A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of making a second volume to my Triple Packs and Assorted Tracks mix CD. That collection consisted of tracks by a few particular artists in a group of threes, followed by several tracks by different musicians and bands in my normal mix tape format.
At one point, for one of my three-song sets, I used songs from three different singer who all recorded on the same label. In this case, I included three hit singles recorded on the popular Memphis-based soul label Stax.
The songs were sung, respectively, by Sam and Dave, Eddie Floyd, and Wilson Pickett.
Like many of my previous mixes, I ended with a track from a recently deceased artist or a band which included a member who passed recently. In addition, I would often dedicated that mix to those artists' memories. This time around, I did so in a triple-pack format. I included the early Rolling Stones hit "It's All Over Now" (written by the late singer/songwriter and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Bobby Womack), "Legend of Paul Revere" (as a tribute to the late Raiders' leader and namesake Paul Revere), and the Velvet Underground ballad "Pale Blue Eyes" (in memory of Lou Reed, who died the year before). To add, I opened the mix with three Everly Brothers tracks as a tribute to Phil Everly, who passed away last winter.
Triple Packs and Assorted Tracks Volume 2 complete tracklisting:
1) The Everly Brothers- "Wake Up Little Susie"
2) "- "When Will I Be Loved"
3) "- "Till I Kissed You"
4) Sam and Dave- "Soul Man"
5) Eddie Floyd- "Knock On Wood"
6) Wilson Pickett- "634-5789"
7) Nick Lowe- "I Love My Label"
8) "- "Born A Woman"
9) "- "Trail Of Tears"
10) Grin- "Everybody's Missin' The Sun"
11) The Four Seasons- "Let's Hang On"
12) Green On Red- "Abagail's Ghost"
13) The Grip Weeds- "Sight Unseen"
14) The Silencers- "Blue Desire"
15) The Replacements- "Red Red Wine" (Not the Neil Diamond classic)
16) Royal Guardsmen- "Snoopy Vs. The Red Baron"
17) Game Theory- "Linus And Lucy" (Vince Guaraldi cover)
18) Dire Straits- "Lady Writer"
19) Camper Van Beethoven- "Pictures of Matchstick Men" (Status Quo cover)
20) Texas Tornados- "Adios Mexico"
21) Alejandro Escovedo- "California Blues"
22) Keith- "98.6"
23) The Beatles- "Dr. Robert"
In Memoriam 2014:
24) The Rolling Stones- "It's All Over Now"
25) Paul Revere and The Raiders- "Legend Of Paul Revere"
26) The Velvet Underground- "Pale Blue Eyes"
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
For all musiclovers
Love music and want to search its many genres? This link is for you!: http://everynoise.com/engenremap.html
I like it for a few reasons, among them being it includes practically every subgenre and contains samples from myriad artists.
I like it for a few reasons, among them being it includes practically every subgenre and contains samples from myriad artists.
Monday, April 21, 2014
Sketch Comedy Collage
One of my favorite TV program genres for the past several years has been sketch comedy. Funny television programming often cheers me up when I need it, plus I enjoy watching live episodes of SNL late at night before going to bed. (I enjoyed watching MADTV as well prior to its cancellation, often switching back and forth between the two on Saturday nights throughout my high school and college years.)
A couple of years ago, I worked another one of several collages I made in the past few years. This one consists mainly of photos of the ensembles from various sketch comedy and improv groups of the past and present which I have viewed on TV and/or the Internet throughout my life, along with certain screencaps from certain indivudal sketches.
List of sketch comedy groups and programs included in this work: SNL, MAD TV, Monty Python's Flying Circus, The Benny Hill Show, In Living Color, All That, You Can't Do That On Television, SCTV, This Hour Has 22 Minutes, Almost Live, Royal Canadian Air Farce, The Carol Burnett Show, The Abbott & Costello Show, So Random!, Fridays, Mr. Show with Bob and David, The Ben Stiller Show, Blue Collar TV, Studio C, Studio 60 On The Sunset Strop, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, That Big Gay Sketch Show, Chappelle's Show, Red Green, The Kids In The Hall, and Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In.
A couple of years ago, I worked another one of several collages I made in the past few years. This one consists mainly of photos of the ensembles from various sketch comedy and improv groups of the past and present which I have viewed on TV and/or the Internet throughout my life, along with certain screencaps from certain indivudal sketches.
List of sketch comedy groups and programs included in this work: SNL, MAD TV, Monty Python's Flying Circus, The Benny Hill Show, In Living Color, All That, You Can't Do That On Television, SCTV, This Hour Has 22 Minutes, Almost Live, Royal Canadian Air Farce, The Carol Burnett Show, The Abbott & Costello Show, So Random!, Fridays, Mr. Show with Bob and David, The Ben Stiller Show, Blue Collar TV, Studio C, Studio 60 On The Sunset Strop, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, That Big Gay Sketch Show, Chappelle's Show, Red Green, The Kids In The Hall, and Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In.
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Fantastic Fitness and Stupendous Spotify Selections
Despite yet another snowstorm falling on my home base this past week, I nonetheless managed to squeeze a form of exercising into my schedule today. This morning I went to the clubhouse in my neighborhood (also a fine place for swimming in warmer weather) and while there I lifted some weights and walked on a treadmill for 20 minutes, followed by a five-minute cool down. Upon my return home, I cooked a hot dog and prepared a salad for lunch.
Later, with regard to my listening pleasure via Spotify, I alternated between two of my favorite subgenres of popular/rock music: Americana and power pop. The first album I listened to in its entirety today was an album by underrated yet talented Midwestern singer-songwriter (and the brother-in-law of Madonna) Joe Henry: Short Man's Room, originally released in 1992. Well-known roots rockers The Jayhawks were featured as Henry's backup band on the recording. It included some tracks that I liked a lot and, subsequently, added to my list of "starred" tracks, i.e. songs that I thought were really good as well as those which I don't get tired of hearing. One of the tracks from this particular album, "King's Highway," was later covered by Joan Baez.
After Joe Henry's album came to an end, i then switched gears and played some power pop. This afternoon I listened to the debut album ( actually, first public release) by Chicago-based influential power pop band Shoes: Black Vinyl Shoes, originally released in 1977. My personal favorite track off this record was the second-to-last one: a rocker titled "If You'd Stay." Shoes, led by brothers John and Jeff Murphy, have had a major cult following in the power pop community and among myriad power pop fans to this day, including myself. Among my favorite tracks of theirs that appeared on later albums of theirs include "Tomorrow Night" (link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9DfyEiw6yM&feature=kp) and "Too Late" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7tkDZ58DEw); some of the band's music videos were aired on MTV's inaugural day of broadcasting and they continue to perform and record to this day.
Other Americana and power pop artists whose albums (specific titles heard today listed in parentheses) I listened to today included, respectively, Rhett Miller (The Instigator) and Marshall Crenshaw (Field Day).
Later, with regard to my listening pleasure via Spotify, I alternated between two of my favorite subgenres of popular/rock music: Americana and power pop. The first album I listened to in its entirety today was an album by underrated yet talented Midwestern singer-songwriter (and the brother-in-law of Madonna) Joe Henry: Short Man's Room, originally released in 1992. Well-known roots rockers The Jayhawks were featured as Henry's backup band on the recording. It included some tracks that I liked a lot and, subsequently, added to my list of "starred" tracks, i.e. songs that I thought were really good as well as those which I don't get tired of hearing. One of the tracks from this particular album, "King's Highway," was later covered by Joan Baez.
After Joe Henry's album came to an end, i then switched gears and played some power pop. This afternoon I listened to the debut album ( actually, first public release) by Chicago-based influential power pop band Shoes: Black Vinyl Shoes, originally released in 1977. My personal favorite track off this record was the second-to-last one: a rocker titled "If You'd Stay." Shoes, led by brothers John and Jeff Murphy, have had a major cult following in the power pop community and among myriad power pop fans to this day, including myself. Among my favorite tracks of theirs that appeared on later albums of theirs include "Tomorrow Night" (link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9DfyEiw6yM&feature=kp) and "Too Late" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7tkDZ58DEw); some of the band's music videos were aired on MTV's inaugural day of broadcasting and they continue to perform and record to this day.
Other Americana and power pop artists whose albums (specific titles heard today listed in parentheses) I listened to today included, respectively, Rhett Miller (The Instigator) and Marshall Crenshaw (Field Day).
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Welcome Back SNL!
After its month-long hiatus due to the Winter Olympics being broadcast on NBC, I am really looking forward to watching SNL's return to the schedule tonight, with host Jim Parsons and musical guest Beck [Hansen]. While I personally feel that this past season has neither been SNL's best nor worst in nearly 40-year history, I still find it very funny and watchable nonetheless. I also watched the first broadcast of Late Night with Seth Meyers the other night and thought the former SNL head writer and Weekend Update anchor/co-anchor was off to a pretty good start with regard to his new gig.
Sometimes I pleasure making pictures and editing them with Microsoft Paint and Adobe Photoshop. Many times I like to make collages consisting of several photos sharing a common bond. In the spring of 2010, I made a collage celebrating what was then the 35th anniversary of Saturday Night Live. The photo below consists of practically every repertory or featured player in SNL's cast's history (continuously updated the past few years), along with several past and present SNL logos as well as stills and title cards from various sketches.
Sometimes I pleasure making pictures and editing them with Microsoft Paint and Adobe Photoshop. Many times I like to make collages consisting of several photos sharing a common bond. In the spring of 2010, I made a collage celebrating what was then the 35th anniversary of Saturday Night Live. The photo below consists of practically every repertory or featured player in SNL's cast's history (continuously updated the past few years), along with several past and present SNL logos as well as stills and title cards from various sketches.
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
More Obscure Audio Treasures I've Listened To In Their Entirety on Spotify
Other fine and little-known albums heard in their entirety by this blogger's ears for the first time on his Spotify account include, but are not limited to:
Paul Collins- King Of Power Pop!
Bobby Sutliff- Allsorts
The Mayflies USA- Walking In A Straight Line
"- The Pity List
Splitsville- Ultrasound
Farrah- Cut Out & Keep
Zumpano- Look What The Rookie Did
Judybats- Native Son
EIEIO- That Love Thang
The Rain Parade- Emergency Third Rail Power Trip
The Original Sins- Big Soul
While I do find a little bit of fault with Spotify due to the fact that they lack the rights to the music of some of my favorite artists and bands (most notably the Beatles, AC/DC, Bob Seger, and the highly underrated yet very listenable and influential California-based power pop group Game Theory) or in other cases, some artists are available but not all the albums in their discographies may not necessarily be, I nonetheless view Spotify as one of the best places online for legal music streaming. This is mainly because it is a perfect place to search for and listen to myriad little-known yet listenable recordings such as the ones listed above and in one of my previous posts. I will continue to post more titles of albums I discover and listen to on Spotify (and elsewhere) onto this blog as time marches forward. Great night to all and I hope and pray that this darned polar vortex ends soon so that I enjoy the great outdoors again!
Paul Collins- King Of Power Pop!
Bobby Sutliff- Allsorts
The Mayflies USA- Walking In A Straight Line
"- The Pity List
Splitsville- Ultrasound
Farrah- Cut Out & Keep
Zumpano- Look What The Rookie Did
Judybats- Native Son
EIEIO- That Love Thang
The Rain Parade- Emergency Third Rail Power Trip
The Original Sins- Big Soul
While I do find a little bit of fault with Spotify due to the fact that they lack the rights to the music of some of my favorite artists and bands (most notably the Beatles, AC/DC, Bob Seger, and the highly underrated yet very listenable and influential California-based power pop group Game Theory) or in other cases, some artists are available but not all the albums in their discographies may not necessarily be, I nonetheless view Spotify as one of the best places online for legal music streaming. This is mainly because it is a perfect place to search for and listen to myriad little-known yet listenable recordings such as the ones listed above and in one of my previous posts. I will continue to post more titles of albums I discover and listen to on Spotify (and elsewhere) onto this blog as time marches forward. Great night to all and I hope and pray that this darned polar vortex ends soon so that I enjoy the great outdoors again!
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