swisslet
52% intelligent. 9% modest. More monkey than bear.
do you wanna make tea at the BBC?
Earworms of the Week
"Autophilia" – The Bluetones
Although they sort of slipped into the edges of Britpop and had a respectable number of hits, the Bluetones have continued their career almost without anyone noticing. They're a great band and I really need to listen to them more often. Always a good gig, too. I used to work in HMV in York with a guy who was the original bassist in the band. He was a lovely guy, and he confirmed that the band are all top blokes too. Speaking of York, someone randomly mentioned to me that they are a MASSIVE Shed 7 fan, and I was able to tell them my much worn (and not very interesting) anecdote about the fact that I used to drink in the same pub as them when I lived in York. Hmmmmm. Yes. It seems that Shed 7 still command an obsessive following. I was slightly surprised too, although they had their moments too.
"Beat It" – Michael Jackson
The concept of Michael Jackson as a tough-nut always makes me laugh (gangs! Having a dance off in the subway!) but I do love the rocking guitar solo on this, courtesy of Eddie van Halen, the man who didn't think Spinal Tap was funny. At all. Now that's rock.
"The Zephyr Song" / "Can't Stop" – Red Hot Chili Peppers
The appearance of "Dosed" on playlist when I was out running the other day inspired me to dig out "By The Way" and give it a listen. I grew up listening to the RHCP, and for a long time "Blood Sugar Sex Magick" was in my all-time top 10 favourite albums. It has to be said, though, that they were a band at their absolute peak when they released "By The Way". That basic funk/rock/metal thing is still there… although it is much finessed in a song like "Can't Stop". They've come an awfully long way from "Special Secret Song Inside" though…. But the thing that really stands out on this album is the lovely, almost Beach Boys-like harmonies on nearly every song. Anthony Keidis sounds great, but the band definitely lost something important when John Frusciante left the band for the last time. Lovely record.
"Woman" – The Young Knives
For bespectacled tweedy types, the Young Knives do sexy surprisingly well. Bring sexy back… to Loughborough.
"Seven Nation Army" – White Stripes
"Another Way to Die" – Alicia Keys & Jack White
You know you've come up with a winner when, many years after its original release, the fans in the football stadiums of Poland and the Ukraine are loudly singing the riff from your song. Still sounds amazing too (although not so much on the Euro 2012 official goal mix). Compare and contrast with the theme tune that White wrote for "Quantum of Solace", which was on telly the other day. How unmemorable is that song? It's like an anti-earworm, White knows his way around a tune, but somehow he seems to be neutered by all the David Arnold "Bond" orchestration. It's a shit film, to boot. Let's hope "Skyfall" is better… although what I really want to see is a period Bond set in the 1950s.
"Hips and Lips" – Maximo Park
New album isn't a massive break from the familiar Maximo Park template, but it is a good record nonetheless. I love it when you can hear a singer's accent when they sing… and Paul Smith's geordie seems to work particularly well. (Great video, incidentally)
"Rosanna" – Toto
I love a bit of MOR, me.. and it doesn't get much finer than this. Well, apart from "Africa", obviously. When you're running, nobody knows what awful shite you're listening to… well, unless you're singing out loud, as I caught myself doing today..
"Rockaway Beach" – The Ramones
Rock, rock. Rockaway beach. Great song. Great name for a beach too. I can imagine that Slash has a changing hut there.
"Career Opportunities" – The Clash
…ah, the song that I was singing out loud when out running today. This is just a fucking great song: great riff, sharp lyrics… the works. What a band the Clash were. If someone did hear me belting this out as I ran along the canal towpath at lunchtime, then I really don't care.
That's it. I'm done. Have a good weekend y'all.
Posted by swisslet at 18:14
Labels: earworms
"Don't be afraid," my voice said. "No one is allowed to die more than once. The comedy will be over soon, and you'll never have to go through it again."
The Gig List
@swisslet
Tweets by swisslet
Blog archive January 2021 (1) November 2020 (3) October 2020 (1) September 2020 (1) August 2020 (2) July 2020 (3) June 2020 (2) May 2020 (1) April 2020 (1) February 2020 (5) January 2020 (3) December 2019 (1) November 2019 (2) October 2019 (2) September 2019 (1) August 2019 (6) July 2019 (9) June 2019 (3) February 2019 (1) December 2018 (1) November 2018 (1) October 2018 (1) July 2018 (1) June 2018 (2) May 2018 (3) April 2018 (2) March 2018 (2) February 2018 (1) January 2018 (4) December 2017 (5) November 2017 (5) October 2017 (6) September 2017 (7) August 2017 (6) July 2017 (4) June 2017 (5) May 2017 (6) April 2017 (6) March 2017 (7) February 2017 (9) January 2017 (10) December 2016 (5) November 2016 (17) October 2016 (12) September 2016 (10) August 2016 (7) July 2016 (8) June 2016 (8) May 2016 (7) April 2016 (11) March 2016 (11) February 2016 (9) January 2016 (14) December 2015 (11) November 2015 (21) October 2015 (14) September 2015 (16) August 2015 (10) July 2015 (17) June 2015 (15) May 2015 (17) April 2015 (18) March 2015 (16) February 2015 (18) January 2015 (18) December 2014 (9) November 2014 (19) October 2014 (22) September 2014 (20) August 2014 (14) July 2014 (18) June 2014 (15) May 2014 (19) April 2014 (19) March 2014 (16) February 2014 (20) January 2014 (17) December 2013 (12) November 2013 (18) October 2013 (21) September 2013 (20) August 2013 (18) July 2013 (16) June 2013 (14) May 2013 (20) April 2013 (22) March 2013 (10) February 2013 (14) January 2013 (21) December 2012 (10) November 2012 (19) October 2012 (21) September 2012 (13) August 2012 (14) July 2012 (19) June 2012 (18) May 2012 (21) April 2012 (17) March 2012 (18) February 2012 (21) January 2012 (16) December 2011 (11) November 2011 (22) October 2011 (20) September 2011 (10) August 2011 (20) July 2011 (19) June 2011 (15) May 2011 (17) April 2011 (16) March 2011 (19) February 2011 (18) January 2011 (16) December 2010 (17) November 2010 (21) October 2010 (21) September 2010 (15) August 2010 (2) July 2010 (1) June 2010 (12) May 2010 (4) April 2010 (8) March 2010 (6) February 2010 (7) January 2010 (16) December 2009 (19) November 2009 (20) October 2009 (21) September 2009 (20) August 2009 (17) July 2009 (22) June 2009 (18) May 2009 (20) April 2009 (20) March 2009 (16) February 2009 (19) January 2009 (17) December 2008 (26) November 2008 (20) October 2008 (23) September 2008 (21) August 2008 (21) July 2008 (21) June 2008 (40) May 2008 (21) April 2008 (24) March 2008 (21) February 2008 (27) January 2008 (22) December 2007 (15) November 2007 (24) October 2007 (28) September 2007 (22) August 2007 (26) July 2007 (28) June 2007 (39) May 2007 (27) April 2007 (28) March 2007 (9) February 2007 (23) January 2007 (33) December 2006 (29) November 2006 (26) October 2006 (27) September 2006 (23) August 2006 (29) July 2006 (17) June 2006 (27) May 2006 (27) April 2006 (25) March 2006 (32) February 2006 (22) January 2006 (22) December 2005 (21) November 2005 (25) October 2005 (27) September 2005 (27) August 2005 (37) July 2005 (30) June 2005 (20) May 2005 (12) April 2005 (22) March 2005 (27) February 2005 (22) January 2005 (21) December 2004 (24) November 2004 (31) October 2004 (34) September 2004 (34) August 2004 (24) July 2004 (27) June 2004 (1) April 2004 (1) March 2004 (3)
Happily Imperfect
Welcoming Daisy
(Planet Me)
MARK'S NOTCAST Ep. 47 : U2's "PopMart" - a band in crisis? 17 January 2021
Alcohol-Free Beers (Part Seventeen)
It's a Shit Business
the advent calendar of earworms days 18-24
Dave's Magical Brain (or me and my myelin)
EARTH CAPITOL
troubled diva
Soul Civil War
My life with one husband, three kids, two cats, a dog, three chickens and... Multiple Sclerosis
The awful shame about FAT
Exploring Aravis
In Which My Stress is Tested. Again.
My home and native land
don't go to vegas
Movie Reviews: Game Night, A Wrinkle in Time, Unsane, Trumbo, The Death of Stalin and Match Point
Plastic Castle Tours
It hurts to be the one that you'd regret....
Delrico Bandito
Best Days
I never said I was deep
"If you have a racist friend, Now is the time, now is the time for your friendship to end"
Postculturist
Postculturist has re-launched
one man blogs
Time to move
The Auditorium
Not so much of a Top Ten, more of a list of favourites.
Stand By Your Statue
Handy in Hungary...
Cheer Up Alan Shearer
Carlos Tevez for Manchester City (v Chelsea), 12 August 2012
I have ordinary addictions.
On taking important steps.
Toy!
roam if you want to
Gleaming in the Gloaming
Stories in Seven Sentences (I)
Alecya G's Plastic Castle
Thought I Was Dead, Didn't You?
Jane is still alive!
Still not dead yet…
I have moved.
Poll Star's Wonderings
Pyramid photos now added
Threelight Redux
Suburban Hen
All This Running Around - Bollocking on about barefoot running
Unjuicier Gossip