Ghost Friday random 10

This FRT comes to you from the future - oh, wait, I mean the past. Composed on Thursday, it sat waiting patiently in the ether, just silently biding its time, ready to spring upon you all like the Spanish Inquisition. Here comes the awesomeness. Or suckitude. Only time will tell:

1)Rage Against the Machine - Township Rebellion.

Angry young gentlemen that broke on the scene a few years too early...anti-governemt song from the Clinton era seem quite quaint these days. You know, kinda like the Geneva Conventions...

2)Deftones - Minerva.

Great song, but you really need to use headphones to get the most out of it. Or maybe you just need to be high...that would probably work too.

3)Beck - Mutherfuker.

I remember giving a friend a ride home from Pizza Hut one night when this song came up on the mix-tape. She looked at me, then turned and looked out the window, and then, in a hushed voice, said, "Man, this song is so true".

4)Meat Beat Manifesto - Circles.

This guy did techno right. My music snob roommate in college was impressed when he found out I had this CD.

5)Fionn Regan - Put a Penny in the Slot.

Man, I love this song! Nice simple acoustic songsmithing. Kind of reminds me of Nick Drake on speed...well, maybe not speed - Dexatrim or double lattes perhaps.

6)Beck - Forcefield.

Sweet and mellow - one of my favorite Beck songs, so I'll forgive the iPod for the repetition.

7)Breeders - No Aloha.

Blurg...I need to get some more new music. Something from this century maybe.

8)White Stripes - Take, Take, Take.

Ah, that's better. You just can't beat a song about a disgruntled guy stalking Rita Hayworth. More adventurous fare from Jack and Meg.

9)White Stripes - You've Got Her in Your Pocket.

Stupid iPod. I won't forgive you this time! I won't, I won't, I won't!!!!! Is it me, or is "won't" an effed up looking word?

10)Beck - Today Has Been a Fucked Up Day.

And how! Lord, this is an awesome song.

Well, there it is, the ghoulishly fabulous ghost Friday random ten...I would have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for you meddling kids!

I had no idea the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald was so recent...

Well, its been a while blogosphere...sorry I haven't written to you lately, but you know how crazy things get. It's not you, it's me.

I was called away to the sea on short notice. The North Shore is a seductive mistress, sometimes fair and pretty, sometimes angry and violent. I guess you could say the sea has a beautiful mental illness, and that is what keeps me coming back.

We left for Grand Marais, MN last Saturday morning, and I was so busy getting ready (not to mention that I had to spend half the day at the mechanic's due to very poorly timed car trouble) that I plum forgot all about the usual Friday random ten...it'll never happen again. Which reminds me, there will be no Friday random ten this Friday, as we are leaving on a getaway this Friday that will take us to exotic locales all around the Dairy State. I suppose I could just do it on Thursday and then post it on Friday...yeah, I think that's what I'll do. Sorry, I'm just thinking out loud here, I probably should've edited this out.

Anyhoo, whilst in beautiful Grand Marais, we ate at two excellent restaurants, one very good restaurant, and one pretty good place. An interesting thing we have noticed is that the city seems to import young ladies from Russia and the Ukraine (or is it just 'Ukraine', no 'the'?) to work as waitstaff over the tourist season. One of our waitresses was named Tatania and asked us "What eggs you likes?". Adorable!

We also learned that the good ship Edmund Fitzgerald sunk on November 10, 1975. I had no idea - I had always thought it happened back in the 30's or 40's. That Gordon Lightfoot, who recorded his song "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" later that month, had to either be very inspired, psychic, or a saboteur in order to get it done that fast. Mr. Lightfoot, where were you on the night of November 10, 1975? Do you have anyone who can vouch for your whereabouts?



Right before we left to come home, we stopped to check on the prayer flags we'd left for our dead friend last year. Only a few scattered threads remained, clinging to rough edges of tree bark. Then we went and played in the lake, wading in at first and eventually becoming completely drenched by the strong waves that overwhelmed us and nearly stole a flip-flop.

And that's why this was the best summer vacation ever!

the bright wool enhancements of yesterday's score

Ugh...brain no work good. I wish I had something more substantial to offer you, and I do have a couple interesting posts in the works, but I've been doing an insane amount of writing/editing lately. The next few weeks will reward your patience with amazing insights on rock and roll sellouts and the fine art of guitar smashing...Pinky swear!

But for now, in lieu of actual substance, I offer up this sorta funny video...enjoy!

Friday random ten

Come on baby, daddy needs a new pair of everything:

1) Beastie Boys - Jimmy James.

This song lifts a sample from the ubiquitous (I can't believe I spelled that right on the first try!) drums of "Happy Birthday" by Jimi Hendrix, and it just doesn't get much better than that.

2) Nine Inch Nails - Something I Can Never Have.

Well, that's a comedown. I had this CD on heavy rotation the year it came out, and haven't really played it much since. This song holds up well, even for a cynical member of Generation X such as myself.

3) Bjork - Violently Happy.

This FRT is turning into a real roller coaster. Twists and turns, fast then slow then fast again. Do you want to go faster? Raise your hands if you want to go faster!

4) Third Eye Blind - How's It Going To Be?

I have an unexplainable soft spot in my heart for this band...on paper, I should hate them. But Lord help me, I don't. I know what I hate, and I don't hate this.

5) Pixies - Vamos.

Without a doubt, my all-time favorite bilingual song. I have great memories of speeding down a deserted Wisconsin highway in the dead of night in a car jammed full of people on a mission to find out why they don't put Spam in the meat department. Here's a video, featuring Frank Black and Kim Deal looking like your parents:


6) Soul Coughing - $300.

I think this is from the band's farewell album, before their singer left like so much Natalie Merchant. Now he's playing very small college venues. Sad, really.

7) Sleater-Kinney - Wilderness.

Another farewell offering. These ladies are now on an "indefinite hiatus", a goal to which I aspire.

8) Portishead - Wandering Star.

These guys have a license to be awesome, and they exercise it with extreme prejudice. Whatever that means. I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.

9) Beethoven - Piano Sonata No. 8 Pathetique, 2nd movement

I'll spare you the jokes regarding a "second movement", and just tell you that I impressed myself by being able to name this piece without visual confirmation. Yes, I'm good...plaque good.

10) White Zombie - Super Charger Heaven.

And our roller coaster rockets through the tunnel of Hell before coming to a stop in front of a buncha corndog- eatin' yokels. Please wait until the ride has come to a complete stop before exiting, and we'll see you next week...if you dare!

"Meatloaf!?! My most dreaded of all loaves!"

Not much time today, so instead of a normal post, I'll just posit this notion and let anyone who feels so inclined to discus it...

Resolved: Meatloaf sucks.

Exhibit A, with a tip of the hat to the late Phil Rizzuto:



I rest my case.

Discuss.

Friday random ten

Ok, I just got a Wii yesterday, so lets hurry up and get this over with and get back to the Wiimotes.

1)PJ Harvey - Dry.

My favorite Peej song ever. This song always sort of interested me because it was released on her second album "Rid of Me", rather than her first album, which was titled "Dry". She's a weird one, I guess.

2)Rage Against the Machine - Vietnow.

I'm enjoying a little resurgence of enjoyment of RATM )does that make sense?), due to the fact that I recently got to see my reserved little librarian friend rock out spontaneously in public when she heard one of their songs while walking down the street a couple of weeks ago. Good stuff!

3)Coldplay - Yellow.

Not a big fan of this song...I can see what they're going for, but I just don't think they pull it off. It's a little embarrassing to admit it, but I really like this album, but I think it's one of those deals where it's not so much about the album, but more about good memories I associate with it; namely, a family trip a few years ago to the Southwestern desert.

4)Blind Melon - Tones of Home.

This is an album I'm not embarrassed to admit that I really like. Most people have only heard their one popular song "No Rain", but that's really one of the weaker songs on the album in my opinion.

5)7 Year Bitch - Sore Subject.

One of the bands that came out of Seattle in the 90's, 7 Year Bitch is a girl band, or, more to the point, a grrrl band, so really, how bad could it be?

6)Violent Femmes - Kiss Off.

My admiration of these native Milwaukeeans has fallen significantly with their big sellout to the Wendy's corporation (much to the dismay of most of the band members*), but is tempered by the idea that the executives who approved the deal most likely have no idea that they are shilling their hamburgers with a song about masturbation. Haw haw!

7)Beck - He's a Mighty Good Leader.

What is it about Beck that he can write better folk songs than most folk artists, and better country songs than most country "artists"? Must be the Dianetics.

8)Third Eye Blind - Narcolepsy.

Imagine my disappointment when I first got through this song and their was nothing in it about intercourse with corpses! This song is a fairly bland, but not unamusing, offering, but it does start to rock right towards the end.

9)Portishead - Glory Box.

Mmmmmmmmmellow. Very cool song.

10)Pearl Jam - Oceans.

Oh yeah, I remember this song...haven't heard it in years. Along with the previous song, combines to bring this FRT to a nice, relaxing end.

Well, see you suckers later, I'm off to my video gam...errr, aerobic workout!

*"For the fans who rightfully are complaining about the Wendy's burger advertisement featuring Blister in the Sun, Gordon Gano is the publisher of the song and Warners is the record company. When they agree to use it there's nothing the rest of the band can do about it, because we don't own the song or the recording. That's showbiz. Therefore when you see dubious or in this case disgusting uses of our music you can thank the greed, insensitivity and poor taste of Gordon Gano, it is his karma that he lost his songwriting ability many years ago, probably due to his own lack of self-respect as his willingness to prostitute our songs demonstrates. Neither Gordon (vegetarian) nor me (gourmet) eat garbage like Wendy's burgers. I can't endorse them because I disagree with corporate food on culinary, political, health, economic and environmental grounds. However I see my life's work trivialized at the hands of my business partner over and over again, although I have raised my objections numerous times. As disgusted as you are I am more so."

"Wasted away again in Margaritaville, looking for my lost shaker of salt....oh, here it is!"

Man oh man do I hate Jimmy Buffet. How can you hate Jimmy Buffet? people often ask me, his song are so fun! I don't know...maybe I was dragged along by my dad to one too many company mixers where I had to watch as all the old white people got drunk, danced around (like white people), and sang along to songs from this slouch. Maybe it's the remarkably racist and sexist things I overheard at these little shindigs that left the bad taste in my mouth that I forever associate with this hack.

How can I hate Jimmy Buffet indeed...he's like Raffi for yuppies, that's how! I imagine his songwriting process goes something like:

Man, do I have a hangover. Well, a little hair of the dog ought to clear that up. Ugh...I was soooo wasted away last night...oh my sweet jesus, wouldja look at that! It's really disturbing to see that in the bed. Why do all my groupies have to be so pink, fat, and over 40? Oh well, I suppose it's my own damn fault. Anyhoo, back to that hair of the dog. Now where the hell is that salt shaker...holy shit, I should be writing this shit down. It's gold, baby, GOLD!

That's why I was so surprised to hear about the sudden turn in his career.

"Three simple words: I. Am. Gay."

In lieu of the regularly scheduled Friday Random 10, today we bring you a post in the classic "It All Comes Back to the Simpsons" style:

Everyone reacts to tragedy differently...some people decide to dedicate their lives to some cause or another, some give to charity, some spend time with their loved ones, some copulate furiously with strangers. Me: I go shopping. Hardly a manly reaction, I know, but that's just what I do.

After 9/11, I went out and bought a laptop computer. After the death of a friend last year, I bought all kinds of useless crap, including, no lie, a pair of blue suede shoes. And following the collapse of the I-35W bridge earlier this week, I went and got some clothes. Luckily, I did have Sy along with me on all these occasions, so I could plausibly create the impression that it was mostly her doing the shopping and I was just along for company, but deep down I know it's shamefully true: when disaster strikes, I put on my sissy pants and go shopping. It feels a little better to admit it...but not much.

This bridge collapse has touched me on a fairly personal level. Although I prefer to keep to the streets laid out by my drunken Irish forefathers in St. Paul, I had been on that bridge many times. It's amazing that the number of casualties is so relatively low, considering what it could have been.

In a spirit of tribute (and possibly in a sprit of my latent melodramatic homosexual leanings), I offer up this beautiful song by Minneapolis band February to pay respect to the victims and their families:

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