Saturday, August 18, 2007

Try This Move Out, Justin

(repurposed from a post made on the YesAnd message boards -- hey, I'm packing for my move people)

I saw Peter Gabriel live on the So tour in 1986 at the Cap Center in DC. I went with my good friend Greg Turner who was into much more avant garde music than I; stuff like Japan and Ofra Haza and who knows what else. But he was a big time Peter Gabriel fanatic.

When they started to play this song, with its mellow beginning, most of our section sat down. Except for Greg. He knew what was coming. He was getting yelled at to sit down, so he turned to the people behind him and said "In three minutes you are about to see the most amazing thing a performer has ever done at a concert. Stand the fuck up!" Some did. Most didn't. And sure enough he was right. When the song ended, he turned to those behind him, spread out his arms and said, "Well???"

No one sat in our section the rest of the night.

I still say that Peter Gabriel's Us tour in '92 was the best concert I ever saw. He didn't do this song on that tour, partially because the staging wouldn't really allow it, but partially because after doing it at every show for 2 straight world tours, the crowd was ready for it and the wow response had lost its effect.

Still, the biggest level of trust between performer and audience for a concert of this size. I can't imagine too many performers who could pull this off. You can fast forward to about the 3:00 minute remaining mark if you'd like.


Friday, August 17, 2007

Always Gets A Question

This one came up on my shuffle this morning. K's Choice "Not an Addict". Just an awesome, nearly forgotten song.

Since many songs trigger one distinct memory in my life, for this one, it's getting home from DJing a couple years back, and pulling into the garage parking space of our apartment building at about 2:25 in the morning, and this song coming on the radio, and me sitting alone in my car, in the garage, playing this song at mega volume with the windows rolled up in my little cocoon of decibels.

I sometimes play this early in a night when I spin, and always have somebody come up and ask me who sings it.

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Fun & Games on The Company Dime

Today, my office is having our summer outing at a bowling alley. I am wearing my FNX Kingpins bowling shirt. I have been named the captain of my team. Much frivolity may occur. No work at the office will occur. Only one song could possibly be song a day today.

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

My Chemical Hoople?

Just realized that I have only spotlighted one new song since I started this thing. Felt it was time for another one.

I wouldn't say I'm a My Chemical Romance fan, especially most of their latest album. But the song "Teenagers" is a frickin' glam rock revival masterpiece. Chewy hooks and loud, singalong, clapalong choruses. I really want this one to blow up commercially so I can play it when I DJ. Sure, I could play it anyway, but it's always better when the kids know the song.

See for yourself if you agree.

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Take Off My Clothes and Drag Me To the Sea

Yesterday's song a day mentioned my Hobo Humpin t-shirt. When I worked in radio, I never lacked for cotton tees. Record companies were always sending promo shirts for new bands in an attempt to entice music directors to listen to songs (let alone add the songs to the station's playlist).

One of my favorite shirts had the title of this post written on the front in a pseudo-handwritten script. It was a lyric from the song "Twisted" by the band Fretblanket. 99% of the alternative music listening public of the mid-90s would not know this song by name, but it was and still is a pretty fierce track. I started this blog to help publicize some of these lesser known tunes. Here's one for today.

(EDITED to add - if the video won't play in your browser, click the word Fretblanket under the video screen and it will take you to a page where you can click on the Twisted video)

Music Video: TWISTED -Fretblanket

Monday, August 13, 2007

I Did Not Have the Meatballs

Well, I missed my first day yesterday. Sorry.

It was a busy day, with the majority of it taken over by a shopping excursion for furniture needs for the new home at IKEA. So, in honor of that trip yesterday, I present my favorite Swedish one-non hit wonder. Whale's "Hobo Humpin Slobo Babe"

I had a shirt with the song title on it from my radio days. The woman behind the counter at a Burger King once asked me what language it was. Honest question.

Saturday, August 11, 2007

Next Party You Go To...

Check out where you spend a lot of your time. The kitchen, right? I think partly because often this is where the alcohol is kept. But still, all the house parties I went to over the years, the kitchen was often the center of the action. And it was also a great place to hang because eventually pretty much every other guest came through, so you met and saw everyone in attendance.

This weekend in Massachusetts, it's the tax-free holiday, meaning 5% off any purchases. Normally, I have no interest in this day because the malls will be jammed and the stores will often having sales in weeks prior or later that actually are a better deal than the saving of 5% from not paying sales tax.

But, we just bought a house. That needs a lot of work. And Sears was having a 10% off appliances sale (ending today). And some other specials if you got a Sears card when you bought. Given that we just bought the house, we don't care about FICO scores anymore (at least for a while). Plus, we can pay for all this stuff in 12 months when we have more money that isn't being spent on other housing needs.

What did we get? A new fridge, microwave, oven, and dishwasher, plus 2 window AC units. Overall savings - about $550 when all was said and done and everything added in (delivery charges and such). So at our next party, you might choose to hang out in our kitchen. The rest of the room will eventually need to be remodeled (trust me, it needs it), but the appliances will be nice and shiny.

Hence, the inspiration for today's song choice: Jona Lewie's "Kitchen at Parties," a lovely slice of 1980 British New Wave, as featured from a time capsule clip from a Top of the Pops performance.