30 Songs in 30 Days - Day 11

Day 11 – A song from your favorite band

Had a lot of material to pick from, so I went with the aweXome:

"Lookin' Down the Barrel of a Gun" by the Beastie Boys

The Beastie Boys are my favorite music thing, person, group, and/or menagerie ever. Looking forward to their new disc, but I thought I'd go back in time to a disc that many have said was their crowning work: Paul's Boutique.

You can feel the energy in this piece from the first drumbeats all the way to the last lines, in the bell ring that precedes each verse, and in the half-second sample of the opening guitar from Mountain's "Mississippi Queen" at the start of the second verse.

The shout-outs come fast and furious in this one, even moreso than most other B-Boy songs. I may be wrong on this, but I think "Barrel" has more shout-outs per capita than any other B-Boy song outside of Hello Nasty's "Dedication", which doesn't really count, since it's song entirely composed of shout-outs.

Anyway, bask in the awesome that is Ad', D, and MCA.

30 Songs in 30 Days - Day 10 (Day 11 Edition)

Sorry this is late; I fell asleep last night. Anyway...

Day 10 – A song that makes you fall asleep (Ironically enough)

"A Horse With No Name" by America (Listen to it here)

Not much to say about this one: the combination of acoustic guitar, droning lyrics, and almost no variation of tone make this song a snoozer. It's like an acoustic cover of Nelly reading the dictionary, only not as potentially entertaining.

30 Songs in 30 Days - Day 9

Day 09 – A song that you can dance to

"Party Up (Up In Here)" by DMX (Listen here: normal explicit)

I had completely forgotten about this song until I pulled my copy of "...and Then There Was X" out of my visor and popped it into my car CD.

I was bopping, head-shaking, and moving as much as I could safely while driving.

I love DMX (trivia: "DMX" stands for "Dangerous Man of the Unknown"). I only know of a few of his songs, but this CD is pretty good, and his rap style comes off like a Rottweiler: he talks, you better fucking listen!

This track, and really, DMX himself, is unique because, although I hate edited tracks with a motherfucking-ass passion, he doesn't fuzz or blank them out; he fills them in with his voice going "Woo!" or "What?!" and other stuff. I put both versions up so you can hear how both versions are sweet in their own way.

The driving beat, DMX's flow, and the sweet, sweet horn track make this a get yo' ass up and shake it song!

30 Songs in 30 Days - Day 8

Day 08 – A song that you know all the words to

Now, there's a hole with no bottom. Well, with so many to choose from, I decided to go with one that's fun for me to sing:

"Brian Wilson" by Barenaked Ladies (Listen to it here)

I may perform this song later; I'm just not up for it today. Let me know in comments or by message if you want to hear it.

I'm just to messed up to make witty comments right now. Suffice to say that I like this song and this group - mostly their old stuff up to and including Stunt.

30 Songs in 30 Days - Day 7

Day 07 – A song that reminds you of a certain event

"Monty Got a Raw Deal" by REM (Listen to it here)

Back when I was in college, I was on the fencing team... back when there WAS such a thing as a fencing team, and during away meets, I brought along my trusty tape player and my copy of Automatic for the People (Fluorescent yellow plastic FTW, yo!) And this, by far, is my favorite track on that album.

I love the minor-chorded gutiar opening, the mandolin-laced transition between the verses and the chorus, and Michael Stipe's voice is just awesome.

So, yeah, to me, REM = fencing. Sweetness.

30 Songs in 30 Days - Day 6

Day 06 – A song that reminds you of somewhere

"So Much To Say" by Dave Matthews Band

Decent song, but it will be forever tied with Florida for me.

Many years ago, my grandma died of breast cancer. The family drove from Indiana to Florida(!) to be at the funeral.

My only link to sanity while I was down there was a tape player and a copy of Crash by DMB, and this song is the one that stuck out among all the tracks to me.

On a side note, I didn't cry. I was... peaceful.

I miss her though; she was one of the few members of my family I still claim as mine; one of the few who loved me for who I am instead of what I could do for them.

...

...okayimdone.

30 Songs in 30 Days - Day 5

Day 05 – A song that reminds you of someone

I came -> || this close to posting another song, but the less I'm reminded about her, the better, so I went with this instead:

"Third Eye" by TOOL (Listen to it here)

"Today, a young man on acid realized that matter is merely energy condensed into a slow vibration, that we are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively, there's no such thing as death, life is just a dream, and we are the imagination of ourselves.

Here's Tom with the weather." - Bill Hicks (1961-1994)

This isn't as much a meme entry as a shoutout to my cousin Terry Million. During my misspent youth, he was the one I misspent most of my time with. He's a great guy and an amazing artist. He opened my mind to many things, including the band TOOL.

Our paths took us in different directions, both physically and philosophically, but still, I wouldn't be what I am had he not been in my life.

As for the song itself, it took many years to grasp its full meaning, intent, and impact on me, but I'm eternally grateful for having been introduced to it.

At 13:45, it is a long one, but it's not so long that you start to lose interest, as each note, word, and anticipatory instrumentation draws you in deeper. It opens with three statements by the late, great comedian Bill Hicks. If you want a mind-opening experience, find some of his bits and listen to him. He's like late-career George Carlin only with about one-quarter of the cynicism, because he genuinely believed mankind could pull itself out. (Watch this to see what I mean).

But I digress...

The song is ultimately about drugs, unashamedly so. So much so that it actually sounds like an acid trip. I imagine that this song would be enhanced by ingesting a mind-altering substance, but I wouldn't know. (Any insight into this would be appreciated)

The tone and tempo of the song slowly builds over time, until the climax at the end. It does repeat itself, and the lyrics and drum seem to be off-time, with the lyrics in 4/4 time and the drums in 3/4. Oddly enough, though, it works, and makes for a mind-blowing finish to an amazing song.