All posts by Chris

About Chris

Chris is a digital producer based in Toronto, but don't worry, he's American. He enjoys karaoke and video games that are old enough to cost under $20. He used to be a master of the pit and live shows but can hardly keep up with anything new nowadays, so he usually goes to his happy place of media from his wayward youth. Chris is still trying to figure out what to be when he grows up.

June Power Songs: “Godhead”

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Ebbhead
Ebbhead

“Godhead”
by Nitzer Ebb
from the album Ebbhead
1991
Buy the album on Amazon

I was a big Nitzer Ebb fan back in the day. In my memory, I was thinking that I didn’t really love “Ebbhead”, which this was from (and their follow-up “Big Hit” cemented the break-up), but looking at the tracklist, there are quite a few songs I actually really like, so time for a re-listen. Regardless, this song does it for me every time. It’s just filthy. It’s salacious. And that part around 3:00 where you think you’ve already experienced the max heaviness of the song and then it really kicks in always gives me chills.
Continue reading June Power Songs: “Godhead” →

June’s Music Theme: Power Songs

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The theme for this month is slightly ambiguous. I considered calling it “Hardcore Songs”, but I know that’s a music genre itself (though not one I prescribe to), so I’ll go with “Power Songs”. These could be considered a different kind of summer song. They’re the songs that have a bit (or more) of an edge to them, that can give you chills, that are equally perfect when you’re working out and need the extra boost or when you’re angry or you just want to feel like punching something or kicking ass or doing the Sailor dance.

Too ambiguous? We’ll figure it out as we go along.

May Summer Songs: “Kokomo”

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Cocktail
Cocktail

“Kokomo”
by The Beach Boys
from the album Cocktail (Soundtrack)
1988
Buy the album on Amazon

To finish off May Summer Songs, yes, another Beach Boys song, and again, that’s probably too easy for this month’s theme. But what can I say? I loved this movie. Tom Cruise doing all sorts of awesome tricks with liquor bottles, the gorgeous (especially to my 15? year old self) Elisabeth Shue, “the guy from FX” (probably how I thought of Bryan Brown at the time) – this was one of the good ones. I don’t think I’ve seen it as an adult, so no idea if it still holds up.

Continue reading May Summer Songs: “Kokomo” →

Cover Friday: “Cactus”

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Glen Hansard
Glen Hansard

“Cactus”
by Glen Hansard (originally by The Pixies)
from the Acoustic Lakeside Festival, Austria
2012

Ok, I’m breaking convention a little here, since I posted a different cover version of this last week, but the Wikipedia page for the song mentioned that Glen Hansard and The Frames had covered it in concert once, so I went on a search, and found this. I said I didn’t love the Bowie version, but this version is fantastic, so I thought it deserved its own post.

Continue reading Cover Friday: “Cactus” →

May Summer Songs: “Up the Beach”

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Nothing's Shocking
Nothing’s Shocking

“Up the Beach”
by Jane’s Addiction
from the album Nothing’s Shocking
1988
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Lance already started off this month’s theme with Jane’s, but it’s this song in particular that matches the theme for me, for a very specific reason/memory. I grew up in CO, and one summer (probably after my sophomore year of HS?), my friend Chris and I decided to go camping at the Great Sand Dunes (totally recommended). I have lots of good memories from the trip, but one that’s always stuck with me is completely blasting this album on the drive there, awesome stereo, open road, being able to look for miles in all directions, windows down, hand riding the air (I’m a dolphin!), feeling epic.

May Summer Songs: “Surf Wax America”

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Weezer
Weezer

“Surf Wax America”
by Weezer
from the album The Blue Album
1994
Buy the album on Amazon

There are a lot of Weezer songs that are summer songs to me. They’re fun, they’re poppy, they make me want to turn them up and sing along and move (it’s tough for me to listen to Weezer at work). A lot of them also have an undercurrent to them that move them beyond a standard pop song.

Continue reading May Summer Songs: “Surf Wax America” →

Karaoke Tuesday: “Glycerine”

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Sixteen Stone
Sixteen Stone

“Glycerine”
by Bush
from the album Sixteen Stone
1994
Buy the album on Amazon

I feel like Bush has gotten a lot of flack, but this album hit at a time where I got really into them (plus I admit, I had a man crush on Gavin Rossdale). I think I stopped listening to them after their second album, but still love Sixteen Stone (actually, looking at the tracklist, I realize I’m way overdue in revisiting it), and I saw them once in Atlanta with either Pearl Jam or No Doubt.

Continue reading Karaoke Tuesday: “Glycerine” →

May Summer Songs: “I Get Around”

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All Summer Long
All Summer Long

“I Get Around”
by The Beach Boys
from the album All Summer Long
1964
Buy the album on Amazon

The Beach Boys may be an obvious choice for summer songs, though perhaps not an obvious choice for this blog, but this song transcends the traditional Beach Boys summer feelings. Growing up, I associated the Beach Boys with the oldies station (KOOL105!), summer oldies concerts with my mom (though I’m not sure if those ever included the Beach Boys), and of course, this song in particular in Flight of the Navigator.

Continue reading May Summer Songs: “I Get Around” →

Cover Friday: “Cactus”

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Heathen
Heathen

“Cactus”
by David Bowie (originally by The Pixies)
from the album Heathen
2002
Buy the album on Amazon

I can’t claim to have ever gotten too into Bowie’s music, but there are certainly standouts, and more than anything, I think he’s kind of the coolest. The coolest what? Whatever. Just definitely one of the coolest.

Continue reading Cover Friday: “Cactus” →

Karaoke Tuesday: “Alone”

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Bad Animals
Bad Animals

“Alone”
by Heart
from the album Bad Animals
1987
Buy the album on Amazon

There are songs that make me wish I were a female, just so i could sing them. There are songs that aren’t duets but I convince someone to make it into one. And there are songs that seem like a good idea and then go horribly, horribly wrong. This one checks all three boxes.

Continue reading Karaoke Tuesday: “Alone” →