Day 79: Adventure

Today is a special day! On this day in 1944 and 1952, respectively, acclaimed directors George Lucas and Robert Zemeckis were born. What I feel connects these two filmmakers is their sense of fantasy and adventure; Zemeckis being responsible for Back to the Future, Who Framed Roger Rabbit? and Forrest Gump; and Lucas obviously being responsible for Star Wars.

In honor of these two movie men I've put together a list of 15 songs that encapsulate a sense of adventure. It was a tough list to whittle down because, believe it or not, there are a lot of adventurous songs; mostly because adventures can be fantastic or commonplace. I tried to assemble a list that included some of the many types of adventures out there. If you have any suggestions, feel free to drop me a line.

(Note: This list probably could have been entirely prog rock and power metal, but where's the fun in that?)

YouTube:
01. Europe - The Final Countdown
02. Elton John - Rocket Man
03. Deep Purple - Space Truckin'
04. Styx - Come Sail Away
05. The Aquabats - The Wild Sea!
06. Crosby, Stills & Nash - Marrakesh Express
07. Simon & Garfunkel - America
08. America - Horse With No Name
09. Tom Waits - Hold On
10. The Decemberists - Mariner's Revenge Song
11. Beach Boys - Sloop John B
12. Genesis - One For The Vine
13. Led Zeppelin - Kashmir
14. Metallica - Wherever I May Roam
15. Dragonforce - Through the Fire and Flames

imeem: External:

Day 79: Adventure

Travellin',
Erik

Videos!


and


(Image by Nik Jones, 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)

Day 59: LSD, Man

Alright druggies, today is your day. Set up your black lights. It's time to expand your minds.

I'll never claim to be an expert on psychedelics, but on this day in 1943, Dr. Albert Hofmann first discovered the psychedelic effects of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD). For this day I've assembled a list of songs that will either mellow you out or blow your mind, depending on what type of trip you're having. Enjoy, man.

YouTube:
01. Pink Floyd - Time
02. Outkast - Love Hater
03. The Dukes of Stratosphear - Collideascope
04. The Velvet Underground - Heroin
05. Animal Collective - Summertime Clothes
06. 13th Floor Elevators - You're Gonna Miss Me
07. Jimi Hendrix - Voodoo Child
08. Tim Buckley - Starsailor
09. Radiohead - Motion Picture Soundtrack
10. Sigur Ros - Hjartad Hamast
11. Elliott Smith - Ostriches & Chirping
12. DJ QBert - Inner Space Dental Commander
13. Funkadelic - Maggot Brain
14. Neutral Milk Hotel - Marching Theme
15. The Beatles - A Day In The Life (N/A on imeem, "Rainy Day Mushroom Pillow" instead)
16. This Heat - Independence (N/A)
17. Jonny Greenwood - Henry Plainview
18. Miles Davis - Black Satin
19. J Dilla - Won't Do
20. Beach Boys - Vegetables
21. King Crimson - In the Court of King Crimson

imeem: External:

Day 59: LSD

Far Out,
Erik

Bonus Videos!


And


And Finally


(Image By Dave, Licensed Under Creative Commons)

Day 49: Charlie Chaplin's Speechless

On this day in 1972, Charlie Chaplin returned to the United States after a nearly 20-year exile on account of McCarthy-era Red Scare politics. Mr. Chaplin (who is best known for his silent-era comedies and physical humor) was labeled a Communist and, after leaving the country in 1952, wasn't allowed return. So he stayed away until the Academy offered him an honorary Oscar in '72.

Originally, I wanted to make a list of songs that effectively use silence. It sounds cool in theory, but I honestly don't know enough about music to make such a list. I'm sure if I had a staff of people it would be a great collaboration.

Instead, I've made a list of instrumental songs. Chaplin made great movies without talking, so I thought a cool tribute would be a list of songs without talking. Granted some of these tracks have a little bit of talking in them, but they are, for the most part, strictly instrumental.

I wanted to have a broad spectrum of musical styles here; and I think I succeeded. There's really a sampling of nearly every genre imaginable. I hope you enjoy! This list would also probably be great for studying (I know I have trouble focusing when there are lyrics going on in the background).

YouTube:
01. Van Halen - Eruption
02. Explosions in the Sky - A Song for Our Fathers
03. Metallica - Orion
04. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - East Hastings
05. Rush - YYZ
06. Bill Conti - Gonna Fly Now
07. Chuck Mangione - Feels So Good
08. Reel Big Fish - Sayonara Senorita
09. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy - Go Daddy-O!
10. Average White Band - Pick Up The Pieces
11. The Surfaris - Wipe Out
12. Beach Boys - Pet Sounds
13. Brian Eno - 1/1
14. Jon Brion - Omni
15. Rjd2 - Ghostwriter
16. J Dilla - Time: The Donuts of the Heart
17. War - City, Country, City (N/A)
18. Outkast (Andre 3000) - My Favorite Things
19. Blues Brothers - Green Onions/Soul Finger (I was originally going to do both, but I found this dual version. The originals can be found HERE and HERE)
20. Miles Davis - Blue In Green

imeem: External:

Day 49: Instrumental Music

Shhhhh,
Erik

Bonus Video!


(Image By ~Mclaire~, Licensed Under Creative Commons)

Day 42: The Unfu**ables

I apologize for the ambiguity of the title, but I wanted to keep it PG-13. This list is a dedication to ugly musicians. Those who, despite being musically gifted, may still have to pay/beg for sex on occasion. And there's no shame in it. Ugly people can be great talents.

Why this list today? Well, today is Ric Ocasek's 60th (!) birthday. For those unaware, Ric Ocasek was the ghoulish frontman of The Cars. I've sort of had the concept for this list in the back of my head for a while, but didn't have the time to pull it out. But here's my chance.

A quick note: There's a difference between being ugly and aging poorly. A lot of people consider Keith Richards ugly, but I disagree. Because back in the 60s he wasn't that ugly. Going by these standards we could judge Justin Timberlake on the same plane as John Lennon's corpse. That just doesn't seem fair. If at your most attractive you're still relatively horrifying, then you're ugly. And it's OK. Be proud of who you are.

Also, physical deformities are NOT exempt. I don't care if you were born with bad bone structure, a second face, or Marfan Syndrome (two people on the list): I sympathize with you, but it doesn't make you any less ugly.

Finally, what do we do about women? It was tough for me to come up with any girls for the list. People usually go right to Patti Smith, because she's kind of awful now. But she's like a female Keith Richards; in the 60s she was just fine. Adele? I mean she's bigger. But if she lost the weight she could be pretty cute. She has a nice face. Amy Winehouse? Yeah, she's horrifying now because of drugs. But, when she was on the top of her game, she was kind of a babe in her own way. So let it go... And here we go:

YouTube:
01. Ramones - I Wanna Be Sedated (Joey Ramone)
02. Lyle Lovett - If I Had A Boat (Lyle Lovett)
03. Deerhunter - Nothing Ever Happened (Bradford Cox)
04. Motörhead - Overkill (Lemmy Kilmister)
05. Kiss - Lick It Up (They were all fuck ugly, but especially Gene Simmons)
06. Pogues - Dirty Old Town (Shane MacGowan)
07. Rush - Fly By Night (Geddy Lee)
08. Public Enemy - Fight the Power (Flavor Flav)
09. Steely Dan - Kid Charlemagne (Donald Fagan, only because he kind of looks like Rick Springfield with a melting face in this picture)
10. Dio - Rainbow in the Dark (Ronnie James Dio [PS Note how he signs headshots])
11. System of a Down - Aerials (The Whole Band)
12. Marilyn Manson - The Dope Show (Marilyn Manson [ugly even without all the makeup])
13. Lil Jon - Stop Fuckin' Wit Me (Lil Jon, haha)
14. Asia - Heat of the Moment (Steve Howe)
15. The Cars - You Might Think (Ric Ocasek)

imeem: External:

Day 42: The Unfu**ables

Go Take A Shower,
Erik

Videos of some Excluded but not Forgotten!


And Finally.


(Image by Jim Loter, Licensed Under Creative Commons)

Day 34: On The Road

On this day in 1922, novelist and poet Jack Kerouac was born in Lowell, MA. His masterwork On the Road is cited as generation-defining and one of the greatest pieces of American literature. It happens to be one of my favorite books ever. So, in honor of Mr. Kerouac's legacy (he passed in 1969) I've assembled a list of driving songs, perfect for being on the road. Enjoy, maybe they can end up in your ear on your next road trip.

YouTube:
01. Led Zeppelin - Ramble On (crummy live version)
02. Pavement - Range Life
03. Tom Petty - Runnin' Down A Dream
04. Crosby, Stills & Nash - Suite: Judy Blue Eyes
05. Jackson Browne - Running On Empty
06. Paul Simon & Willie Nelson - Graceland
07. Bright Eyes - Another Travelin' Song
08. The Allman Brothers Band - Jessica
09. The Band - The Weight
10. Drive-By Truckers - Two Daughters and a Beautiful Wife (Incredible Song)
11. Lucinda Williams - Car Wheels on a Gravel Road
12. Death Cab For Cutie - Company Calls
13. Smashing Pumpkins - 1979
14. America - Ventura Highway
15. Bob Seger - Hollywood Nights
16. The Kinks - Powerman (Cover Only)
17. Iggy Pop - The Passenger
18. ZZ Top - La Grange
19. Sniff 'n' the Tears - Driver's Seat
20. Supertramp - Take the Long Way Home

imeem: External:

Day 34: On The Road

(Note: Because Led Zeppelin are apparently Internet proof, their song has been replaced by "Life is a Highway" by Rascal Flatts on the imeem list.)

Keep on Truckin',
Erik

Bonus Vid!


(Image By Ron Reiring, Licensed Under Creative Commons)

Day 32: Rick Rubin

(Rick Rubin circa 2005)

On this day in 1963, one of the most acclaimed producers in the world, Rick Rubin, was born in New York. In his nearly 25-year career Rick has put his signature sound on dozens of classic albums in multiple genres from pop country to metal to comedy to rap (and revolutionarily combining rap and metal). I've put together a list of some of my favorite songs he's put his hands on. Unfortunately, I don't really like to double-up on artists within a list, so groups with whom he's worked on multiple albums only got one song, which is a bummer (sorry Slayer and Johnny Cash).

YouTube:
01. LL Cool J - Rock the Bells
02. Beastie Boys - Rhymin' and Stealin'
03. Run DMC feat. Aerosmith - Walk This Way
04. Public Enemy - Sophisticated Bitch
05. Danzig - Am I Demon
06. Slayer - Dead Skin Mask
07. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Under the Bridge
08. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers - You Don't Know How It Feels
09. The Cult - Love Removal Machine
10. System of a Down - Chop Suey!
11. Rancid - Brad Logan
12. Rage Against the Machine - How I Could Just Kill A Man
13. Saul Williams - 1987
14. The Mars Volta - Inertiatic ESP
15. Weezer - Dreamin'
16. Kanye West, Nas, KRS-One - Classic
17. Jay-Z - 99 Problems (bad quality)
18. Metallica - My Apocalypse
19. Justin Timberlake - (Another Song) All Over Again
20. Johnny Cash - Hurt

imeem: External:

Day 32: Rick Rubin

Rock,
Erik

Bonus Vids!


And:


(Image by Thomas Roche (via Wikipedia), Licensed Under Creative Commons)

Day 26: Classic Rock Radio (Round 2)

This week's genre tour is a continuation of the last Classic Rock Radio tour. This list has a little more favorites that you won't always hear on C. Rock radio, but when you do it's that much sweeter. Once again, this list is not a compilation of my favorite classic rock songs. Just a sampling of some radio favorites. Dig.

YouTube:
01. Doobie Brothers - Listen to the Music
02. Rush - The Spirit of Radio
03. CCR - Lookin' Out My Back Door
04. The Band - The Weight
05. Chicago - Dialogue
06. The Police - Roxanne
07. The Allman Brothers Band - Jessica
08. Cream - Crossroads
09. Jethro Tull - Locomotive Breath
10. ZZ Top - Cheap Sunglasses
11. Genesis - No Reply At All
12. Blood Sweat & Tears - You've Made Me So Very Happy
13. Yes - Roundabout
14. Styx - Renegade
15. Supertramp - Goodbye Stranger

imeem: External:

Day 26: Classic Rock Radio (Round 2)

Classic,
Erik

Bonus Vids (A couple left out due to space):


and


(Image by John Burke, Licensed Under Creative Commons)

Day 18: Wildcard (4)

Let this round of Wildcard begin. I've got a mixed bag of treats here for you. With some very new gems. Also, as a note: I'm thinking about doing Tuesday/Thursday Wildcards and leaving Wednesday for Day-Inspired lists. We'll see. It's still in the rumination process.

YouTube:
01. Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast
02. Outkast - Gasoline Dreams
03. N.W.A. - Gangsta Gangsta
04. Jurassic 5- Swing Set
05. Of Montreal and Jon Brion - First Time High (Reconstructionist Remix of An Eluardian Instance) (Unavailable on YouTube)
06. Aesop Rock - Coward of the Year (Remix only for some reason)
07. Coheed & Cambria - The Willing Well II: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness
08. Kansas - Point of Know Return
09. Vampire Weekend & Chromeo - The Kids Don't Stand A Chance (Remix)
10. Ben Folds - Sentimental Guy
11. Jens Lekman - A Postcard to Nina
12. The Bird & The Bee - Tonight You Belong To Me
13. Bob Dylan - Visions of Johanna
14. Can - Vitamin C
15. Lyrics Born - I Changed My Mind
16. Dr. Octagon - Blue Flowers
17. Beirut - Mimizan (Unavailable on YouTube, but go HERE)
18. Wire - Mannequin
19. Everything - Hooch
20. Coldplay - Fix You

imeem: External:

Day 18: Wildcard (4)

Be Safe Out There,
Erik

Bonus Video!:


(Image By phonogalerie.com, Licensed Under Creative Commons)