Songs about Sex (or not)

1.Rumour Has It-Adele
2.Get Lucky-Daft Punk Feat. Pharrell Williams
3.R U Mine?-Arctic Monkeys
4.She Drives Me Crazy-Fine Young Cannibals
5.Howlin’ for You-The Black Keys
6.We Looked Like Giants-Death Cab For Cutie
7.You Shook Me All Night Long-AC/DC
8.Boom-Flight of the Conchords
9.Why Don’t We Do It In The Road?-The Beatles
10.Let’s Spend The Night Together-David Bowie
11.Rebel Yell-Billy Idol
12.What Would You Do-Bastille
13.Come Together-The Beatles
14.Love Removal Machine-The Cult
15.Tyrant-The Bravery
16.Exquisite Corpse-Hedwig And The Angry Inch
17.Enjoy the Silence-Depeche Mode
18.Locked Out of Heaven-Bruno Mars
19.If U Seek Amy-Britney Spears
20.Latch (feat. Sam Smith)-Disclosure

My fourth of July mix, the freedom of expression is the real celebration isn’t it?

1. War- Mos Def  (A great opener to lay bare the illusions of our American holidays)

2. Catch and Release- Silversun Pickups

3. I Wrote A Song About Your Car- Mike Doughty

4. El Scorcho- Weezer

5. Everything is Everything- Phoenix

6. Bodysnatchers- Radiohead

7. Shrinking Universe- Muse

8. Instant Crush- Daft Punk

9. Arco Arena- Cake

10. In One Ear- Cage The Elephant

11. Sunburn- Muse

12. Ricochet- David Bowie

13. Parachute Heart- Grace Potter and The Nocturnals

14. Tangled Up In Plaid- Queens of The Stone Age

15. A Taste of Honey- The Beatles

16. Freedom of Choice- A Perfect Circle

Countdown time: Beautiful World

Don’t let the winter blues get you down, or the drudgery of a dead end job.  Reevaluate your perceptions, and always do what is important to you, what makes you feel alive.  Our ass-kicking countdown demonstrated as much, with many of the songs telling us to make the world, the world which we need and want.  Today’s songs reflect on this world that exists if we learn to wake up.

1.Beautiful World- Utada Hikaru:  The first time I have ever included a JPop(Japanese pop) artist on the countdown.  Although I can’t honestly say I know what half of the words mean, I think it’s beautiful, as she says the world also is.  This is the theme song to the amazing reimagining of  the world changing anime,Neon Genesis Evangelion, called quite simply, Rebuild of Evangelion.  Ironically enough it is set to change the world once more, and is also themed around our human abilities to change the world as we see fit, for good or ill.  Don’t like anime or Japanese pop?  Don’t have to.  Just enjoy the music, or not as the case may be.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEbUowqkTnw

2.Shout-Tears For Fears: One of my favorite songs from the 80’s, which is also off one of my favorite 80’s albums, Songs From The Big Chair.  Whatever comes our way, don’t forget your emotions, your feelings, and live your life.  So don’t be afraid to “shout, shout, let it all out.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7-EaF9628M

3.Sleepyhead(stripped down version)-Passion Pit:  Remember what I’ve said about living our dreams? This song is very dreamy and the lyrics themselves follow a sort of dream logic.  And it’s beautiful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wspuBxQhSaw

4.Because- The Beatles:This song is haunting and beautiful, and being by The Beatles, of course it’s awesome.  We tried doing this in my failed acapella group, and I’m hoping to revisit it again for performance purposes, in 2011: year of the new world.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWlLPJG9Cvg

5.Space Oddity- David Bowie: I have heard that the world is always beautiful from space.  Major Tom sure thought so, as he didn’t come back.  “Can you hear me, Major Tom?”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D67kmFzSh_o

6.Derezzed-Daft Punk:  I put this in my bonus section last week, since I had just returned from seeing Tron Legacy.  Yes, the world of the grid as shown in the movie was not usually beautiful, but it had the capacity to become the perfect world, if only they realized imperfection is what makes us perfect.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4cgLL8JaVI

7.Is It Real?- The Seatbelts: This is the theme song from Cowboy Bebop the movie. Do what you have to do to live your life, instead of just standing on the sidelines.  Keep this world beautiful by truly experiencing it as fully as you can.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMvxY5CWhuw

8.January Hymn-The Decemberists:  Colin Melloy and co.’s new album is a bit more basic than some of their more recent offerings, but never loses the beauty and passion that their music is known for.  If you haven’t already done so, check out their new disc, The King Is Dead.  One of the first releases of 2011 worth noticing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqDlTKqxu2w

9.Brian Eno-MGMT:  Brian Eno is famous for creating new and beautiful worlds of sound, so it should come as no surprise that a song named after him would not have equally beautiful sonic  landscapes.  A surprisingly ambitious offering from the unpredictable duo.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raLpZ-9aU2I&feature=related

10.Lovely Day-Bill Withers:  If the world is so beautiful, it just seems logical that you might have a lovely day being out in it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYi7uEvEEmk

11.Cleanup Time-John Lennon:  Some nifty guitar work, and overall a very solid piece of music in typical Lennon fashion.  I like the raw sound he has to his vocals in this song, and I just thought this song a fitting end to the countdown for this week, cleaning it up as it were.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SitguCqcMbk

As always, enjoy it, or don’t as the case may be.  Keep reading and I’ll keep posting.

Today’s special note is this: Go see The Green Hornet! It’s hilariously fun.

Peace,

Me