite album by 26?
No 26...blah, blah, blah.

25. What is your favourite song by 18?
Blah...blah...blah...

26. What is the first song you ever heard by 38?
Comets on Fire
Probably "Pussy Foot the Duke"

27. What is your favourite lyric by 3?
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy
I love his shit. He's my secret boyfriend...shhhh.
This bit is always hung in my head:
"today was one where, lost in thought
I really feel I am
losing not an ounce of what
you see in me, my lamb"

28. What is your favourite song by 2?
Reigning Sound
Oh my, there are a lot of them. "What Could I Do?" is one of them.

29. What was the first song you ever heard by 32?
The Astronauts
Probably "Baja"

30. What is your favourite song by 8?
Oh man, Pavement.
I think just about anything Malkmus touches is golden, but I'll just go with the "Killing Moon" cover here because I'm always a little apprehensive about covers but I think it's a quite good one.

31. How many times have you seen 17 live?
Devo
Zero, and I imagine it wouldn't be nearly as interesting now as it might have been in the past.

32. Is there a song by 44 that makes you happy?
No 44.

33. What is you favourite album by 12?
Oblivians
I listen to "Popular Favorites" a lot because it has "Bad Man" on it and I do lurve it so. That Greg sure knows how to sing a ditty.

34. What is the worst song by 34?
No 34! Sweet! That means I don't have to pick a "worst!"

35. What was the first song you ever heard by 46?
Howlin Rain
Probably "Dancer At The End of Time"

36. What is you favourite album by 42?
blah...blah...blah...no

37. How many times have you seen 39 live?
No 39, and I haven't seen anyone near that on the list live.

38. What is your favourite album by 36?
Yowza, Yo La Tengo
They've only got like 500 albums and all.
It's probably "Fakebook"

39. What was the first song you ever heard by 28?
The Amps
"Tipp City" because it ended up on a really long VHS of music videos we taped off of the telly many years ago.

40. What is your favourite album by 7?
Meat Puppets
II, of course. But I do really like the new one, "Rise To Your Knees"

Of all the myriad musical guises that the prodigious Paul Weller has undergone in his long career, none is so much more overlooked and misunderstood as The Style Council.

Could it be because of his (apparently bitter feelings) toward his ex-wife Dee C. Lee who he married when she was then a back-up singer for this said outfit. Or maybe it must've been the critics taking him to task for the frequent flirtations with coffee-lounge jazz during that guise.

It seemed that Weller got The Style Council to delve further into his fascination with R&B/soul that was a striking tangent from The Jam's socially-charged, strident yet melodic punk rock.


Check out their take on the The Isley Brothers' Harvest for the World with additional participation from Tracey Thorn

Sure, a lot of the tracks may sound a tad bit too overproduced (but then isn't that a common weakness of Mr. Weller - check out his version of Carpenters's Close to You) but then again, they maintain a stunning quality that rarely seems to wear off over the years.
Some patience may be required for cuts like A Gospel from Cafe Bleu where he (tries to) rap, but then again, the myriad musical styles Weller tries to touch base during his tenure with the group is rather formidable, if somewhat daunting.

Here's a - hold your breath - sampler of the highs and lows of Messrs. Weller, Talbot & Lee:


Check out The Modfather looking all like Chris Martin on the keyboards in Headstart for Happiness...heheh :D

In A Solid Bond in Your Heart, Weller & Talbot are in full Mod mode here...natty dresses-check!! Driving Motown beat-check!!!


Heavens Above was a really underrated cut from their most-overlooked CD The Cost of Loving. Great Curtis Mayfield influence on that one....

Speaking of Mayfield, they cover the Great One himself here:

The Style Council cover Curtis Mayfield's Move On Up. Swee-eeeee-eeet!!!!

Come to Milton Keynes and see the Wham! piss-take at 2:52

Of course, this could never be complete without:


The Style Council's lone US hit...kinda couldn't shake the humour over seeing Weller making like Lance Armstrong on this one (though the dancing maidens seem like an afterthought to sweeten this for US MTV standards - kinda like an "Aunt Harriet")


Shout To The Top
Mr. Martin...you again???


Walls Come Tumbling Down which is ample proof enough that Weller may have mellowed down but has not yet lost the strident bite of his The Jam years.

Speaking of mellowing...


The Lodgers where Dee C. Lee's voice and contributions are getting more pronounced. The butter-cream flow on this one forgives the video where Weller makes a total arse of himself with the cut-out horses.


Had You Ever Had It Blue? is slick coffee-lounge jazz at its best (or worst, depending on where your Weller biases lie) - check out the liner notes on Cafe Bleu from longtime Mod associate Paolo Hewitt aka "The Cappucino Kid".


Long Hot Summer has a phat bassline and creamy harmonies that Maze Feat. Frankie Beverly would kill for.

Then there's...


Soul Deep go electro on this live TOTP perfo, with the legendary Jimmy Ruffin guesting...wait, is that The Modfather rapping on that one??? Looks like someone slipped somethin' funny into his brew that AM...


as part of the ITV chart show 1/89, The Style Council cover Joe Smooth's Promised Land in a rare video clip...that was part of what was to be a club-influenced CD called Modernism: A New Decade which was scotched back then and just recently re-released as part of their greatest-hits box set.

Recently, Weller's erstwhile TSC sidemen has formed The Players with Aziz Ibrahim and Ocean Colour Scene's Damon Minchella.

10 - Maxwell

The guy has been touching our hearts with that falsetto, and I hope he'll keep on keepin' on. Could we give him the title "Best Falsetto Singer of the late 90's"? Could we?

9 - Emmanuel Rahiem LeBlanc

Lead vocalist of GQ, many people still think there's a guest vocalist on "Disco Nights". But it's actually Rahiem, and in the outro of "Sad Girl" he dunks it hard for two.

8 - Wayne Cooper

Former lead vocalist of Cameo, his best work was, I believe "Why Have I Lost You", he sounds like Teena Marie on this song. I'm serious.

7 - Eddie Kendricks & Phillip Bailey

Kendrix's falsetto ability needs no words. He helped the popularization of this style with that powerful voice, R.I.P.

And the latter is, as you know the lead singer of Earth, Wind and Fire. He remains as one of the most influential falsetto singers ever.

6 - Prince

I prefer his natural voice, but his falsetto adds too much soul to the joint, listen to his first three albums, and you'll understand what I'm saying. Stiiiiiilll waiting!

5 - Eldra "El" DeBarge

They say he's a genius on the piano, but they're skipping the point that he plays his vocal-cords as well as he plays his piano. All this props is waiting for you, El.

4 - Michael Jackson

I don't feel like talking about his vocal ability, king of pop doesn't need any compliments.

3 - Barry Gibb

The Bee Gee is so gangsta! It's no surprise he and his brothers had been burnin' all the discos down for more than a decade, his falsetto would still be good to go with some production by Arif Mardin.

2 - Marvin Gaye

The road to all the women's heart is called "falsetto", and Marvin used to take that road on his way to work. R.I.P, soul man!

1 - Curtis Mayfield

His album "Superfly" has the greatest examples of falsetto singing, and that's a fact. Falsetto is known as a tool that creates a romantic ambience, but that tool has other usages, like takin' some hands off the drugs. R.I.P, Curtis!








Curtis MayfieldMarvin GayeBarry GibbBee GeesMaxwellEmmanuel Rahiem LeBlancGQCameoEddie KendricksThe TemptationsPrinceDeBargeEl DeBargeMichael JacksonEarth, Wind & Fire

While driving home from Milwaukee, Wisconsin last Friday after talking to people outside of the food pantry where the near food riot occurred and some antiwar students, I was appalled to stumble upon the local oldies radio station's "4th of July Request Hour". Expecting to be bombarded by jingoistic drivel a la 'Proud to Be An American' (which was eventually requested), I was more pissed to hear a proud request for Springsteen's 'Born in the U.S.A.'. Now, any person who has actually read the lyrics to the song can readily tell that the Boss is not lavishing Uncle Sam with praise, but railing against a country that sends its poor and dispossessed to die in foreign wars and then kicks them when they return (prison, no jobs, no healthcare, etc). Given that Springsteen has been probably the only artist to consistently take up the issue of war vets in the US (from Vietnam to Iraq) throughout his entire career ('Lost in the Flood', 'Highway Patrolman', 'Nothing Man', 'Devils and Dust' and most of Magic) this misconception from the Right–and more frustratingly from the Left–really pisses me off. So, I was inspired to create a mix that helps to musically undercut the flag waiving nonsense and ideological underpinnings of the 4th and the American Dream.

I'm not going to comment on all of my selections, but the first warrants it:

Born in the U.S.A. - Bruce Springsteen (Original recording - found on Tracks)

So, part of the misconception of this tune, in my opinion, revolves around the instrumental/synth/foot pounding rock affirmation of the popularized version. However, this song was oringally recorded during the Nebraska sessions. It has a haunting, acoustic, desperate feel to it like the rest of that album and really drips with a palatable disgust and rejection of what it means to be born in the USA. Especially given the nature of the rest of the material that made it on to Nebraska - songs dealing with people pushed to desperate actions or completely crushed by a system that has forgotten them - it is impossible to miss Springsteen's intentions. So, I highly recommend getting a copy of the song.

Inner City Blues (Makes Me Wanna Holler) - Marvin Gaye

Today's Empires, Tomorrow's Ashes - Propagandhi

Crushed Again - Son of Nun

Pusherman - Curtis Mayfield

I Should Be Proud - Martha Reeves And The Vandellas (great, fairly obscure antiwar song about a woman who loses her partner in Vietnam)

The Inquisition - N.O.M.A.D.S. Vs Philistines (two great Palestinian American hip hop groups. Props for a brilliant sampling of Mel Brooks' History of the World)

Strange Fruit - Billie Holiday

Fortunate Son - Creedence Clearwater Revival

The Bourgeois Blues - Leadbelly

Revolution (feat. Busta Rhymes) - 2Pac (The interviews with Pac on this track are DEVASTATING!)

Underdogs - The Coup

The Backlash Blues - Nina Simone

Welcome to the Terrordome - Pharoahe Monch

Living for the City - Stevie Wonder

Talkin' 'Bout a Revolution - Tracy Chapman

Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos - Public Enemy

Down in Mississippi - Mavis Staples

Tomorrow's Justice - The Arab Summit (This hip hop act's album is entitled "Fear of an Arab Planet". Nuff said).

Maria - Rage Against the Machine

The River - Bruce Springsteen

With the utter meltdown of the American Dream that's taken place over the last 30 years, Bruce's question posed in The River - and one which must be considered by all the 47 million uninsured Americans, thousands of downtrodden vets, 12 million undocumented immigrants and millions of struggling working families every day - and especially on the 4th - must be answered: Is a dream a lie if it don't come true or is it something worse? It's worse. Much worse.


**** Please post your suggestions to add to the list/comments/criticisms. Many more warrant a place. This is the link to download a copy of the mix: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=030886VQ

had the first 40 songs pop up when put on shuffle then answered some questions.

1. Dogs Die in Hot Cars - i love you 'cause i have to

2. Otis Redding/Carla Thomas - tell it like it is

3. Archie Bell and The Drells - i can't stop dancing

4. New Young Pony Club - bomb (the teenagers remix)

5. The Hollies - sorry suzanne

6. Dirty Sanchez - hollywood blvd, 2:17am

7. Squeeze - hourglass

8. Smoking Popes - i know you love me

9. Lulu - shout (w/ the luvvers)

10. The Beatles - here comes the sun

11. Blondie - fade away and radiate

12. Pulp - mis-shapes

13. Girl Talk - give and go

14. David Bowie - can you hear me?

15. Madonna - get together

16. Shitdisco - 72 virgins

17. Curtis Mayfield - freddies dead

18. The Outfield - all the love

19. The Raveonettes - let's rave on

20. Wimple Winch - there's not one thing

21. The Marcels - blue moon

22. Solomon Burke - hold on i'm coming

23. Mates of State - ride again

24. Girl Talk - once again

25. The Cars - heartbeat city

26. Shiny Toy Guns - photograph

27. Wolfie - knew it knew it

28. Wynonie Harris - luscious woman

29. Whitney Houston - saving all my love for you

30. Dobie Gray - the in crowd

31. The Hollies - please let me please

32. Paul Davis - cool night

33. Cyndi Lauper - when you were mine

34. Dolly Parton - coat of many colors

35. Ice Cube - how to survive in south central

36. Stevie Wonder - shelter in the rain

37. Stevie Wonder - ribbon in the sky

38. Lucky Soul - the towering inferno

39. The Cardigans - my favourite game

40. Rose Royce - is it love you're after

Q U E S T I O N S

1. which song do you prefer. #1 or #40?
id go with #40 as of recently

2. have you ever listened to #12 continuosly on repeat?
probably not. its a great song. just haven't.

3. what album is #26 from?
we are pilots

4. what do you think about the artist who did #15?
can't say i'm blown away by newer stuff...but the 80's/early 90's were very good.

5. is #19 one of your favorite songs?
no. i haven't listened to it for more than a year.

6. who does #38 remind you of?
oooh, i love them right now. cant peg exactly who...but the girl bands from the 60's sums it up.

7. does #20 have better lyrics or music?
never really thought about it?

8. do any of your friends like #3?
possibly erica? i doubt most have heard of the band.

9. is #33 from a movie soundtrack?
not that im aware of...

10. is #18 overplayed on the radio?
gaw, im not sure the radio ever played it...

11. what does #21 remind you of?
happiness

12. which song do you prefer, #5 or #22?
solomon burke for sure.

13. what album is #17 from?
the super fly soundtrack (which is amazing by the way)

14. when did you first hear #39?
maybe 4 years ago when i decided that i DID like the cardigans and they werent just some poppy band that was breezing through the radios.

15. when did you first hear #7?
it came to me one day that i needed more squeeze songs. so i probably got it as well in the past 4 years?

16. what album is #8 from?
destination failure

17. do any of your friends like #14?
i should hope every since one of them does or i may just have to dumb our friendship.

18. what color does #4 remind you of?
yikes. im going with a rainbow. bright happy rainbow.

19. have you ever blasted #11 on your stereo?
nope, infact ive never listened to it yet...

20. what genre is #37?
r&b/soul/pop

21. can you play #13 on any instrument?
no.

22. what is your favorite lyric from #30?
uh..."im in the with the in crowd"? ha.

23. what is your favorite lyric from #23?
eh, id have to listen to it again and im not the mood.

24. would you recommend #24 to your friends?
most already enjoy it.

25. is #2 a good song to dance to?
possibly slow dance? but not really even that...

26. do you ever hear #16 on the radio?
not on any local ones.

27. is #32 more of a nighttime or daytime song?
hahah...mid-evening?

28. does #36 have any special meaning to you?
not exactly the song...but the artist means the world to me!

29. do any of your friends like #31?
maybe one or two? cant name anyone though.

30. is #25 a fast or slow song?
slowish

31. is #35 a happy or sad song?
sad.

32. what is one of your favorite lyrcis from #9?
i dont really even like her cover of the song...i just enjoy the shout and put your arms in the air the most...

33. is #34 better to listen to alone or with friends?
id prefer alone.

34. when did you first hear #27?
back in...'00? or '99? erica put them on a mix for me.

35. name 3 songs by the artist who did #29.
so emotional, where do broken hearts go, i wanna dance with somebody

36. do you know all the words to #6?
nope.

37. does #28 have better lyrics or music?
he's got pretty straight up whiskey/woman blues songs and i love it.

38. what album is #10 from?
abbey road

Sales de la cama y los sentidos responden torpemente. La ducha tarda siglos en calentarse, el suelo del baño está demasiado frío y lo más probable es que te golpees el meñique del pie izquierdo contra el marco de la puerta. La ropa te queda mal, hay un remolino en tu coronilla que jamás conseguirás domar y no queda leche en la nevera para el café, ni azúcar. Se ha ido la luz durante la noche y, como el despertador no ha sonado ya llegas diez minutos tarde a cualquier parte: eso quiere decir que el metro va a ir todavía más lleno que de costumbre y que ya puedes olvidarte de aprovechar para leer en el trayecto. Tu mañana va a ser una auténtica mierda.

Hasta que, cuando sales por la puerta de casa, seleccionas Canciones para levantar el ánimo, en tu cacharro musical y, cuarenta minutos después, da igual lo que vaya a pasar, porque puedes con cualquier cosa. Bien, pues en esa lista hay diez canciones que no deberían faltar. Cada cual tiene las suyas.

Éstas son algunas (sólo diez) de las mías.

1. Pulled Up, de Talking Heads: ésta es la canción DEFINITIVA para ponerse de buen humor. Si tu día no mejora al escuchar esta canción, el suicidio es la única alternativa plausible.

2. Getting Better, de The Beatles: un clásico indiscutible de los pelotazos -también hubiese valido Ob-La-Di-; no por obvia es menos necesaria.

3. The Skin of my Yellow Country Teeth, de Clap Your Hands Say Yeah: una canción que te levanta desde el mismo momento en que escuchas entrar la batería y ya no te suelta hasta que, no sabes muy bien desde hace cuánto, llevas sacudiendo la cabeza como un capullo y la gente te mira en el vagón pensando "¿porqué sonríe tanto ese imbécil?".

4. 1, 2, 3 Apple Tree, de Herman Düne: Herman Düne son AMOR.

5. Temptation, de New Order: podrían haber sido Procession o Bizarre Love Triangle, pero he puesto ésta porque hoy tengo el día bailongo.

6. Objects of My Affection, de Peter Bjorn and John: una canción que es un triunfo de principio a fin, como una montaña de tabletas de ginseng y Red Bulls, pero sabe mucho, mucho mejor.

7. You and Whose Army, de Radiohead: porque esta canción es el equivalente musical de gritar "POR EL PODER DE GREYSKULL... YO TENGO EL PODER, HIJOSDEPUTAAAAARL!!!!".

8. (Nothing but) Flowers, de Talking Heads: y me ha costado no hacer esta lista sólo a base de canciones de Talking Heads... porque ellos lo valen!.

9. The Grid, de To My Boy: buen rollo en una cápsula Hoi-Poi musical..

10. High, de The Cure: preciosa canción que siempre, siempre, siempre me ha hecho sentir mejor que antes de escucharla... no me preguntéis porqué. ¿Será por Robert Smith y su voz perfecta? ¿Será por la armonía, que está cazada del paraíso? Podrían haber sido Friday I´m in Love o Close To Me, pero hoy me quedo con High.

El orden no implica nada y, de hecho, es muy posible que otro día las canciones fuesen –salvo dos o tres excepciones- otras; pero creo que todas estas canciones pueden levantar un día de mierda... tenedlas en mente para la próxima ocasión en que todo vaya mal!

Me dejo tantas fuera que me da miedo... If Looks Could Kill, de Camera Obscura; Move On Up, de Curtis Mayfield; Theme from Shaft, de Isaac Hayes; Love Man de Otis Redding; The Hymn for Cigarretes, de Hefner; You´re So Great de Blur... Hay tantas que me arrepiento de haber hecho un Top10 y seguramente la próxima semana será un Top20!

Aportad vuestras canciones, no seáis sengos... Hagamos nuestras vidas algo mejores con música!

To round of this weeks group of journals, this one has some things I'll be looking out for/checking out on Unique Records (or Unique).

Lettuce feat. Dwele - "MOVE ON UP" (Ltd. 7") - OUT IN JUNE 2008
This track is obviously a cover of that Curtis Mayfield ditty, according to Unique's write-up it's done right, so I'm curious to listen to it. Although I don't really know much about them, I've heard Lettuce a few times in my recommendations and was not disappointed.

The Sweet Vandals - "BEAUTIFUL" (MCD/12") - OUT IN JULY 2008
The Sweet Vandals LP has gotten its fair share of plays already, and I really like the grittiness of their band and vocal sound. (They beat Baby Charles hands down, but that is a different discussion.) The A-side is also featured in this commercial, but I'm especially curious about the remixes of Too Much that will fill the B-side. One is by The Dynamics who will probably give it a reggae rework, the other by... The Sweet Vandals themselves!

More information on these releases and more can be found on the Unique website.

Please share your thoughts/wants/favourites!