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Earworms of the Week.
> Flyswatter - the eels
I think this one is in here because the band are about to feature in the alphabeticon and because they're really very good indeed. I'm not sure why my brain has landed on this particular song. I think perhaps it's because I used to have a compilation of indie tunes that I would listen to in the car... it had things like "Buck Rogers" by Feeder, "Shining Light" by Ash on it... the representation by the eels was this song. Good song though.
> Go Your Own Way - Fleetwood Mac
Just because.
> Powder Blue - Elbow
It's easy to forget quite how good Elbow are - and they have never really had the highest of profiles. This song is on their debut album, which is great but I hadn't listened to it for a while when this song popped up on shuffle the other day. I really must dig it out. Another band that will feature in the next installment of the alphabeticon.
> I Want it That Way - Backstreet Boys
OK. This one is a bit tenuous. C. was watching the final of "Dance with the Stars" (or whatever the US version of the celebrity dance thing is called), and the speed skater Apollo Anton Ohno was dancing in the final against Joey Fatone from NSYNC. NSYNC, Backstreet Boys... it's all the same thing isn't it? No? Well it is in my head. I think perhaps I have a special connection with the Backstreet Boys: I spent much of a two week holiday in Florida with the Pollstar earworming "Backstreet's Back" as I seemed to have the magical ability to merely look at the radio and the song would come on. A curse as much as it was a blessing, I'm sure you'll agree. And now I'm earworming that too. Great.
> Levi Stubbs' Tears - Billy Bragg
Another week, another Billy Bragg earworm. I'm nothing if not predictable. This is a hangover from the letter "b" in the alphabeticon, and a discussion I had with the Pollstar (who is currently in Argentina) about how he first introduced me to the Braggster when we were both 13.... something he is rightly proud of.
"With the money from her accident
She bought herself a mobile home
So at least she could get some enjoyment
Out of being alone
No one could say that she was left up on the shelf
'It's you and me against the world kid', she mumbled to herself."
Levi Stubbs was in the Four Tops, of course, although the song's not about him. Bragg's a much underrated lyricist, I reckon (although it's probably better for the purposes of that statement that you forget the lyrics to "Sexuality")
> Sugar, We're Going Down - Fallout Boy
These lyrics are almost totally incomprehensible, but it's brilliant.
> At My Most Beautiful - R.E.M.
Not a traditional love song by any means, but I love the way that Stipe articulates his love by talking about counting the eyelashes of his lover as they sleep. It's a lovely song.
> Atlantic - Keane
In my head for rather obvious reasons, and I've written about this already this week, so I'll try not to go on about it. My favourite song on Keane's last album because it's got such a different mood to the rest of their stuff.... it sounds brooding and mysterious... two words not typically associated with Keane. Great Irvine Welsh video too.
> The Greatest Love of All - Whitney Houston
The worst karaoke performance I have ever seen in my whole life, I think, was a lovely chap who boldly took up the microphone to this song at LB & Hen's wedding last weekend. I believe it's his special party piece, but he was totally, utterly and heroically hopeless.
At least he kept his dignity, eh?
> Beyond the Sea - Bobby Darin
...this was my choice of karaoke song at the wedding. Sadly they didn't have any Johnny Cash, but I thought that this one didn't have too many sudden changes of key, so I took my chances and gave it a go. Karaoke is not something I've made a habit of in my life, so I would never claim to be an expert, but people started to dance. It was late in the evening though, so perhaps they had been drinking....
thanks to Stef for the picture...
> La Donna รจ Mobile - from Giuseppe Verdi's opera Rigoletto ("woman is flighty")
I wish I could say that this is because I am a deeply cultured person. It's not. It's for the simple reason that this is the tune that Chelsea fans use to chant the name of their former manager, Jose Mourinho. I just cannot shift it from my head.
Earworms of the Week.
> Flyswatter - the eels
I think this one is in here because the band are about to feature in the alphabeticon and because they're really very good indeed. I'm not sure why my brain has landed on this particular song. I think perhaps it's because I used to have a compilation of indie tunes that I would listen to in the car... it had things like "Buck Rogers" by Feeder, "Shining Light" by Ash on it... the representation by the eels was this song. Good song though.
> Go Your Own Way - Fleetwood Mac
Just because.
> Powder Blue - Elbow
It's easy to forget quite how good Elbow are - and they have never really had the highest of profiles. This song is on their debut album, which is great but I hadn't listened to it for a while when this song popped up on shuffle the other day. I really must dig it out. Another band that will feature in the next installment of the alphabeticon.
> I Want it That Way - Backstreet Boys
OK. This one is a bit tenuous. C. was watching the final of "Dance with the Stars" (or whatever the US version of the celebrity dance thing is called), and the speed skater Apollo Anton Ohno was dancing in the final against Joey Fatone from NSYNC. NSYNC, Backstreet Boys... it's all the same thing isn't it? No? Well it is in my head. I think perhaps I have a special connection with the Backstreet Boys: I spent much of a two week holiday in Florida with the Pollstar earworming "Backstreet's Back" as I seemed to have the magical ability to merely look at the radio and the song would come on. A curse as much as it was a blessing, I'm sure you'll agree. And now I'm earworming that too. Great.
> Levi Stubbs' Tears - Billy Bragg
Another week, another Billy Bragg earworm. I'm nothing if not predictable. This is a hangover from the letter "b" in the alphabeticon, and a discussion I had with the Pollstar (who is currently in Argentina) about how he first introduced me to the Braggster when we were both 13.... something he is rightly proud of.
"With the money from her accident
She bought herself a mobile home
So at least she could get some enjoyment
Out of being alone
No one could say that she was left up on the shelf
'It's you and me against the world kid', she mumbled to herself."
Levi Stubbs was in the Four Tops, of course, although the song's not about him. Bragg's a much underrated lyricist, I reckon (although it's probably better for the purposes of that statement that you forget the lyrics to "Sexuality")
> Sugar, We're Going Down - Fallout Boy
These lyrics are almost totally incomprehensible, but it's brilliant.
> At My Most Beautiful - R.E.M.
Not a traditional love song by any means, but I love the way that Stipe articulates his love by talking about counting the eyelashes of his lover as they sleep. It's a lovely song.
> Atlantic - Keane
In my head for rather obvious reasons, and I've written about this already this week, so I'll try not to go on about it. My favourite song on Keane's last album because it's got such a different mood to the rest of their stuff.... it sounds brooding and mysterious... two words not typically associated with Keane. Great Irvine Welsh video too.
> The Greatest Love of All - Whitney Houston
The worst karaoke performance I have ever seen in my whole life, I think, was a lovely chap who boldly took up the microphone to this song at LB & Hen's wedding last weekend. I believe it's his special party piece, but he was totally, utterly and heroically hopeless.
At least he kept his dignity, eh?
> Beyond the Sea - Bobby Darin
...this was my choice of karaoke song at the wedding. Sadly they didn't have any Johnny Cash, but I thought that this one didn't have too many sudden changes of key, so I took my chances and gave it a go. Karaoke is not something I've made a habit of in my life, so I would never claim to be an expert, but people started to dance. It was late in the evening though, so perhaps they had been drinking....
thanks to Stef for the picture...
> La Donna รจ Mobile - from Giuseppe Verdi's opera Rigoletto ("woman is flighty")
I wish I could say that this is because I am a deeply cultured person. It's not. It's for the simple reason that this is the tune that Chelsea fans use to chant the name of their former manager, Jose Mourinho. I just cannot shift it from my head.
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All the addresses for the shuffleathon are now in, so I'll do the draw at some point over the weekend. Stand by your inboxes!
This post has accomplished two things: giving me a need to sing karaoke (I am a recovering addict) and having this bad punk rock band cover of "I Want It That Way" as an earworm.
ReplyDeleteYou look like you're really getting into your rendition of Beyond the Sea!
ReplyDelete