Thomas Dolby - One of Our Submarines

There is something about Thomas Dolby's music that creates a vivid sense of an other world - it evokes stories of an alternate historical scientific timeline. I think this is intentional, the title of this album The Golden Age of Wireless seems to me to echo that thought as well. This song - One Of Our Submarines - has all the musical hooks that I enjoy from the whole album.

Also check out his work on sonification - turning real-world data and turning that into sound and music. The music of the Sun is amazing.

Anna Nalick - Breathe

A good friend has been visiting us over the weekend with her two kids - it's so fun to have more kids running around the house, especially her 1 1/2 year old toddler. The weather has been fantastically clear and we headed out to the mountain bike trails near our house. Amazingly we only met one other group biking in the forest.
Our friend brought a set of CDs and I fell in love with the song Breathe (2AM) from Wreck of the Day (sample) - I'm sure I've heard it somewhere but can't recall. I don't know how long this will be a favorite, but it will always remind me of bright sunlight streaming through the trees on this peaceful weekend.

Johnny Cash - Ring of Fire

There are so many great songs from Johnny Cash and I picked this one because it's one of his earliest and shows what a powerful singer he was. The other day I went out with the engineers on my team at work to play pool near Pioneer Square and found Ring of Fire by Johnny Cash on the jukebox - and found a live cover by Social Distortion which rocked pretty well, but I prefer the Cash version.

Ring of Fire (sample)

The Beat Farmers - Big Ugly Wheels

The Beat Farmers are a one of a kind band. I like all their songs, they have a good folk twang but the songs that really give a kick are those with Country Dick Montana - a rare character in any era. Some friends and I saw this group at a small venue - some bar or club somewhere - and they played and rocked all night. Country Dick had a long coat on, beer in one hand and belted out songs like "Big Ugly Wheels" like there was no tomorrow. Awesome. Here's a great ode to Country Dick.

The Beat Farmers - Big Ugly Wheels

I met her in El Centro
In the men's room of a bar
We consummated our relationship
In the front seat of my car

Well, Big Ugly Wheels
Rollin' on down the line,
Big Ugly Wheels
Draggin' that gal of mine
Home

Motor life is so sinful
Her home is on the road
Each night she's with another truck stop man
Who's carryin' a heavy load

She want's me to be true to her
She comes home once a month
Her mustache caked with vomit
Teeth marks on her butt!

Well, Big Ugly Wheels
Rollin' on down the line,
Big Ugly Wheels
Draggin' that gal of mine
Home

The B-52's - Private Idaho

Many days were spent partying to this album - weekends, weeknights, road trips. I'm not sure what it is about the B-52's that I like the most - the great beach guitar, the crazy vocals or the surreal lyrics. It's all good. Very very good.

The B-52's - Private Idaho (sample)

The Call - Let the Day Begin

This is another great song that transports me back to college and right after. I'm not sure how mainstream or popular The Call was with everyone, but I really enjoyed this song and others. It's a great tune for getting up and moving.

Let the Day Begin - The Call

Here's to the teachers in the crowded rooms
Here's to the workers in the fields
Here's to the preachers of the sacred words
Here's to the drivers at the wheel

Here's to you my little loves with blessings from above
Now let the day begin
Here's to you my little loves with blessings from above
Now let the day begin, let the day begin

Bruce Cockburn - If A Tree Falls

This song actually was the first one I've ever purchased online. I enjoy it immensely each time I hear it, from the first time I heard it on the radio all the way to today on my little blue ipod. There's something about the quick tempo of the music and the nearly spoken pace of the vocals that gives it an almost magical enchantment. Also, this song has my favorite quote - "... Hacked by a parasitic greedhead scam... "

Bruce Cockburn If A Tree Falls - you can even listen to a snippet here

Ray Charles - What'd I Say

My first song of the blog and the first for this year -
Ray Charles - What'd I Say (Parts I & II).
Man when I hear this, I just have to get up and dance. The straight and true 50's rythym and blues charged me up in college so many years ago. The sound of the solo organ, buzzing and bopping then joined by the cool but earnest piano notes have an elemental energy that still gives me a kick.

100 Songs

This past Christmas I received $100 as a gift from my mother in-law and I've been mulling over how to spend it. At the same time, the songs on my trusty blue iPod from two years ago have become a bit repetitive - I only have a 1000 songs, and it took a while for that to happen, but it's time to broaden my horizons. So, today I decided that each week I'll go online to buy a song and then post my thoughts.

The music that I currently have isn't in one category or genre, but I wouldn't say it is very broad either - mostly rock and jazz, some R&B, folk and classical.
If you have a favorite song or artist, or would like to recommend something you feel I should hear, just drop a comment here and we'll see what happens.