Say Anything Blog

Anything? Hahaha...yeah right.

Richie Hawtin aka Plastikman
DJ Dara
Shpongle
Kraftwerk
The Crystal Method
Future Sound of London
Carl Cox
Jeff Mills
Derrick Carter
John Acquaviva
Laurent Garnier
Aphrodite
Dimitri
Roni Size
Derrick May
Frankie Bones

egh...that’s just the last week’s playlist. I doubt you’ll like or listen to any of it.

I’ve kept Tori Amos in my c.d. player for at least the past month. My god She is talented. (See what I did? )

Other than that, at home I’ve been listening to some Aimee Mann, Fiona Apple, Liz Phair, the Dresden Dolls, Muse, and Live.

I don’t listen to a whole lot and all my music is on my computer in my dorm but I like a lot of rock, Weird Al, and Japanese stuff.

In fact that most music I listen to is stuff from various animes.

Thanks for the playlist, Likwid. The only artist that I have from your list is The Crystal Method.  I’ve already copied onto a sticky note so I won’t lose track of it.

Right now, we’re listening to David Lanz, before that Ottmar Liebert.  My wife is asleep, so I try and keep the late evening music pretty low key.

On the list right now is:
Black Sabbath - Vol 4
Merle Haggard
Run C&W
Iommi - Iommi

Here are a few of the things I’ve been listening to of late:

Buddy Guy: Bring Em In
You can pull any Buddy Guy CD and not go wrong. This just happens to be his latest.)

Keith Urban: Be Here
(This guy is more than country. How he hasn’t crossed over completely is beyond me.)

E.S. Posthumus: Unearthed
(I don’t know how to classify them, but you simply have to buy this album. You hear them every week on the NFL on CBS and if you watch Cold Case. E.S. Posthumus is amazing.)

Howlin’ Wolf: The London Howlin’ Wolf Sessions
(The lineup: Howlin’ Wolf, Eric Clapton, Bill Wyman, Charlie Watts, Steve Winwood. That’s a good band, in case you didn’t notice, and this is a killer record.)

Beck: Sea Change & Guero
(Sea Change is an intensely personal recording and addictive listen. It is unlike anything you would expect from Beck. A great record.)

Derek & The Dominos: Live at the Fillmore
(This has been my favorite album for many years now. It’s the ultimate Eric Clapton CD. Truly remarkable “Clapton is God"-level stuff.)

Radiohead: The Bends and OK Computer
(Both are great, but OK Computer is in a class by itself)

Yes: 90125
(A classic that I have put back into heavy rotation in the car the last month or so. The follow-up to this, Big Generator, is another fave.)

Yes: The Yes Album
(The first and best CD from the original lineup. “Starship Troopers” may be the best song the group ever recorded. Interesting to listen to back-to-back with the 80s-era Trevor Rabin led version of Yes.)

The Smithereens: Blown to Smithereens
(I love The Smithereens, and this excellent best-of gets the job done. Or you can buy all their albums, load them on your Pod, and shuffle. That works too.)

Miles Davis: Kind of Blue
(My favorite Miles Davis album. So quiet. So relaxing.)

Miles Davis: Bitches Brew
(My second-favorite Miles Davis album, and as different from Kind of Blue as you can get. “Spanish Key” is unbelievable. Also try Miles in the Sky.)

Sideways: Original Soundtrack
(The music in Sideways is like another castmember. Rolfe Kent’s excellent stylings in the film’s jazz score warrant listening to away from the “distraction” of the film itself. And if you haven’t seen Sideways, I recommend it highly)

Jimmy Buffett: A White Sport Coat..., A1A, Coconut Telegraph, Changes In Latitudes...
(Because I can’t pick just one Jimmy Buffett CD, and no compilation is perfect, I give you my four absolute favorites from him.)

The Smiths: Singles
(Ignore the fact that Morrissey is a whining simp and go for this greatest hits compilation. It does not disappoint in the least.)

Capitol Ultra-Lounge: Christmas Cocktails
The entire Capitol Ultra-lounge series drips with the coolness, but since it’s Christmas, I’m recommending this one.)

I could go on forever, because I love talking about this stuff, but I think this is more than enough for now.

Enjoy your ‘pod. Get a car adapter for it.

Carrick -

I’m usually in the mood for drum n bass or ambient. Jungle for when I’m feeling on the up and up and for when I have the energy to dance. For some reason I’ve been listening to a lot of Detroit techno (Carl Cox, Jeff Mills, Derrick Carter, Carl Craig, Kevin Saunderson, Eddie Fowlkes, Kenny Larkin, Theo Parrish, Stacey Pullen, Richie Hawtin, Derrick May, Juan Atkins, and John Acquaviva who really isn’t a Detroiter but was a staple at Motor I spent many a night dancing to). Maybe because lately I’ve been finding myself a bit nostalgic for the old daze…

You can find many of the above mentioned here.

I’ve had these pretty much playing all week on the computer and in the car. 

Animal Collective-Feels
Very catchy, by their standards anyway. They are making some of the best music today, in my opinion anyway

Okkervil River-Black Sheep Boy
Very good songwriting and the music grows on you

Modest Mouse-building nothing out of something
One of my favorite bands, this is cd is great

Fiery Furnaces-Rehearsing my Choir
Concept album where their grandmother shares singing duties. Only for fans. Good for long trips.(that is a traveling reference)

DangerDoom-The mouse and the mask
I had lost all hope in hip hop being good again, but MF Doom changed all that. This is his latest release, with cartoon network adult swim characters and Danger mouse.

I also got a couple Mitch Hedberg cd’s and Bill Hicks rant in e-minor in my car for the drive to the relatives house for Christmas. Nothing like some stand up for long boring drives.

All thre albums that Ryan Adams released this year: Cold Roses, Jacksonville City Nights, and 29.  He’s the closest thing to a dylan we have.

I just received an IPOD Nano from my wife for my birthday which I am listening to right now. 

I have about 300 songs on it, so I won’t list them all.  So far the playlist has been:

Feel Good Inc. - Gorillaz
In my Car - Bare Naked Ladies
Empty Sky - Bruce Springsteen
Martyr - Rusted Root
Lullaby - Creed
I Miss You - Incubus
Outta Control - 50 Cent
Where the Streets Have No Nam - U2

I like almost all varieties of music, I just hit the shuffle and the day seems to fly by.

Operation Ivy: Energy
Probably the best Ska (punk ska, not ska ska) group ever. These boys can actually play their instruments, and sing upbeat, mostly poitive songs: about a stereo, about anti-violence, and a hard-edged, aggressive cover of Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boot are Made for Walking”. Wicked fun.

U2: The Joshua tree
Hands down, their best album. I love to crank up the volume on “Exit” as that bass line slowly fades in and then BAM! The Edge just starts going nuts on the guitar, and someone in the house will tell me to turn that music down, it’s too loud and scaring the child.

I have to agree with Alex, you cannot go wrong with the Ultra-Lounge series.

The White Stripes: selected tracks from their first album.
Half of that album was amazing, and half was noise.

Beethoven: Moonlight Sonata
Did he do anything that sucked? Hell no.

Johnny Cash Boxed Set
Did he do anything that sucked? I think no.

My latest favorite band is Dread Zepplein.

They are a reggae band that specializes in Led Zepp covers. No, really.

On top of that, their lead singer is a fat Elvis impersonator named Tortelvis.

They do a medley of Black Dog/Hound Dog that defies description.

Also, anything at all by the greatest American composer of the 20th Century, Frank Zappa.

Joes’s Garage is sort of his version of Mozart’s* Magic Flute. Strictly Commercial is sort of a greatest hits package---all the song you heard on the radio (or would have heard in some better world).

*Personally, I’ve always believed that Frank was the reincarnation of Mozart.

I have been listening to Pandora non-stop for a week. Thanks Rob! Wifey burned me 3 discs for the truck, hard rock, all pre-’80. I hope my hints were taken and that ipod shows soon. I can start loading till my ears melt.

Steeling myself for the expected ridicule from the relativists and atheists, I confess that my favorite music at Christmas is actually (drum roll!!) music about Christ. On the top of the list is:
Handel Messiah
Traditional Christmas carols e.g. Little town of Bethlehem, O Come all ye faithful, etc.

Since I sing in my church choir, many of the songs we practiced for our Christmas concert circulate thru my head.  They are:
A Waiting Prayer
Rorate Coeli
Ave Maria
Cantate Domino
A Cradle for a Lamb
Every Valley

Merry Christmas to all!!!  Happy birthday Jesus!!!

Nice list, GraemeA.  I have three of those albums (Animal Collective, Modest Mouse, and Okkervil River).  Actually, I was listening to that exact Modest Mouse album last night in my car.

My list recently:
Sigur Ros
Simon & Garfunkel
Bowie
Broken Social Scene
Holopaw
Muse
Sea & Cake
Explosions in the Sky
Godspeed You, Black Emperor
Andrew Bird
My Morning Jacket

Steeling myself for the expected ridicule from the relativists and atheists,

This relative atheist used to sing in an annual performance of Handel’s Messiah every Christmas for about 5 years.

U2: The Joshua tree
Hands down, their best album.

Their recent album is most like their older stuff since the late 80s.

MI: “This relative atheist used to sing in an annual performance of Handel’s Messiah every Christmas for about 5 years.”

I am impressed. Handel is tough.  Were you bass (baritone) or tenor? 
I guess you did that before you were ‘enlightened’.

1st Tenor.  A classic Irish tenor, really.  My “Danny Boy” brings the house down. 

I’ve been singing since I was a boy.  My religious affiliation (or lack thereof) has never determined whether I sing or not.  I’ve sung plenty of sacred pieces, from Christian carols to Hebrew prayers.  I was with the University of Michigan Choral Union for several years, which performs Messiah every year.  We also performed quite a bit with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, that was great.  Unfortunately, the demands of work have kept me out of choirs for a while.

Thanks for the tips everybody.  I’m spending money in iTunes even as I type this.

To be fair, here is my 25 most played according to iTunes:

I’m so Lonesome I Could Cry 3:02 Johnny Cash
Let Me Out 4:03 Future Leaders of the World
Folsom Prison Blues (Live) 2:41 Johnny Cash
On My Own 2:55 Hank Williams III
Cocaine Blues 3:53 Hank Williams III
Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain 2:20 Willie Nelson
Spotlight 4:09 Future Leaders of the World
Are You Sure 2:13 Willie Nelson
Soul On Ice 3:27 Danko Jones
87 Southbound 2:52 Hank Williams III
Devil’s Daughter 3:17 Hank Williams III
Why Don’t You Leave Me Alone 5:03 Hank Williams III
Hurt 3:36 Johnny Cash
Streets of Laredo 3:33 Johnny Cash
Not Me 3:54 Keni Thomas
Danny’s Song 3:07 Anne Murray
You’re the Reason 2:49 Hank Williams III
Thunderstorms & Neon Signs 4:21 Hank Williams III
Give My Love to Rose 3:27 Johnny Cash
In My Life 2:57 Johnny Cash
Love Is Unkind 4:16 Danko Jones
Damn It Feels Good 2 Be A Gangsta 5:09 Geto Boys
I Don’t Know 3:23 Hank Williams III
‘Neath a Cold Gray Tomb of Stone Hank Williams III
Satisfied Mind (Album Version) 2:49 Johnny Cash

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

Actually, now that I look at it, that’s not a very good list.  iTunes must not pick up on the songs played on my iPod.

I’ve also been listening to:

Hendrix - Castles Made of Sand
Haggard - The Bottle Let Me Down
Beatles - White Album (whole thing)
Strokes - Juicebox
White Stripes - Pretty much everything on Get Behind Me Satan
Shinedown - Simple Man

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

MI: “1st Tenor. A classic Irish tenor, really. My “Danny Boy” brings the house down.”

Too bad that you don’t have time for music now.  I love to sing but I don’t have your ability although my bass-baritone is not bad.  I’ve been taking vocal lessons to improve my range and tone.  Outside of my choral efforts I sometimes do karaoke with my favorite singing songs the old big band ballads (Sinatra, others), some country (Hank Williams senior (Your Cheating Heart, etc.)and some 50/60s rock (Four Seasons, etc.).

Got some Disturbed, Chevelle, and of course Tool and Perfect Circle.

But it is the video part that is so great.  I ripped several episodes off the Arrested Development DVD’s.

Too bad that you don’t have time for music now. I love to sing but I don’t have your ability although my bass-baritone is not bad.

Have you been talking to my mother?  That’s what she tell’s me all the time.
Keep up with the lessons.  EVERYONE can sing, it just takes some training.

Beatles - White Album (whole thing)

Is it even legal to listen to a song from the White Album without listening to the whole record?

[...] Note: I wasn’t planning on posting this here at SA, but the comment thread going on here convinced me to cross-post it. - Alex [...]

Keep up with the lessons. EVERYONE can sing, it just takes some training.

MI, I am willing to bet you money that I can make a liar out of you on that one.

Is it even legal to listen to a song from the White Album without listening to the whole record?

I’m not sure.  That whole album is so good, but its hard to find the time to sit down and listen to the whole thing.

A lot of times I’ll set my player to play the whole thing while I’m blogging.  That works out nice.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs: