Tag Archives: power songs

November Five-Star Shuffle: “Burn”

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Natural Born Killers
Natural Born Killers

“Burn”
by Nine Inch Nails
from the album Natural Born Killers Soundtrack
1994
Buy the album on Amazon

Not necessarily what I was hoping for, but a great track nonetheless. This was originally released on the Natural Born Killers soundtrack (one of the picks I ran out of time to do for October Soundtracks), and is also on the deluxe edition of The Downward Spiral. There were bits of NIN woven throughout that soundtrack, but this was the only new NIN song, and it’s fantastic. If you need a song to listen to when you’re feeling pissed at the world, or even just need a workout song that will get you moving (just try not to run faster at the 2:30 mark), this is the one.

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November Five-Star Shuffle: “The City That Day”

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Split“The City That Day”
by Matt Skiba and Kevin Seconds
from the album Split
2002
Buy the album on Amazon

I was really hoping this album would come up on the 5-star shuffle this week. I was hoping for one of the other songs I’ve got in this playlist, because they’re more like 6 or 7 stars, but this is the one that came up, and them’s the rules.

I don’t have any idea how I first got turned on to this album, but man, do I love it (I think I used to think I should give 7 Seconds a try, and saw this and picked it up). Half of the songs are 3 stars for me (meaning good but not something I listen to all that often, and they’re not portable), and one is 4, but the others are all 5 stars, which is not normal for me.

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November Five-Star Shuffle: “Disconnected”

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Big Choice“Disconnected”
by Face to Face
from the album Big Choice
1994
Buy the album on Amazon

In my first year of college, I met my friend Brendan, and in between watching boat loads of horror movies and drinking boat loads of cookies and cream shakes at Village Inn, we listened to and talked about a whole lot of music. We already had some crossover favorites, but he also got me into a bunch of punk (or punk-ish) bands – NOFX, Blink 182, Pennywise, Propagandhi, and, you guessed it, Face to Face. Though there’s certainly a time for the lightheartedness of the first two bands, I always appreciated that Face to Face was more sincere without being super hardcore, and I love the singer’s voice.

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July Power Songs: “Fuck You”

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True North
True North

“Fuck You”
by Bad Religion
from the album True North
2013
Buy the album on Amazon

I’m cheating a bit with this month’s theme, but give me a break.  I’ve been Hollywood for a week.  Also, June Power Songs were so much fun, and I still have a massive list of tracks I want to slot in there, so since it’s my turn to pick the theme, I’m extending power songs into July.

This post is gonna be quick, like this amazing song from Bad Religion.  I like Bad Religion a lot, but I’m not a disciple by any means.  Their album Stranger The Fiction is definitely in my top 100 albums of all time, but I realize for most Bad Religion fans that’s like saying Wings was Paul’s McCartney’s best band (I should also come clean and say that I don’t really love the Beatles).  But after The Gray Race I kind of lost track of the band.  Until True North.

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June Power Songs: “Smooth Sailing”

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...Like Clockwork
…Like Clockwork

“Smooth Sailing”
by Queens of the Stone Age
from the album …Like Clockwork
2013
Buy the album on Amazon

I once described this song to a friend as a throbbing erection.  It’s all about potential.  Something’s about to explode.

For my final song in QOTSA week and my latest Power Song selection, I’m choosing “Smooth Sailing.”  Really all you need to know about this track you can pull from the lyrics and the video.

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June Power Songs: “Hobo Humpin’ Slobo Babe”

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We Care
We Care

“Hobo Humpin’ Slobo Babe”
by Whale
from the album We Care
1995
By the album on Amazon

I have no idea where I first heard this, probably either on a CMJ CD sampler, or a Video Music Monthly VHS magazine, but I just know I was  hooked.  It’s one of those songs that just rocks so hard from the very first note.  Continue reading June Power Songs: “Hobo Humpin’ Slobo Babe” →

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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June Power Songs: “Violet”

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Live Through This
Live Through This

“Violet”
by Hole
from the album Live Through This
1994
Buy the album on Amazon

I never got too into Hole, but I remember there used to be a commercial for a contest for some beer where you could win tickets to see Hole live, and they would show a clip of them playing this song in concert. I saw the commercial so many times that I got totally hooked on this song. It’s got that great loudquietloud thing going on.

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June Power Songs: “Three Days”

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Ritual de lo Habitual“Three Days”
by Jane’s Addiction
from the album Ritual de lo Habitual
1990
Buy the album on Amazon

The first song that came to mind when Chris picked Power Songs as this month’s theme was “Three Days.”  Last year, while prepping for my move to Texas, I found a big cache of MiniDisc mixes I had assembled back in the late 90s.  One of the cover labels read Epix of Rök.  At the center of that mix was this almost eleven-minute monster of a song.  So I’m going on record and saying that “Three Days” is a Power Epic.

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June Power Songs: “Killing in the Name”

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Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine

“Killing in the Name”
by Rage Against the Machine
from the album Rage Against the Machine
1992
Buy the album on Amazon

Obviously pretty much every RATM song is a power song in every sense. It’s probably why I can’t claim to be a huge fan – I didn’t get into them until I was old enough to need to take them in smaller doses. I own 2 or 3 of their albums and could only name 2 or 3 of their songs. This one is pretty much the king of the hill.
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