Category Archives: Friday Music Day

Friday Music Day: Schedule

Here's what I had back in April:

Zack: 8/19 through 9/9
Can of Corn: 9/16 through 10/21
Philosopher: 10/28 through 12/2

I think Zack may have been thrown off by the site's vacation last weekend. I'm taking today; I can give you two weeks in December if you want them, Z.
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I've been reading bits of Freaky Trigger's essays about every British Number 1. (They just finished 2001!) I've mostly 1990-forward about those about songs I'm familiar with. One of the most recent ones had this passage I really like:

What pop does better than anything else does is to take feelings and situations, and crush and simplify them, making them immediate and thrilling and useful. It applies no moral filter. People feel self-righteous and wrathful, and so ultimately pop will product songs that are diamonds of self-righteousness and wrath.

("Pop" sensu lato here.) I think I've tried to express similar thoughts (but much less succinctly) about pop and emotions (though not necessarily those emotions).
From the same review, I love this line, which is more particularly about the song in question: "a church-inspired song that celebrates the dark joy of excommunication."

FMB: Hey, That’s Our Idea

Pretty solid mix from the POTUS, I've got to say.

DAYTIME

  1. LoveHate Thing - Wale
  2. Smooth Sailin' - Leon Bridges
  3. Elevator Operator - Courtney Barnett
  4. Home - Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
  5. Many the Miles - Sara Bareilles
  6. Tightrope - Janelle Monáe
  7. Classic Man - Jidenna
  8. So Ambitious - Jay Z feat. Pharrell
  9. Me Gustas Tu - Manu Chao
  10. Forever Begins - Common
  11. The Man - Aloe Blacc
  12. As We Enter - Nas & Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley
  13. Sinnerman - Nina Simone
  14. U Got the Look - Prince
  15. Rock Steady - Aretha Franklin
  16. Good Vibrations - Beach Boys
  17. Don't Owe You A Thang - Gary Clark Jr.
  18. Man Like That - Gin Wigmore
  19. II B.S. (edit) - Charles Mingus

NIGHTTIME

  1. If I Have My Way - Chrisette Michele
  2. Espera - Esperanza Spalding
  3. Tell It Like It Is - Aaron Neville
  4. Alright - Ledisi
  5. Trapped By A Thing Called Love - Denise LaSalle
  6. Lady - D'Angelo
  7. So Very Hard to Go - Tower of Power
  8. Midnight Sun - Carmen McCrae
  9. Cucurrucucú Paloma - Caetano Veloso
  10. Green Aphrodisiac - Corinne Bailey Rae
  11. I'll Be There for You / You're All I Need - Mary J. Blige / Method Man
  12. Lover Man - Billie Holiday
  13. Criminal - Fiona Apple
  14. Acid Rain - Chance the Rapper
  15. My Funny Valentine - Miles Davis
  16. Do You Feel Me - Anthony Hamilton
  17. I Get Lonely - Janet Jackson
  18. Lean In - Lizz Wright
  19. All Day Music - War
  20. Say Yes - Floetry

Drop some lists.

FMD — Live Albums

NME has your typical internet trope -- a list!  This time best live albums.  Actually it's pretty decent, although I'm shocked it didn't include Cheap Trick Live at Budokan.  I would also add Built to Spill Live and of course Guided by Voices Live at the Wheelchair Races.  Otis Redding Live on the Sunset Strip would be another.  Oh and I would have gone with The Name of this Band is Talking Heads over Stop Making Sense, but that's just me.

What other great live albums do you swear by?

 

FMD — Van Halen

I think it’s a indisputable fact that Van Halen is one of the greatest rock albums ever. Eddie’s guitar work, lyrics about getting with the ladies, David Lee Roth’s bravado. It’s all here wrapped up in leather, barbed wire, and a whiff of Axe body spray. Unfortunately since they first hit the scene back in 1977-78, there’s not a lot of video of their original shows. Below isn’t exactly a video but you can listen to a great early version of Feel Your Love Tonight. It’s definitely faster than the studio version -- almost punk like. Not as polished as the album but damn is it exciting, To this day I still get goosebumps listening to this song.