That master of musical exchange SwissToni has been more than patient awaiting my review of his Shuffleathon cd. You may remember that I signed up for Shuffleathon 2007, sent off my cd (which caused great trauma for the recipient), and reaped karmic reward by not receiving a cd myself. Into the breach strode SwissT (rhymes with Misty, my pet name for the M of ME) and made me a customized cd. I've had it for well over a month now and it has provided great distraction on road trips between my house and my sister's house where less than pleasant things were happening (post about that sadness below).
So forthwith and with heartfelt apologies to SwissT, my review of SwissToni's Shuffleathon CD for JamieSmitten:
1. History Song by The Good, the Bad & the Queen. I had read a review of this album but never got around to picking it up. Paul Simonon -- so tasty -- how can you go wrong? (Disclaimer: I'm a Strummer girl, but I can appreciate the eye candy that Simonon continues to be) Listening to this song makes me feel like I'm an extra in a Robert Rodriguez film, tossing back tequila shots, and dancing slowly around a Mexican cantina filled with desperado vampires. Love the vibe. Must schedule vacation to Mexico.
2. Our Life is not a Movie or a Maybe by Okkervil River. Another band reviewed/mentioned regularly in Rolling Stone that I've never actually heard. Without looking at the songlist, I would have guessed that David Byrne had finally resurrected the Talking Heads and hooray for that. Peppy, quirky, enjoyable. You can't go wrong with a song that incorporates the lyrics "serenely dribbling." Well, I can't.
3. Suburban Knights by Hard Fi. The first band on the cd that is completely unknown to me. Hey, Hey, Hey, Oh, Oh, Oh, Ah, Ah, Ah, Hey, Hey, Hey. Infectious start and nice guitar bursts. I'm not sure why we're rocking the satellites, but there you have it.
4. Books from Boxes by Maximo Park. Never heard of them. Turns out I'm o.k. with that. Not a bad song, but seems to go on past my attention span. (And no, I've not been diagnosed with A.D.D.) About as exciting as unpacking books from boxes, like the guy says.
5. Golden Skans by Klaxons. Heard this one a few times on KEXP (world's best online radio). I'm not sure I get the fuss. Serviceable music for the decade, but feels like background music to me. I will share that one of my co-workers always includes Klaxons songs on his mix cds so the chicks think he is sensitive. (His words, not mine). At least I think it was the Klaxons, but it might have been another one of his sound-alike bands. Sigh. This is my problem with the Klaxons: indistinguishable.
6. Keep the Car Running by Arcade Fire. The first time I listened to this cd was in my car on the road. When this song came on, I scrambled quickly for the cd case which had become intermingled with the dog biscuits, cell phone, jacket, purse, and bag of yogurt covered raisins in the passenger seat. Scrambled, I did, because I couldn't believe that SwissT had included the song On the Dark Side by John Cafferty and Beaver Brown Band (from the Eddie and the Cruisers soundtrack). What? Arcade Fire? It was a full day before I got a chance to check YouTube for a video to determine if I was indeed cracked. Judge for yourself -- I think there are some definite similarities. I like this song, but will never, ever, ever be able to hear it without picturing Michael Pare in his leather jacket. Not sure that was what SwissT intended. [SNAP! YouTube has the Foo Fighters covering Keep the Car Running!]
7. On Call by Kings of Leon. Love these southern rocking hirsute hotties. Hadn't heard this song before, but plan to make my next crush sing it to me in bed. Seriously. There aren't that many lyrics to learn....
8. No I in Threesome by Interpol. Isn't that the truth? Sorry, I digress. I don't own any Interpol, but find this one pleasant enough. Definitely atmospheric. "babe it's time we give something new a try." So true.
9. Two More Years (MSTRKRFT remix) by Bloc Party. Another indie darling from the pages of Rolling Stone that has gone unheard by me. I was concerned by the remix addendum. Neighbor John is a house music aficionado (disco by any other name would thump as loudly, sayeth JamieShakespeare) and when the repetitive thumping beat is escaping his windows, I marvel that it rarely changes from song to song. So, to get back on the recap track, this is the song when I have a sip of coffee, give Boom a biscuit, and check my cell phone for messages. Nice upbeat background music but even after repeated listens, I couldn't tell you one lyric.
10. Fluorescent Adolescent by Arctic Monkeys. LOVE the Monkeys first US release and am now resolved to get off my butt and pick up Favourite Worst Nightmare album posthaste. Certainly has to be one of the best opening lyrics ever: "You used to get it in your fishnets, now you only get it in your night dress." Please let that not be a prophecy.
11. Sheila by Jamie T. Hands down the best revelation on the cd. I have been singing the chorus since the first play. If you go to Jamie T's website, you can hear an excellent cover of A New England. {moment of silence for Kirsty MacColl, gone before her time, who did the best cover of that Billy Bragg tune} I don't know if SwissT included this song because he thought I would like it or because Jamies love other Jamies, but it was a genius move on his part. Well played, sir!
12. Heavyweight Champion of the World by Reverend & the Makers. The Two of SwissT's One-Two punch! Great lyrics (see post title), excellent beat (gym song extraordinaire), and flat out excellent. A glance at their tour list on the band website reveals they haven't been stateside yet. On the plus side, I should definitely be able to swing front row if they do tour, being so ahead of the curve and all.
13. Slow Show by The National. Initial thought was how much the singer sounds like Brad Roberts from the Crash Test Dummies. A little too slow for my taste, but a good song. Apparently The National has been on David Letterman and is touring with R.E.M. this summer. So now I know.
14. When Under Ether by PJ Harvey. Thank goodness I got Polly Jean and not Tori (mix cds invariably have Tori. sigh). I have a few of PJ's albums and she is reliable if you are in an arty dark-ish mood. Not my regular cup of tea, but nice to have in the cupboard for the proper occasion.
15. Behave by Charlotte Hatherley. Never heard of her. Has a bit of a Voice of the Beehive vibe to my mind. YouTube had another one of her songs Bastardo that is kind of fun too. I'm not rushing out to buy the album, but I'm singing along.
16. Loughborough Suicide by The Young Knives. Good segue song from previous track, tune wise. "I will never go down fighting." That's your choice, buddy. Me, I'm a kicker and screamer.
17. Mathematics by Cherry Ghost. Not my favorite subject, nor my favorite song. A little too floaty, but then maybe SwissT was easing me off this musical journey gently. Doesn't make me reach for the skip button, so that's something.
So, in summation, should SwissToni ever decide to send out a monthly (quarterly? annual?) sampler cd to his readers/paying public, I would be first in line. High Fidelity indeed.
Tell all your single friends, try some new music today!
XO, JamieSmitten
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3 comments:
Hey - I'm sorry you didn't get your original CD. This was intended as recompense, and getting any kind of a review at all is a bonus for me!
As with all mix CDs, I don't think you can win them all, and so all I hope to do is to put on a couple of tracks that the recipient might like. On that basis alone, I'm really happy as it looks like I've mostly hit the mark.
When I was putting this together, I was trying to put on a mix of things that I was currently loving, things that I thought you might not have heard but might like and songs I love full stop. I then have a look at my shortlist and cut it down to CD size and then try to sequence. Jamie T is on here because
a) I love the song - it hit me one day when it came onto the radio and I couldn't rest until I found out who it was. It's a bit like some of the stuff that people like Kate Nash and the Streets are doing in the UK, with that shambling, spoken style, but it's much more influenced by the Clash (you should see him live). Great song.
b) I didn't think you'd be likely to have heard it
c) I hoped you'd like it
The fact that you are also a Jamie is just a bonus!
I'm really pleased you liked it, and thanks for giving it such a good listen.
(That National album, by the way, is a brilliant listen)
Thanks as always for playing!
ST
If you want more details on anything, incidentally, or even a more detailed breakdown of what's on, then just say!
math, not your favorite subject? but what about mr. brown? and jason huemer? and the bynum??
sigh. you sure had me fooled.
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