Category Archives: Music

Here, you should listen to this right now because it’s a song that changed my life. Maybe it will for you as well. Or you might just hate it.

Karaoke Tuesday: “Boys Don’t Cry”

Music, , , , , , ,
Boys Don't Cry
Boys Don’t Cry

“Boys Don’t Cry”
by The Cure
from the album Boys Don’t Cry
1979
Buy the on Amazon

When I was a tween/teen and getting really into most of the music we talk about on this blog, I was firmly against the Cure. I would make fun of them, I would say they sucked, etc. The truth is, which I can freely admit now and probably at least subconsciously knew then, is that I was just so against them because my best friend at the time was so into them. We’re talking dressing as Robert Smith on Halloween, etc. Never mind that we shared most of our other bands in common, The Cure is where I placed my (ridiculous) stake in the ground. It wasn’t until he and I stopped being friends that I was finally able to listen to them properly.

Continue reading Karaoke Tuesday: “Boys Don’t Cry” →

Karaoke Tuesday: “Banditos”

Music, , , , ,
Fizzy Fuzzy Big & Buzzy
Fizzy Fuzzy Big & Buzzy

“Banditos”
by The Refreshments
from the album Fizzy Fuzzy Big & Buzzy
1996
Buy the album on Amazon

I’ve mentioned this song to a few people and no one I’ve come across remembers it, which is a shame because it’s such a fun tune.  I thought it would be relegated to my list of songs I really want to sing, but will never be able to find ever, until we stumbled across it (and “Jane Says“) at weird little sports bar in Austin.

Continue reading Karaoke Tuesday: “Banditos” →

June Power Songs: “Godhead”

Music, , , , , ,
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

Music, ,

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”

Music, , , , , ,
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 – “Leavin’ Here”

Music, , , , , , ,
Lost Dogs
Lost Dogs

“Leavin’ Here”
by Pearl Jam (originally by Eddie Holland)
from the album Lost Dogs
2003
Buy the album on Amazon

I first caught Pearl Jam’s cover of “Leavin’ Here” on the Home Alive compilation which contained tracks by (mostly) Seattle-based bands.  Sales from the album benefited the Home Alive project which teaches self-defense on a sliding scale payment system and was started following the brutal rape and murder of Gits vocalist, Mia Zapata.  To be honest, none of the tracks really did much for me at the time, but I always loved this PJ track.  Short, fun, and everyone gets a little riff to play.

Continue reading Cover Friday – “Leavin’ Here” →

Cover Friday: “Cactus”

Music, , , , , , ,
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”

Music, , , , , , , ,
Nothing's Shocking
Nothing’s Shocking

“Up the Beach”
by Jane’s Addiction
from the album Nothing’s Shocking
1988
Buy the album on Amazon

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”

Music, , , , , ,
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” →

May Summer Songs: “Damn Good”

Music, , , , , , , ,
Skyscraper
Skyscraper

“Damn Good”
by David Lee Roth
from the album Skyscraper
1988
Buy the album on Amazon

Growing up, I was all about country and easy listening music because those were the only two radio stations I could reliably pick up with my clock radio (R.I.P. WSIX 98.6 and Easy 93).  When I heard friends talking about Huey Lewis and the News, I thought he was an anchor on channel 13.  Men At Work became “Minute Work” which I interpreted as some kind of scholastic study method (I was a weird kid).  Eventually though, we got MTV.  Although I missed out on a lot pop music as it was happening, I quickly caught up.

One of the first pop cassettes I bought for myself was David Lee Roth’s Skyscraper and I’m not ashamed to say that I absolutely adore it.  I must have listened to that whole album a thousand times, although It took me a while to make the entire loop,  I’d get hooked on a song, play it through and then quickly rewind and listen again.  I became an expert in knowing just how long to keep the button down so that the track was queued perfectly.  I can feel the vibration of my Panasonic boom box (with Ambience™) rewinding right now.  “Just Like Paradise” and “Stand Up” were perfect singles.  “Hina” was just a bizarrely amazing and beautiful song (it’s also a perfect night song).  But the song that encapsulates a summer song for me is “Damn Good.”

Continue reading May Summer Songs: “Damn Good” →