The Song Fight Bulletin Board

ken wrote:Heart Shaped Box - Nirvana
Pets - Porno for Pyros

Pets maybe. Heart Shaped Box, I don't think it has the feel for today's block. The afternoon plays have begun with "Digging Your Scene" by the Blow Monkeys.

Paco has helped this day along by helping me find the Waitresses which went perfectly after Bon Jovi, Dmob and Whodini. Next up, I think I need to slow it down with some Carly Simon. Oh yeah. James Bond.

Is it too late to discover Blur? Cause that's what I'm listening to.

I may or may not have contributed to this experiment by providing the following:

Matthew Wilder - Break My Stride
The Waitresses - I Know What Boys Like
Buckner and Garcia - Pac-Man Fever
The Osmonds - Crazy Horses
Johnny Kemp - Just Got Paid
The Jets - Crush on You
Yes - Owner of a Lonely Heart
Nick Lowe - Cruel to be Kind

ROCK!

Glenn Case

Wolfsheim - Spectators

The experiment chugs along and I've been more and more what kind of song creates a reaction from my co-workers. I figured that familiar pop hits that are a little on the cheesier side would garner reactions. Songs like "Poison" by Bell Biv Devoe, "Born to be my Baby" by Bon Jovi and "Once Bitten, Twice Shy" by Great White got co-workers to stop what they are doing, just to listen. I'm gonna play some more songs to see what makes them react. Then tomorrow (or Monday), I will do a whole day of blistering rock and see how different the reaction is. I wonder if heads will still turn out of curiousity. Will curiousity outweigh familiarity?

Back to the songs. Recent plays included OK GO (doing "Jessie's Girl"), Musical Youth and Scandal and all the songs that Glenn mentioned. Next up, Herbie Hancock.

Niveous wrote:Next up, Herbie Hancock.

Oh, please tell me you're playing "Rockit".

ROCK!

Glenn Case

Of course, I was playing "Rockit". Now I'm doing the "Age of Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In". I'm surprised by the lack of reaction for it. Meanwhile "Rockit" got a hilarious reaction from my friend Maria, who stopped at my desk, gave a look of "I know this". Waited. Bopped head until she realized what song it is and then left.

Niveous wrote:Of course, I was playing "Rockit". Now I'm doing the "Age of Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In". I'm surprised by the lack of reaction for it. Meanwhile "Rockit" got a hilarious reaction from my friend Maria, who stopped at my desk, gave a look of "I know this". Waited. Bopped head until she realized what song it is and then left.

Freaking awesome! I am highly amused by the tales of your experiment. I'm curious to see how the rest of the day unfolds.

ROCK!

Glenn Case

The best result so far was co-worker Anthony, who had never heard "The Final Countdown". His reaction was great as he said the song needs to be in an 80's movie where the underdog is training for the big fight. Then the chorus hit. Sold. He was off to get the mp3.

Currently playing: Godley & Creme.

If they liked Rockit, how about Axel F? Actually also the Top Gun Anthem (Faltermeyer)... lots of stuff on that Top Gun soundtrack would fit. "Take My Breath Away" (Berlin)?
-bill

I'm listening to Ted Leo for basically the first time. Pretty good, but maybe overhyped to me.

mkilly wrote:I'm listening to Ted Leo for basically the first time. Pretty good, but maybe overhyped to me.

I remember thinking the same thing when he was a breakout star, like six years ago. Which song/album did you get to, Marcus?

"Cast in Stone" by Venom. In 1998, they decided to re-record some old classics and a few new songs. CD 2 is freakin' awesome, standout tracks include "Bloodlust", "Die Hard", "Acid Queen", "Warhead", and "Rip Ride". If you were a fan back in the early 80s, or if you just love extreme metal, get this, it's fantastic!

The Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely.

A Jack White side project. Some of the tracks (the title cut, or the single "Salute Your Solution") sound like White Stripes tracks with a bigger band. The majority of the tracks, however, have a bluesy, southern-rock vibe, peppered with echoes of Beatles harmonies. I recommend "Old Enough," "Rich Kid Blues," and "Carolina Drama." Good stuff.

Generic wrote:The Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely.

A Jack White side project. Some of the tracks (the title cut, or the single "Salute Your Solution") sound like White Stripes tracks with a bigger band. The majority of the tracks, however, have a bluesy, southern-rock vibe, peppered with echoes of Beatles harmonies. I recommend "Old Enough," "Rich Kid Blues," and "Carolina Drama." Good stuff.

They are called "The Saboteurs" in my part of the world - but nevertheless, Carolina Drama is one of the coolest songs ever.

Lots of Elliott Smith lately... But, right now I am listening to Pink Moon by Nick Drake.

Peter Murphy - Space Oddity (cover song 40 years after Bowie originally recorded it...)

Caravan Ray wrote:

Generic wrote:The Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely.

A Jack White side project. Some of the tracks (the title cut, or the single "Salute Your Solution") sound like White Stripes tracks with a bigger band. The majority of the tracks, however, have a bluesy, southern-rock vibe, peppered with echoes of Beatles harmonies. I recommend "Old Enough," "Rich Kid Blues," and "Carolina Drama." Good stuff.

They are called "The Saboteurs" in my part of the world - but nevertheless, Carolina Drama is one of the coolest songs ever.

That's gotta be weird, having to change your band name depending on which continent you're on... I don't know, though; I think The Saboteurs is a better band name than The Raconteurs anyway. It's good to know that the "southern" rock vibe still translates well overseas.

I've managed to mooch a turntable off some friends (by offering to dub a bunch of LPs to CD for them if they'd loan me the tt), so I've been listening to some really oddball stuff lately... old jazz records from Goodwill, etc. Right now, it's the Gary Wright album with Dreamweaver.

A couple weeks ago, I dubbed over four songs (two singles) by Mickey and Gene Holman, who were the pastors of the church our family went to in the early sixties in Topanga Canyon (we had moved out before all the cool people moved in). Country gospel, sounds a lot like some ol' super-rare Hank Williams song Both of them are still alive, and I've sent each of them a CD with the songs... which will hopefully not cause problems with current spouses (long, long story from long, long ago). I haven't heard these songs in 40+ years, amazing to hear them again after all these years...

Charles (KA)

Jon Eric you are way behind the times.

The Raconteurs are/were a pretty decent band -- way more than "sounds like the White Stripes with a bigger band", I always have felt this outlet gave Jack the opportunity to more fully realize his visions (working with actual musicians, not some chick he taught a few rudimentary drum patterns to) as well as something that would be helpful for nearly all musician/songwriters: other minds to discuss things and bounce things off of. Even though he still does/did the majority of singing and a lot of the writing, other people's input has really broadened the whole spectrum of sound. I never liked the White Stripes much but felt like it was a talented guy constrained by his surroundings and the equipment and arrangements he worked with (although that was by choice, rather than necessity) -- the Raconteurs is the same guy sans those restraints.

I say "behind the times" though, because last week they released the new album from his new band, Dead Weather.

And the chick that sings, sounds like Jack White... go figure...