Live in a Hiding Place - Idlewild

"There are times that I should try to be so much more alive.."

The song kicks off with a lovely acoustic riff repeating until the chorus, which bursts out of the speakers with the typical Idlewild wave of sound. The uncharacteristic piano mixed into the chaos adds a really nice touch. Then it's back to the acoustic guitar.

It is a lovely song. I don't mind being on an Idlewild kick at all.

Good Morning!

Roseability - Idlewild

This song makes absolutely no sense to me; I mean, what IS "roseability," anyway? Either way, the jangly guitars and euphoric chorus make up for the complete confusion of lyrics. This Scottish band put out "Roseability" in 1999 on the album "1000 Broken Windows." While some of its album-mates may be a bit rough, this song is nicely polished and in my opinion, a strong choice for the single put out the following year.

Ah, if only they would do an American tour. Damn Atlantic.

Good Morning!

Empire State of Mind - Jay-Z, featuring Alicia Keys

Holy shit, I am wearing ear plugs the next time I am visiting my family. I can't handle this. Another catchy piece of trash forced into my subconscious by my little brother. I don't want to talk about it.

Miserable Morning.

California - Hollywood Undead

I blame my brother for this. He has terrible taste in music and a flawed perception of volume. As a result, I was repeatedly subjected to this swill while I was visiting home. This is apparently a radio hit or something, heavily edited to get there, since the chorus is about getting "fucked up." Awesome. I just love songs about skanks and booze. Why don't I listen to more? Oh wait, it's because I have a brain, and am not a wannabe gangster pop star.

In 30 years, the oldies radio stations will still be playing music from the 90's and early 00's. There is no way that old people will still be interested in this bullshit.

Bad Morning.

Fool on the Hill - The Beatles

The movie "Dinner for Schmucks" opens with a creepy montage backed by this song. Like pretty much everything done by the Beatles, this is mellow, soft, groovy, whatever. From the first note, you know it's the Beatles. I could take it or leave it.

Meh Morning.


(From August 16)

Police on My Back - The Clash

This song is one of the gems from the triple-disc behemoth, "Sandinista!". I love how Joe Strummer glamorizes the whole bank robber/ cat burglar/ outlaw thing. Isn't that what all good law-abiding citizens fantasize about? I've definitely had police chase dreams, in any case.

The steady beat is not particularly fast, kind of messing with the listener. I mean, here's a song about running away from the boys in blue, and the song just kind of ambles along. This is one of the things I love most in music - lyrical and musical disconnect. At least, I love it when it's done well, like here.

Good Morning!

Blood - Editors

MMMMMM. Taste that? It's another Joy Division fan club. At least the next generation picks up where Ian Curtis left off. The rich, deep vocals, haunting melodies, and dark feel of this song all combine to produce something that would probably feel at home as the background music for some sort of film noir.

At times I feel regretful for my lack of inter-scene interaction. I don't hang with many goths, and I really wonder if the Editors are popular with them. I mean, they're fucking fantastic, and I dunno, I guess they sound kind of like the Cure, so that's an in, right?

Good Morning!