Pre-Summerfest Friday Random Ten

Well, alright. It's less than a week to Summerfest, so here's the last FRT before that. We'll see how it goes; maybe I'll try to do a little Festblogging.

At this point, does anyone need the rules explained? Okay, you in the back, eugene, once more: mp3 player or desktop jukebox, load up all your songs, hit random; at your option, perform the Norbizness Coolness Self-Audit. Be honest.

as always, Lauren and Norbizness .


desktop iTunes, 14,077 songs, 56.12 gigs. Here we go:

Too Much Joy - Parachute. Totally fun band with great harmonies and pop songs with enough DIY and snottiness to keep the punk ethos. No, really. Their t-shirts said Too Much Fucking Joy. Unfortunately, not one of their great songs. NCSA: 7/10.

Too Much Joy - You Will. There's something possessing iTunes. the odds of 2 TMJ songs in a row (85 songs out of 14,077): 1 in 27,000. Bonus points for beating the odds; more bonus for TMJ ripping off the AT&T catchphrase. NCSA: 9/10

Ray Wilson - In The Air Tonight. Genesis lead singer (for one album) doing a cover of previous Genesis lead singer's solo effort. Unfortunately, it is acoustic only, and so misses the savage drum drop that was the only thing that saved the original. Hard not to hit skip on this one, but a bonus point or two because it WASN'T Phil Collins. NCSA: 4/10.

The Cure - The Upstairs Room. Hey, I like the cure. This is a B-side. but dudes, it's sunny and 90 out. This is not the music we need. NCSA:6/10.

The Mekons - Powers and Horror. (see everything I've ever said about the Mekes). Alright. This is better, although a bit morose for a Friday; good segue from the Cure. Consists of the male members of the Mekes singing nearly a capella over a tinkling piano; would be right at home on a Tom Waits album. Definitely pins the needle. NCSA: 10/10.

The Mekons - $1000 Wedding. Now this is freaky-ass weird shit. Odds against 2 mekons songs in a row: 1 in 1089 ( I have 427 songs on here). Odds of the two twofers: 1 in 29,000,000. I think I may need to buy a lottery ticket. But the song: The Mekons covering Gram Parsons, released during the period when they were busy inventing Alt-country. even without the bonus points for beating the odds, this maxes the meter. NCSA: 10/10.

R.E.M. - Tongue. I bought Murmur in Platteville when it first came out (there was only one copy in the store), and endured many quizzical looks when I played it for others. I've been a huge fan all along; I even have a healthy appreciation for their recent stuff. I will always give their music more than a fair chance, and I can say that there isn't a song of theirs that I don't like at least a litttle (including shiny Happy People). Notwithstanding the preceding, there's no need for a Michael Stipe falsetto song. NCSA: 3/10.

XTC - Garden of Earthly Delights. Nothing much to say about this. NCSA: 6/10.

Paul westerberg. These Days. I loved the Replacments; great mix of punk with a splash of pop. But when I'm listening to his solo stuff, I almost always find the thought 'maybe he should start drinking again' floating across my brain. I regret it almost immediately, of course; but I have a friend who always said the same thing about Pete Townshend. As I've said before, his body of work saves this from being a complete waste. Paul is cool; this song is not. NCSA: 3/10.

Bruce Cockburn - Nicaragua. Good little folkie flavored song from our favorite Canadian singer-songwriter. this guy was putting on great full band shows in the mid eighties. NCSA: 5/10.


Aaaaannnnnnd... that's ten! I'm gonna call this one before it gets too much weirder. NCSA: 6.3. The concurrence of Mekons really brought the average up.