Thursday 27 May 2010

Music break

I've spent two days thinking about my entry for '30 days of music - Day 7: a song that reminds me of a certain event'.

With little success.

(What with all these distractions)

Sure there were lots of school dances, holidays, parties, fooling around times that had memorable soundtracks-for-the-day.

But posting any one of those would be needless, pointless oversharing.

What would also be oversharing is a stream of consciousness on hiccups (they've been slowly sucking the lifeblood out of me for the last 12 hours at least with never more than 25 minute breaks) or something as random. Especially if the SoC piece in question is not guided by the conventional rules or understanding of grammar and syntax, or lack thereof, which one would have or should have been exposed to in literary works - y'know Woolfe et al. - but wasn't really, hence making it a SoC more in spirit than in function.

Unless of course it was punctuated by hiccups.

Then it'll be a Brave New World.

Disclaimer: This post was a writing experiment. Thank you for your time. Our apologies for not adding literary, cultural or entertainment value to your day.

Here, go read some actual, thought-provoking issues  now.

Monday 24 May 2010

30 days of music - Day 6: a song that reminds me of somewhere

I was looking forward to this.



I was heading back home after an awesome Snow Patrol concert at the magnificent 02.

The Jubilee Line traversed the city, emptying itself of its late-evening passengers on platforms waiting for a long day to end.

I made the 45-minute journey from East London to West, sat by myself, amidst the crumpled free-sheets. And all that time, this was the refrain in my head.

Urgent, energetic, enthusiastic.

I think I fell in love, proper-like, then. London became my city.


And I fell in love with myself all over again. It was about time too.

Sunday 23 May 2010

30 days of music - Day 5: a song that reminds me of someone


It was crazy for a few days. I was humming this song, D was humming this song, this dude Jude was playing in the city, D was sitting in a concert a couple of seats away from music-boy Jude, the radio was playing Hey Jude way too often, Media Player pulled out Jude on shuffle at the precise moment D popped up online, at least twice, it was FREAKY, it was official - Paul Was Dead and he was haunting us, well not 'us' but D, because she was born on the VERY SAME DAY as the song released, but about a couple of decades later.

Spooky.

Love ya D.

Also, I am not fully sure where that fabulous flowchart is from, but it seems to go back to that link there.

30 days of music - Day 4: a song that makes me sad

Can I skip this one?

(Groan)

Okay, let's be done with this.

This one. Because.

Monday 17 May 2010

30 days of music - Day 3: a song that makes me happy

A song about an evil genius in love.

What's not to love?

If a smart musically inclined bloke made a half-pony half-monkey monster to please me and ruined a pony making a gift for me, I'd be willing to put aside rather strong ideals of animal activism and be happy.



Jonathan Coulton is pure genius.

He makes me happy because his music is nothing like what I've grown up being told 'music' is.

With light tunes and pleasant vocals that let the hilarious songwriter in him take centre stage, JoCo is automatically refreshing and a high dose of good, clean, happy.

It also helps that he's an incredibly smart and sensible artist, because of the way he distributes his music. It's Free to take (often enough), to mess up, remix, enact, sing to your sock doll, to do what you please with it. Including making videos for the song like the one here.

The happiest music has to be the most accessible.

If Skullcrusher Mountain didn't put you in a good mood, try JoCo's full-of-awesome version of the frankly demeaning Baby Got Back. It's the fourth song on that link.

Sunday 16 May 2010

30 days of music - Day 2: my least favourite song

(I think I missed a day. Wonderful start, yes.)

Least favourite song. Hmm.

I could choose 87% of the Top 40 (any country really, based on radio plays and requests and probably iTunes downloads) because they're all just a depressing reflection of the lack of imagination or talent in the 'music industry' today....

Or, I could condemn a whole genre that's lame, immature, disrespectful or offensive, or a combination of those. But someone already did that and there're too many to choose....

I agree with the Internets when they ask if Black Eyed Peas have written the worst song ever (yes) and if Nickelback is the worst band ever (the answer is one click and an amused smile away) ....

But these aren't my 'least favourite' songs. They're songs I detest.

My least favourite song is *drumroll*

Staying Alive by the Bee Gees.

As a pop culture enthusiast (yea, I just called myself that) and a believer in the value of seemingly temporary fads to fashion our societal choices, I'd hate to criticise the song.

I'm sure the lyrics and the vocals by the brothers Gibb resonated with the youth and the creatures of canine auditory capacities in 1977 as the album went on to shatter records.

And plunging necklines and tight-white-pants a la J. Travolta were outrageously sexy to the disco kids.

But that is no excuse for an incredibly popular and culturally significant song to be Annoying As Hell and making one want to seriously consider using a butter knife as an aid to the homicide of all creatures that would consider staying alive after this song.

This song is my least favourite for the continued falsetto, extreme shininess, and high levels of annoying.

Friday 14 May 2010

30 days of music - Day 1: my favourite song

There's this internet meme going around that I thought would be fun to be part of. Y'know, one song posted everyday for 30 days, to fit a description. Pretty simple stuff really.

Why would I do that, you ask?

Well:
  1. Because I like music and I like arranging music into lists more
  2. Because I really need to make more of an effort into completing my writing and posting on my blog everyday. (3 posts all year. Disgraceful.)
  3. It's a great opportunity to explore all that music, and music sharing options, don't-ya-think.
And yes, I have a fondness for Cheese. Don't laugh, don't judge.

Oh and yea, do share with me your songs. It'll be fun.

Day 01: my favourite song




My first genuine music craze, the first and only poster to go up on my walls.

I have about five different versions of this song in my collection, each one making my heart melt in a very shameless, breathless, lovesick, girly, oh-I-wish-it-were-me kind of way to hear JBJ sing those words.

Plus it's a pretty good tune. So there.

Here's the rest of what's coming up this month for anyone who'd like to think about it as well. You know you want to.

Day 02: your least favourite song
Day 03: a song that makes you happy
Day 04: a song that makes you sad
Day 05: a song that reminds you of someone
Day 06: a song that reminds you of somewhere
Day 07: a song that reminds you of a certain event
Day 08: a song you know all the words to
Day 09: a song you can dance to
Day 10: a song that makes you fall asleep
Day 11: a song from your favourite band
Day 12: a song from a band you hate
Day 13: a song that is a guilty pleasure
Day 14: a song that no one would expect you to love
Day 15: a song that describes you
Day 18: a song that you used to love but now hate
Day 19: a song from your favourite album
Day 20: a song you listen to when you're angry
Day 21: a song you listen to when you're happy
Day 22: a song you listen to when you're sad
Day 23; a song that you want to play at your wedding
Day 24: a song you want played at your funeral
Day 25: a song that makes you laugh
Day 26: a song that you can play on an instrument
Day 27: a song that you wish you could play
Day 28; a song that makes you feel guilty
Day 29: a song from my childhood
Day 30: your favourite song this time last year



 
Creative Commons License
This work is licenced under a Creative Commons Licence.