single file in the nuclear night....

Earworms of the Week

“Step Into My Office, Baby” – Belle & Sebastian

A band that I used to cordially loathe – like many people – and then I actually listened to and found I was quite taken with them. The album that “turned” me was “If You’re Feeling Sinister”, and that’s probably still my favourite, but “Dear Catastrophe Waitress” probably runs it a close second. Funnily enough, that was the last album of theirs that I really liked too. Still, they remain the band that is proof positive that I can change my mind about music. I like running to this actually, which is ironic, as I can’t really imagine the band or many of their fans enjoying exercise all that much. They could all be marathon runners for all that I know….

“Stacked Actors” – Foo Fighters

Another good running song, although probably a lot more obvious. I do like a bit of Foo Fighters now and again. For a rock band, I think they’re probably ultimately fairly lightweight – as their failure to come up with a really classic album probably demonstrates – but they do know their way around a good single, that much is for sure. This song is particularly stuck in my head because of the line “…and we cry when they all dye blonde”. Not sure why, but there it is.

“I Like Birds” – Eels

Love Eels. Love this song. He likes... Burrrds. And so say all of us.

“Jesus Christ Pose” – Soundgarden

This was the song that originally got me into Soundgarden back in the day… although listening to it now, it seems a bit flimsy. It’s certainly true that – Rusty Cage apart, perhaps – the band were a lot better by the time they released “Superunknown”, which is a great album. Chris Cornell is a damn fine rock vocalist too. Few better, actually.

“Kayleigh” – Marillion

Yeah, easily explained by the fact that I’ve started working with someone with this name (and also someone called “Layla”, actually). I’ve changed jobs, and instead of working with hairy-arsed EPOS developers, I now seem to spend a lot more time in a contact centre environment working with people who are somewhat more fragrant. I won’t lie to you, it’s not been horrible.

“No Rain” – Blind Melon

This was actually playing over the PA in our reception today. I imagine that this was programmed months ago, but you have to laugh at the irony when all our car parks are flooded.

“Moves Like Jagger” – Maroon 5

Not so much the horrible Maroon 5 song as the “Moves Like Draugr” parody that I posted the other day. It may be unspeakably tragic, but you have to take your hat off at the guys sheer commitment to the gag, if nothing else. Meanwhile, in Skyrim, I’ve just become a cannibal. Yes. Was that me just laughing at EPOS developers? Ahahahahahaha. Kill me now.

“Be Aggressive” – Faith No More

Be Aggressive. Be-e aggressive. B.E.A.G.G.R.E.S.S.I.V.E.
You gotta love Faith No More. For a while there back in the day, they were spectacular. I saw them at the Birmingham NEC in about 1992, round about the time that they had their cover of “Easy” by the Commodores in the charts. We rained seat covers on them, and it was a magnificent night.

“Dance With Me” – Nouvelle Vague / The Lords of the New Church

Nouvelle Vague have been bothering my internal jukebox quite a lot over the last few weeks…. So much so, in fact, that I dug out the albums for the first time in a few years. Well, I say dug out… actually all I did was spool my iPod to the relevant bit and that was it… I suppose that, at the end of the day, the whole French chanteuse cover versions of new wave classics isn’t really that clever, but it does sound good. I think the quality of the songs helps, mind.

“Stay Together” – Suede

Prompted by mark mentioning that Suede played this song when he saw them at Hop Farm the other day… and they almost never play this. They’ve been back together for a while now and I still haven’t been to see them. In fact, although I bought their debut album on the week of release, I think, I’ve only actually seen the band once: playing the Other Stage at Glastonbury in 1993… notoriously electing in my wisdom to watch them instead of the recently reformed Velvet Underground. I don’t think that’s a decision I would make again today, but Suede were brilliant that night. “Dog Man Star” also reminds me of the four months I spent in Venice at the back end of 1994. A friend posted me a cassette copy of the album when it came out, and I used to listen to it all the time on my walkman (with graphic equalizers) as I wandered about the city in the middle of the night on my way back from some bar or other. Great days, crazy nights.

Anyway. That’s your lot. At the risk of finishing up by talking about the weather again, have a good weekend, y’all....hope it isn’t raining too much where you are….