Staff Blog
10-Track Mind: It’s actually just 25 seconds of silence but I enjoy Wilco so much that I decided to include it anyway.
Every week, we have a staffer, freelancer or friend/enemy/frienemy of The Clog put their iTunes or iPod on shuffle and tell us about the first 10 songs that come up. The only rules: No skipping, no cheating and you don’t need to be all music critic-y about it. (If you’d like to submit a 10-Track Mind of your own, contact Drew Lazor at drew.lazor @ citypaper.net.) This week, brand-new intern Jasia Kaulbach scores one (ten?) for the music nerds. (Check out her Local Support writeup on Critical Mass.)
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1. Jimi Hendrix – "Castles Made of Sand" (Axis: Bold as Love)
One of my all-time favorite Hendrix songs! Whenever i listen to it, I always think about the lyrics in a different way ("so castles made in the sand fall in the sea eventually ... "). So many possible meanings — not to mention the amazing guitar playing — but of course that's a given for any Hendrix song. My best memory listening to this song is in my friend's car on the way home from school like every day for an entire year. Ah, traditions.
2. Fleetwood Mac – "The Chain" (Rumours)
Don't be ashamed to love this song just because it's probably definitely played on Ben FM! It's freaking inspirational whether you like it or not. You'll end up closing your eyes, bobbing your head and maybe even get a toe tap in there, woah now. I never noticed this jam session at the end. So nice.
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3. Voxtrot – "The Start of Something" (Raised by Wolves EP)
British pop rock. Mmm. Sort of makes me want to skip down a street somewhere ... or throw up, depending on my mood. Sweet orchestral touch at the end of this one that gives the song a bit more overall depth.
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4. Kanye West – "Good Life" (Graduation)
So there's no skipping rule, right? Well OK ... Kanye won't be skipped. I mean, you have to admit this album was a major accomplishment for him. While I'm being so honest I might as well also admit that I went to the "Glow in the Dark" concert. It was amazing ... and disgusting, because of the entire Philadelphia/NJ high school population showing up and simultaneously getting as drunk as possible and dealing with the repercussions of getting that drunk on top of each other (gross).
5. Ratatat – "Wildcat" (Classics)
An electronic gem accented by a wildcat's (tiger, puma?) growl. What could be better? This song is hot. I really cannot think of another word. If you have not heard any Ratatat, I'd recommend this song and "Seventeen Years." The thing I like about Ratatat is that they don't let their songs stay in the same place like other techno-type electronic bands often do. They really go through so many different places with each song that even the ADD-ridden will stay captivated.
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6. Wilco – "Blank" (Summerteeth)
This is from their '90s Summerteeth album, my favorite other than Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. It's actually just 25 seconds of silence but I enjoy Wilco so much that I decided to include it anyway. Also from Summerteeth: Listen to "She's a Jar" and "Shot in the Arm." Amazing. Also: awesome in concert.
7. Neutral Milk Hotel – "The King of Carrot Flowers, Pt 1" (In the Aeroplane Over the Sea)
I really love this song. Originally I got into this band because of the song "In the Aeroplane over the Sea." But really all their stuff is nice. So many bands today try for this indie-folk sound, but it's just not the same. I wish NMH still came out with new stuff, but fortunately, they have two albums and one EP from the late '90s for us to remember them by.
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8. Corinne Bailey Rae – "Breathless" (Corinne Bailey Rae)
Although I bought this album a while ago and my taste in music has since changed drastically, Corrinne never fails to get me. I love her voice, her lyric ... she's like Feist, but with jazz and a whole lot more soul. I'm a lifelong fan for sure.
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9. Benji Hughes – "So Well" (A Little Extreme)
I'm so glad this came on! I heard this guy first on a radio interview, I think on XPN, and he was the most stand-offish person I had ever heard. But I absolutely fell in love with his music! He has one huge album you can get on iTunes. His stuff is fun and very possible to sing along to. Perfect soundtrack for an eight-hour car ride.
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10. The Smiths – "Asleep" (Louder Than Bombs)
Why do I have this song? Well, it was mentioned so many times in Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, I had to hear it. It's one of the most depressing songs I've ever heard. But it's so genuine and thoughtful and heart-wrenching that in my best moods and my worst, I just love it.
Neutral Milk & the Smiths !? Hmmm. We should be facebook friends.
can’t go wrong with wilco; even tweedy’s silence is beautiful, poetic, lyrical, and (need i say it?) inspirational.
i think we should also be facebook friends.
that kanye concert was terrible for other reasons, too…i saw someone slam a car trunk on somebody, and then some drunk kid next to me started lobbing unopened beer bottles 30 feet above the crowd. i left before rihanna started.