1 post tagged “coen brothers”

What's your musical horoscope?  (Put your music player on shuffle and write down the first 10 songs that come up.)  - This Question of the Day is weak, allowing more for just a simple listing of random music than for any sort of in-depth writing. So I've split the difference, giving some initial reactions to the songs as they come up. How this becomes a "horoscope" is beyond me. 

1. Kid Dynamite "Pacifier" - Interesting. I almost never listen to this band, but I do like them. They're one of the few bands that have "snotty" vocals that I can stand, and more than merely tolerating them, I actively enjoy pretty much everything about this album. Solid hardcore punk with an ear for hooks.
2. Disturbed "Believe" - Disregarding that sorry excuse for a debut album with all its ridiculous trappings, Disturbed actually write some pretty good songs. Their second album is a great, poppy hard rock album. This song is a little weak, especially for being the title track, but it's not bad.
3. LL Cool J "I'm Bad" - One of the best opening tracks for an album ever, no doubt about it. I cut my teeth on this album, stealing it not from my brother Jon that I so often refer to when writing about my musically formative years, but from my oldest brother, Richard. Between Cool J, Slick Rick, and the Beat Street soundtrack, Rich had a surprising amount of hip-hop, especially considering he also listened to Van Hagar. Ewww.
4. Nick Drake "Parasite" - Pink Moon is by far Drake's best work. The rest of his small catalog has plenty to offer, but start-to-finish Pink Moon is a singularly profound statement. Falling in the latter half of the album, "Parasite" is one of the stand-out tracks. Drake's quiet vocal melodies over the constantly repeating finger-picked riff are almost hypnotizing.
5. H2O "Force Field" - Faster Than The World is a decent hardcore album, hooky and pop-informed. It's probably not H2O's best effort, but it's all I have. "Force Field" is one of the weaker songs, but clocking in at less than 2 minutes, I see no reason to skip past it. The chorus is mildly catchy.
6. The Fairfield Four "Lonesome Valley" - I often forget about the O Brother, Where Art Though? soundtrack, but it really is a great compilation. The Coen brothers put together a solid movie and made all the right choices for the music. This particular spiritual is a nice change of pace from the music I normally listen to, being just a chorus of male voices, a capella, distilling the music down to its bare essence.
7. Iron Maiden "Flash of the Blade" - I honestly believe that people who do not enjoy Iron Maiden's music have something wrong with them. I simply cannot understand the thought process that ends in the statement "I don't like Iron Maiden." "Flash of the Blade" isn't that memorable of a song, though Powerslave is one Maiden's best efforts. Still, even with middling pieces like this, the melodies, harmonizing leads, and rollicking beat combine to create music that demands enjoyment.
8. Neil Young "The Old Laughing Lady" - Neil Young has made some bad music in his day, but when he's on point, no one can beat him at his game. Young is pretty much firing on all cylinders for the entire Decade collection, which, of course, is the benefit of a compilation. Thirty-plus songs of brilliant music. Though I'm sure I'm missing plenty of great music, this is all the Neil Young I really need.
9. Nate Dogg "Concrete Streets" - As with Decade and Neil Young, Music & Me is all the Nate Dogg I really need, though for different reasons. Whereas Decade is a genius's collection of greats, Music & Me simply gives the listener all Nate Dogg really has to offer. His g-funk is the turn-of-the-century answer to Bel Biv Devoe's earlier new jack swing. The vocals are smooth and full of infectious hooks and the beat stays steady, keeping heads nodding, but in the end the music entirely forgettable.
10. Scientist "Time Warp" - Undoubtedly my favorite dubbist in the traditional King Tubby style, Scientist always keeps the groove rolling along while adding just the right amount of sonic decoration. With a style instantly recognizable, he maintains a serious attention to the dance floor, cutting it with his trademark goofy sense of humor. A true master.