Sonic Sunday: Obsession and Repetition

I just remembered that Evil Genius tagged me with the somewhat lengthy "8 Things" meme way back in March and I never did it. Well, I'm going to rectify that today. Not really. But, sort of.

His original meme had 8 categories (including "8 more tagees") but I'm only going to keep one, add one of my own and call it a day. However, I'm reworking this as a "Sonic Sunday" post, which means yummy mp3s for all you boys and girls! That should more than make up for my slow response and halfhearted participation.

8 Songs I'm Obsessed With Right Now:

1. "I'm Amazed," My Morning Jacket - Heyyyy, MMJ's new album, Evil Urges, isn't even out yet! Thank you, Indie Muse! Enjoy this mp3 for free, but run right out (or click your mouse) and buy this record when it's released on June 10. If their kick-ass appearance on SNL last month is any indication, the album should be pretty awesome.
2. "Fear," Paddy Casey - I caught this video on VH1 a few weeks ago and immediately downloaded the song, along with a few others of Paddy's. As a general rule, I love anyone named Paddy. And this guy kind of looks like Marc Bolan, which makes me like him even more.
3. "Take A Bow," Rihanna - This girl is really on a roll. First, she got me under her "Umbrella" (one of the best songs of 2007!), then got my toes a-tappin' to "Don't Stop the Music," and now I'm singing this slick break-up jam in the shower every day.
4. "I Will Possess Your Heart," Death Cab For Cutie - This song kind of pissed me off the first time I heard it. Not only is it 8 1/2 minutes long, but the lyrics don't kick in until the halfway point. However, after a few listens, I really grew to like the tension created by the slow build of the musical intro.
5. "Q," Film - As you all know, there's nothing or no one I'm more obsessed with right now than Michael Johns. This is him singing with his old band from Atlanta. Even if it wasn't the Aussie singing, I would like this song. It's got a very pretty melody. Of course, if it wasn't the Aussie singing, I never would have gone out of my way to track it down in the first place.
6. "Apologize," OneRepublic - I don't know why I love this song, I just do. It's one smooth groove. (Sorry, Red!)
7. "Hurt My Baby," John Hiatt - I'm always happy to see a new John Hiatt release. His latest record, Same Old Man, is his first since 2005's Master of Disaster and the few songs I've heard from it sound like vintage Hiatt. I love when he does these emotional ballads. It doesn't quite produce the chills of "Icy Blue Heart," but it's effective enough.
8. "In Love With a Girl," Gavin DeGraw - Sure, Gavin DeGraw isn't exactly changing music, but if he can continue to come up with one insanely catchy nugget of pop brilliance per album (the first was "I Don't Wanna Be"), then he should have a nice little career ahead of him. When I hear this song, I think that it's exactly what Maroon 5 wish they could create. Straight ahead, simple pop-rock delivered by a guy who's not a complete turd.

8 Songs I Could Listen To Over and Over:

1. "25 Miles," Edwin Starr - I think I may have mentioned this before, but if someone put a gun to my head and forced me to pick my favorite song ever, I would probably pick this one.
2. "Corduroy," Pearl Jam - Truly, I could listen to all 8 of Pearl Jam's studio albums over and over, but this has been my favorite PJ song since Vitalogy came out. And you didn't even have to put a gun to my head to find that out!
3. "Beat's So Lonely," Charlie Sexton - I've mentioned this song several times before here. It's my favorite song from my favorite decade, the '80s. I will never grow tired of it, even if Charlie has. Jerk.
4. "Monday Morning," Fleetwood Mac - Although I generally lean towards the Stevie Nicks-penned FM tunes, this Lindsey Buckingham song has long been my favorite of theirs. Stevie provides some great harmonies, as always.
5. "Walk Away," Squeeze - So, this is probably only my 5th favorite Squeeze song. ("Another Nail in My Heart" is the tops!) It made this list because I actually have listened to it several times in a row. There's something about Glenn Tilbrook's vocal delivery here that is particularly beautiful and heart-wrenching, which compels me to say, "I need to hear that again." The whole song is fab, although from about 3:45 on, my eyes are always closed and I'm belting it out like I can actually sing.
6. "Since You've Been Gone," Rainbow - Classic rock!!! This might be one of the best songs to ever come out of the '70s.
7. "Disco 2000," Pulp - Ah, it's all so wonderfully Brit-Poppy. I think it's impossible to be unhappy when this song is on, even though the lyrics tell a pretty bittersweet story. The beat is fantastic...and do I even have to mention the fabulous "ooh-oooh-ooh-oohs" at the end?
8. "Irene Wilde," Ian Hunter - Dear Beth Coffey introduced me to this song on one of her more recent Friday mix-tapes and I've been obsessed with it ever since. This is probably the greatest "zero to hero" song ever written.

Bonus: I saw Sex and the City last night, so when you're done downloading the tunes, check out these 8 movie spoilers!*

1. The girls all live in a city and each one has sex at some point.
2. Carrie wins the Kentucky Derby.
3. Everyone drinks alcohol. A lot.
4. Samantha trades in Smith for an even younger man, played by that annoying gap-toothed dude from Gossip Girl.
5. Purses and shoes both play pivotal roles.
6. In a stunning medical miracle, Steve's other ball grows back.
7. Charlotte smiles a lot.
8. Carrie finally reveals how she is able to afford several pairs of $400 shoes a month, an Upper East Side apartment, and daily cab fare - prostitution! (This outfit should have been our first clue.) Stanford is her pimp, of course.

* List may or may not contain actual plot points.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Wunnerful wunnerful mp3s! I may consider tagging myself again, if that's ok?
And those spoilers are, uhm. Really spoiler-ish.
Artful Dodger said…
Yay music! Hmm..being dragged to see this movie may not be so bad after all. Sounds like there's boobage.
GingerSnaps said…
Carrie wins the Kentucky Derby.

bwahahahaa...this reminds me of the day I asked my co-worker if I reminded him of Carrie Bradshaw. His response was, "No, you can't eat corn through a picket fence."

I like your SATC spoilers. You seriously deserve a gig reviewing...everything.
Bar L. said…
Wow, great stuff here....gotta love MUSIC. I am listening to some good new stuff too but too lazy to write about it.

That Paddy guy does look a bit like my ex, Marc. I miss him.

Thanks for going to see "Sex" and your review. Now I don't have to go myself.
Anonymous said…
Interesting lists to say the least. I could listen to the Rainbow song over and over as well...old metal is cool.

Thanks for stopping over to my place. As I tell all new "faces"...stop any time, comment at will, and hopefully be entertained.
cube said…
Carrie wins the Derby. Precious! I'm glad I'm not the only one who whinnies when I see her.

She was good in Square Pegs, but I never saw SATC so I can't speak to that. I did enjoy your highlights.
Red said…
Poor SJP and her horsey face.

Other than the dreadful Apologize, I totally love your list. I am hooked on Rihanna, too.
Malcolm said…
Yesterday morning was a rare occasion where I stopped on VH-1 while channel surfing. The video for "In Love With A Girl" was playing. I can't put my finger on who the song reminds me of, but I like it.

Although I watched SATC for about a year, I won't be rushing out to see the movie. Your Kentucky Derby reference reminds me of one of my favorite lines from "Ed Wood". Near the beginning of the movie, Ed, his girlfriend (played by SJP), and some others are reading a negative review of Ed's play. After reading the critic's comments about her appearance, SJP says, "Do I really have a face like a horse?" I still laugh everytime I hear that line.
WHAT? No MJ?????

well, I know he does not have an album, but I figured you downloaded everything he did on AI from i-tunes.
Falwless said…
I, too, am a Rihanna fan. "Shut Up And Drive" has the best hook ever. Makes me wanna dance.
Mike said…
I hate sex in the city. Love John Hiatt and am very impressed that you love 25 miles by Mr. Star!
Joe said…
Nice selection there! I especially like hearing Squeeze and Ian Hunter.

And, yes, I liked the Derby joke too. Heh.
Anonymous said…
I love the love for Edwin Starr! He kicks ass. I love "Agent Double-O Soul", which is also one of the best song titles ever.

This Rihanna person seems to be quite popular for someone that I don't know any songs by. I may have to listen just to have a familiarity.
"Carrie wins the Kentucky Derby."

You are sooooo wrong.

""Since You've Been Gone," Rainbow - Classic rock!!! This might be one of the best songs to ever come out of the '70s."

I am so crushing hard on you right now.
Anonymous said…
Weird, just yesterday I had that song Since you've been gone, going roaring through my head. Loudly. And I thought, geez, what a great song. Could I have been connecting with you through some cyber portal?
Moderator said…
Marc Bolan kicked some serious ass for a glam guy.

Not so sure about Paddy.
Martin said…
I agree with you about not being a big fan of "I Will Possess Your Heart" at first. I think there is something magical in how the bass, piano and drums work off each other though. I'm currently wondering if I'd like it the same if the lyrics were all substituted with the work 'la'.