florence + the machine

Playlist #239

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Happy Monday, folks! It’s Thanksgiving this Thursday, or “Thursday” as most of the world calls it. Americans call it an excuse to stuff ourselves silly with turkey and more pies than is advisable under any circumstances. America: We may be obese, but at least we also have shitty health care.

  1. Todd Snider, “Alcohol and Pills”: Only just now discovering this guy’s music is like learning about a great novelist who wrote all these books that you know you’ll love but simultaneously discovering that he’s also dead and there won’t be anymore new stuff from him. Except he plays guitar.
  2. Fastball, “You’re an Ocean”: From the album after their big breakout. It’s a solid song. Does it do anything new or exciting? No. But it’s charming and fun and bouncy and features a nice guitar lick, so it gets a pass.
  3. Marc Scibilia, “More to This”: Dude finally released a whole album, and it’s pretty good indie singer-songwriter stuff, but this is still the best song on the thing.
  4. Florence + the Machine, “Everybody Scream”: I feel like Florence Welch has the right idea here, folks.
  5. Jimmy Cliff, “Many Rivers to Cross”: This man just passed, and I’m listening to his version of this song off of “Later with Joles Holland,” and damn could he sing.
  6. Big Red Machine, “Mimi”: I just like the rhythm to this one, I guess.
  7. Ra Ra Riot, “Ghost Under Rocks”: When was the last time I listened to this band? I need to go back and give them a listen again, I think.
  8. Glen Phillips, “Thankful”: It is Thanksgiving week, after all, and I do have a lot to be thankful for. I’ve got a job and a wife and a car and a place to live, I have all the things I need to do so comfortably, and I own more guitars than a saner woman would let me own. Someday, I may even be able to retire and live out the rest of my days as a curmudgeonly old man who yells at clouds.
  9. The Rolling Stones, “Mother’s Little Helper”: If at least five people reading this don’t feel the need to reach for a bottle of mother’s little helper this week, I don’t know my audience.
  10. Josh Ritter, “Wait for Love (You Know You Will)”: It’s a sweet love song. Sort of.

Playlist #126

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It’s a Tuesday following a holiday on a Monday, which makes it a Playlist day! The next Eddie Hazzard book, a short story collection titled Quick Cases, is up for pre-order! I’ll post the cover reveal as soon as I have it back from my illustrator.

  1. Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit, “Death Wish”: Isbell’s latest album, Weathervanes, continues to drill deep into my soul.
  2. Pearl Jam, “Corduroy”: Was Vitalogy the last truly great Pearl Jam record? Or was it Vs?
  3. EL VY, “Happiness, Missouri”: This is a two-minute shot of adrenaline right in the arm.
  4. The Raconteurs, “Carolina Drama”: Who is Billy’s daddy? Is it the priest or the milkman?
  5. Rhett Miller, “The El”: The most romantic song written about a public transit system since…um, ever, I guess. I can’t think of any other romance songs based around public transit.
  6. Yola & the Highwomen, “Hold On”: No, it’s not a Wilson Philips cover, sadly. It’s still a good song, though.
  7. Fun., “Carry On”: It’s a fun song by Fun. I’m always a bit suspicious of bands that include punctuation in their name. I’ve got my eye on you, band that hasn’t released an album since 2012.
  8. Foo Fighters, “These Days”: Hey, it’s a Foo Fighters song I can play on guitar! What fun!
  9. Florence + the Machine, “Shake It Out”: Every Florence + the Machine song feels like running an anthematic marathon, and I am exhausted at the end of it.
  10. Electric Light Orchestra, “Eldorado”: I had an argument (or a debate or whatever) with my brother over the weekend in regards to this album. I claim it’s their most consistent album, thematically and stylistically. He argues that the point of ELO is that Jeff Lynne had so much more diverse inspirations than your typical ’70s rock band and that cohesion was never the point. I think he’s just mad about “The Whale” on Out of the Blue).

Playlist #81

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You can tell it’s gonna be a Monday when you realize you wrote down this week’s playlist in the spot for next week’s playlist in your bullet journal. But hey, here’s ten songs in a specific order for you to listen to this week.

  1. Laser the Boy, “Don’t You Know Who I Am”: Laser, lead singer/guitarist for the Doubleclicks, has come out with a new solo single! And it’s really damn good. Like, really good. I’m a little jealous.
  2. Glen Phillips, “I Am A Riot”: You could almost see the first song on the list and this one as a question and answer. That amuses me.
  3. Natalie Merchant, “Cowboy Romance”: Last night before bed, I was watching an old NPR Tiny Desk Concert featuring Ms. Merchant, and man does her voice just get me right in the feels.
  4. Fleetwood Mac, “Rhiannon”: Speaking of singers who just hit you right in the emotions…
  5. Florence + the Machine, “Shake It Off”: Is this just the week I feature women who sing really powerfully in a variety of different ways? I guess so.
  6. Mavis Staples, “Wrote A Song For Everyone”: Yup. There’s a definite trend here. And a CCR cover.
  7. Lizzo, “Good As Hell”: I swear, I didn’t do this on purpose.
  8. Jenny Lewis & the Watson Twins, “Born Secular”: Honestly.
  9. David Bowie, “Modern Love”: Is it the best David Bowie song? No. Is it a great David Bowie song? I would argue it is, but I might also be in the minority on that opinion. I dunno.
  10. Cat Power, “The Greatest”: Okay, just one more for the road.