Best of the Week: April 27-May 1

http://8tracks.com/BubbleWolf/thedailyplaylist-week-in-review-april-27may-1-httpthedailyplaylistblogspotcom-

Have a great weekend,
Erik

Day 70: Elvis Costello

This week's artist spotlight is Mr. Elvis Costello, a man for whom I have the utmost respect. Like Lou Reed and Joe Strummer, Costello was both simultaneously more punk than the punks and more intelligent than the... well everyone. Lyrically he always comes through with a profound message on pretty much every topic. Unlike a lot of punk music, he doesn't fall back on the primitive "Fuck you" to the government message. Instead he describes why we can't truth those in power. Musically, his explorations have ventured from rock to jazz to reggae to punk and nearly everything else, and he's done them all well. Also, like a Van Morrison, his music has aged really well (and so has his voice).

I've put together a 20-track list of some of my favorite Costello songs (though it could easily be 50). I've spanned the majority of his career, from his more punkish roots to his recent dabblings in jazz and classical. Enjoy!!!

YouTube:
(All songs by Elvis Costello and one of his many back-up groups [The Attractions, The Imposters, and the Brodsky Quartet])
01. (I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea
02. Bedlam
03. Welcome to the Working Week (Note: This song was going to go on the May Day list, but I knew it was going on this list so I decided not to use it, though it deserves to be)
04. Man Out Of Time (I've used this song on a previous list, but I'm sorry, I love it so)
05. Little Palaces
06. I Almost Had A Weakness (Cover Only)
07. Little Triggers
08. Couldn't Call It Unexpected (Cover Only)
09. Tokyo Storm Warning (N/A)
10. White Knuckles (N/A)
11. Everyday I Write The Book
12. Watching the Detectives
13. ...And In Every Home (N/A)
14. Shipbuilding
15. Soul For Hire (Cover Only)
16. Goon Squad (N/A)
17. 13 Steps Lead Down
18. Man Called Uncle (N/A)
19. Clubland
20. Alison

imeem: External:

Day 70: Elvis Costello

Get Happy!!
Erik

Vids!


And


And epically


(Image by Bruno Bollaert, Licensed Under Creative Commons)

Day 69: May Day

Solidarity! Tomorrow's May Day, or Labour Day, or International Worker's Day; basically a day to celebrate the working man/woman. I've put together a 10-track list of workin' songs. (Note: I know I'm a day early, but April 30 isn't a very eventful day.)

Now, there are two camps of working songs. There are songs about working, and songs about workers (and their rights). And, there's a lot of cheese on both sides of the spectrum. Songs about workers tend to come across as overly bitchy and preachy (no matter how justifiably bitchy they are); and songs about working tend to just be just downright stupid and pedestrian. For this list I've tried to strike a decent balance between the two.

Enjoy. And take a few minutes tomorrow and just relax. Don't work so hard, it'll kill you.

YouTube:
01. The Clash - Career Opportunities
02. Billy Bragg - Between the Wars
03. Bob Dylan - Maggie's Farm
04. Big D & the Kids Table - Souped-Up Vinyl
05. Dropkick Murpheys - Worker's Song
06. Rolling Stones - Salt of the Earth
07. Bruce Springsteen - Factory
08. Aesop Rock - 9-5ers Anthem
09. John Lennon - Working Class Hero
10. Rush - Working Man

imeem: External:

Day 69: May Day

Solidarity!
Erik

Videos!


And of Course


(Image by Saad Akhtar, Licensed Under Creative Commons)

Day 68: Wildcard (14)

Alright! Wildcard time! I never know what to do with these things. There are just so many possibilities, and I don't want to get too obscure, but I also don't want to get overly mainstream. I guess my rationale behind my Wildcard selections is that it would be what I would play if I had a radio show. So if you could imagine... Well, enjoy! And, of course, old Wildcards can be found here.

YouTube:
01. Hot Chip - Ready For The Floor
02. The Strokes - Someday
03. Los Campesinos! - We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed
04. Ghostface Killah - Shakey Dog
05. KRS-One - Step Into A World (Rapture's Delight)
06. Shugo Tokumaru - Parachute
07. Pop Levi - Never Never Love (N/A on imeem, "Skip Ghetto" instead)
08. Tiffany - I Think We're Alone Now
09. Cut Copy - So Haunted
10. Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart
11. Modest Mouse - Lounge (Closing Time)
12. The Ronettes - Be My Baby
13. The Impressions - Keep On Pushing
14. T.I. - What You Know
15. Trick Daddy - I'm A Thug
16. Murs - H.U.S.T.L.E.
17. 38 Special - Hold On Loosely
18. Sea Wolf - I Made A Resolution
19. Soul Asylum - Runaway Train
20. Ted Nugent - Fred Bear

imeem: External:

Day 68: Wildcard (14)

Bonus Video!


(Image by RebelBlueAngel, Licensed Under Creative Commons)

Day 67: Oh, Sad Canada

April 28 brings a strange holiday: National Day of Mourning in Canada. It's supposedly designed to remember those who have died in workplace-related accidents; which is pretty sad stuff I guess. For the holiday I've put together my list of 10 of the saddest songs by Canadian artists. Because I'm creative like that. Enjoy!

YouTube:

01. Joni Mitchell - Blue

02. Gordon Lightfoot - The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
03. Feist - The Park

04. Stars - Celebration Guns (N/A)

05. Alanis Morissette - You Oughta Know
06. Sum 41 - Still Waiting

07. Ron Sexsmith - Words We Never Use

08. Chad VanGaalen - Willow Tree

09. Neil Young - Old Man

10. Leonard Cohen - Stranger Song

imeem: External:

Day 67: Oh, Sad Canada

Here's A Tissue, Eh,

Erik

(Image by Just Us 3, Licensed Under Creative Commons)

Day 66: Krautrock

This week's genre tour is Krautrock; an interesting music experiment that existed primarily in Germany, obviously, in the late 60s and early 70s. Drawing influences from all over the place from pop music and jazz to bands like the Velvet Underground, Krautrock laid the groundwork for heaps of other genres (electronic, some hip-hop, ambient, post punk, etc.)

Now, Krautrock isn't for everyone. A lot of it is based on minimalism and repetition, which doesn't appeal to most. But be patient with it.

I've assembled a list of what I consider some essential introductions to the genre, in order to provide a decent cross-section to get a full feel of the breadth of Krautrock (it does not all sound the same). I am greatly indebted to the A.V. Club and its readers, for this article, which really helped flesh out the list.

YouTube:
01. Tangerine Dream - Sequent C
02. Harmonia - Notre Dame
03. Can - Mushroom
04. Faust - Jennifer
05. Amon Düül II - Deutsch Nepal
06. Kraftwerk - Ruckzuck
07. NEU! - Negativland
08. Popol Vuh - Through Pain to Heaven
09. Embryo - Ticket to India (N/A)
10. Agitation Free - Laila
11. Cluster - Marzipan (N/A)
12. Ash Ra Tempel - Day Dream
13. Pink Floyd - Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun

imeem: External:

Day 66: Krautrock

Auf Wiedersehen,
Erik

Bonus Video!


(Image by Aenneken, Licensed Under Creative Commons)