Tag Archives: high school

Karaoke Tuesday: “Teen Angst”

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Cracker
Cracker

“Teen Angst (What The World Needs Now)”
by Cracker
from the album Cracker
1992
Buy the album on Amazon

Lately I’ve been posting a lot about songs that I desperately want to perform at karaoke but couldn’t because the man didn’t deem them worthy of inclusion.  However, this entry falls more in line with the thought, “Wow, this would be a great song to sing at karaoke.”

I remember generally dismissing Cracker for years based on the video for this song, which has the guys in a field prancing around like dandy rednecks, with dirt bikes and half-collapsed barns littering the background.   When you’re trying to escape your shitty hometown you don’t want to be reminded of the situation everytime you turn on MTV.

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Cover Friday: “Theme From NARC”

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Complete 'B' Sides
Complete ‘B’ Sides

“Theme From NARC”
by the Pixies (originally by NARC)
from the album Complete ‘B’ Sides
2001
Buy the album on Amazon

Every time this track shuffles up, I’m instantly transported back to high school.  My buddy Houston and I would spend a good portion of Friday afternoons playing video games at the local convenience store or Wal-Mart (our  pseudo arcades).  Between bags of Chili Cheese Fritos and cans of Cherry Coke we’d play whatever they had in stock that month.  Wal-Mart usually offered up far such as Double Dragon, Super Off-Road and our favorite co-op, Silkworm.  Minit Mart kept Bad Dudes, GI Joe, Bubble Bobble and NARC in the corner between the beef jerky and the fountain drinks for what seemed like years.  Which was just fine with us.  Particularly when the machines of the late 80s/early 90s put out such good theme songs:

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Karaoke Tuesday: “All I Want Is You”

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Rattle & Hum
Rattle & Hum

“All I Want Is You”
by U2
from the album Rattle & Hum
1988
Buy the album on Amazon

Although I’m not much of a U2 fan these days, there’s no denying that they have some amazing songs and albums in their catalog (if you don’t think Joshua Tree is a perfect album, please leave the planet now).  Rattle & Hum is a mixed bag sandwiched between the aforementioned Joshua Tree and the brilliant Achtung Baby (which should have been their final album).  There is a ton of filler and disappointing covers but they also include some downright amazing tracks, notably “God Part II,” “Desire” and my pick for Karaoke Tuesday, “All I Want Is You.”

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Cover Friday: “Physical”

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Broken
Broken

“Physical”
by Nine Inch Nails (originally by Adam and the Ants)
from the album Broken
1992
Buy the album on Amazon

I still clearly remember buying Broken when it first came out. My friend Keegan and I went to our favorite indie record store in Littleton the day it came out to pick it up. This was when CDs were still coming in the ridiculously wasteful double-length cardboard sleeves (Broken may have been one of the sleeves I opened up and hung on my wall). I remember opening it in the car and having the little mini CD fall out, which we thought was so cool, and there was the additional (in our minds) coolness factor later when it became known that the mini CD was a limited item. A few years back when I sold all my CDs, that was one of the few that I had hesitations about getting rid of.

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Karaoke Tuesday: “True”

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True
True

“True”
by Spandau Ballet
from the album True
1983
Buy the album on Amazon

A quintessential classic 80’s song. There are songs that fit that description in all the wrong ways. This is not one of them. Unless you just have never heard it before, as soon as those breathy sighs start, I don’t think there’s a person who doesn’t love this song. It’s pure class (just look at the singer in the video!) and romance.
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Karaoke Tuesday: “Boys Don’t Cry”

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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.

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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
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: “Summerland”

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Sparkle and Fade
Sparkle and Fade

“Summerland”
by Everclear
from the album Sparkle and Fade
1995
Buy the album on Amazon

I’m not sure how I feel about Lance’s theme for the month, but that’s mostly because it’s been cold and miserable here the past few days, which made it feel like the awful winter is truly never going to leave. Hopefully throughout this month I can get into the right summer song mindset. Regardless, onward.

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April Duets: “Disorder”

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Judgment Night
Judgment Night

“Disorder”
by Slayer & Ice-T
from Judgment Night
1993
Buy the album on Amazon

There were a couple of other more mellow duets I had been thinking of posting first for the next #AprilDuets entry, but I wanted to be kind to Lance and completely scrub Thom Yorke out of his head. If Slayer and Ice-T can’t do it, I don’t know what can.

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Big Audio Dynamite II – “The Globe”

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The Globe
The Globe

“Rush”
by Big Audio Dynamite II
from the album The Globe
1991
Buy the album on Amazon.

So very many choices. Where to start? I don’t remember why I first bought this album. I just remember it was in one of the first batches of BMG or Columbia House cds (of which I partook many many times, for better or worse) I received. I remember my high school friend Joel and I were so into this album, and he would have me play it whenever he was over. This song is incredibly catchy, and like many songs, takes on a special rockingness when played as loud as possible, vs. the more mellow feel it communicates on lower volumes.

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