52% intelligent. 9% modest. More monkey than bear.

Friday, August 05, 2005

got books to spend with every weekend

This week, like some kind of technically literate BA Baracus, I ain't got time for no introductions, fool!

Without further ado, therefore...

Earworms of the Week - Guest Editor #11 - Yoko from YokoSpungeon's Diary Dungeon and Bookcrossing

---
Dear Tone.
Thanks for inviting me to your beautiful home. I'd like to play you a few of the tunes that have been echoing around the cavernous recesses of Yokospungeon's Diary Dungeon.

Who knows, I could start an epidemic?

Cue the guitar riff for 'Whole lotta love' for the countdown a la TOTP of yesteryear, and away we go:

10. Feelgood Inc. - Gorillaz
I adore Damon Albarn and this is a great tune. My house backs onto Brixton Windmill, and I have been involved in the campaign to save the Windmill Allotments adjacent to it, including creating the website for the campaign. Obviously, the lyrics have acquired a hefty significance for me:

"Windmill, Windmill for the land
Turn forever hand in hand
Take it all in on your stride
It is sinking, falling down
Love forever love is free
Let's turn forever you and me..."


9. Willy Mason - Oxygen
Things have been mighty unusual in my neck of the woods for the last few weeks. I can't explain how much more zesty life suddenly becomes when you're suddenly dodging vaporising citizens in addition to the usual muggers. This has undoubtedly been influencing the breed of earworms I am suffering from just now. I am finding myself singing this a lot as the moment.

"We can be stronger than bombs
if you're singing along and you know that you really believe
We can be richer than industry
as long as we know that there's things that we don't really need
We can speak louder than ignorance
'cause we speak in silence every time our eyes meet..."


If you do nothing else today, check some Willy out.

8. The Editors - Blood
I was very excited last week to be recommended a band 'The Editors' by my pal from Bookcrossing and Livejournal Bruised_Heel. Apart from the fact that they sound like an exciting hybrid of Depeche Mode and The Bravery, and have a wicked jangly guitar riff that you end up humming to yourself all day long, the following lyrics have been persistent of late:

"This wicked city has dragged you down,
You're with the red lights your side of town
Don't say it's easy to follow a process
There's nothing harder than keeping a promise
Blood runs through your veins, that's where our similarity ends..."


But perhaps you need to hear it to see what I mean

7. Kaiser Chiefs - I predict a riot
A friend of mine once remarked that I have a 'Music Hall sense of humour'. Humph! I would concede that my subconscious is easily pleased, because this phrasing will not leave me alone at the moment:

"Watching the people get lairy, is not very pretty I tell thee
Walking through town is quite scary, and not very sensible either"


In fact, you don't have to be Nostradamus to prophesy civil unrest in London. There was a big fat hint outside Stockwell Tube Station onThursday night when I was going into town to meet some mates. A large crowd had fixed a Brazilian flag to the concertina shutters of the station and a hand written sign had been erected which said 'SHOOT TO KILL IS TERRORISM'.

6.Candi Staton - You got the love
"Sometimes I feel like throwing my hands up in the air" and I'm sure you do too. Times when you can't get a song out of your head, for example. There's something about the nonchalant independence of the baseline of this song and the slightly spooky chord change at the bridge that just sticks and makes you want to listen to it again to try to purge your brain of it. But brain won't have any of that, because brain and Candi Staton are sitting in the tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G. See what I mean?

5.U2 - Sunday Bloody Sunday
I'm not a big fan of Bono - he gets my back up something chronic with his gigantic ego, his Wonderbra shades and his nauseating mullet. That said, credit where it's due - the man has honked out a few good tunes in his time. Ah, I love the smell of zeitgeist in the morning...

"I can’t believe the news today,
oh, I can’t close my eyes and make it go away
How long...how long must we sing this song?
How long? how long...?"


Watch it. Go ahn, you will you will you will you will you will you will.

4. Bodyrockers - I like the way
There are some things a lady ought not confess tickle her fancy in politecompany. Examples that would fall within this category are 'Brut 33' aftershave and Mickey Rourke. Nonetheless, it would be churlish to deny that these, and the next song, possess what in the era of Tupperware was referred to as 'real man appeal'. Drums, high hats, a muffled disco baseline and a husky voice and I'm in danger of peaking too early.

3. Basement Jaxx - Oh My Gosh!
Listen darling. Until you have heard the following lyrics issue from the wrinkled mouths of the bodypopping aged, your life remains incomplete.

"To tell you the truth he was just a lil bit fresh
He said he liked the way I put my lipstick on
He said how many sugars do you like in your tea?
I said forget about the sugar have a spoonful of me, cuz I taste so sweet"


Keep your eyes peeled for my girl, the old white haired chick that does the "Yeah-yah!". Priceless. Watch it. Do it. DO IT!

2.Snoop Dogg feat. Pharrell - Drop it like it's hot
If The Neptunes produce it, it'll be fresh as the moment when the pod went "Pop click pop pop pop, click pop click click".
"Snooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooop"

1. Jamiroquai - Feels just like it should
It was a toss up between this one and the Scissor Sisters' 'Filthy Gorgeous' but Jay Kay calls heads and heads it is. This is because
(a) he is one of my nominated name drops because I once met him on the stairs of his house, and (b) because of the way he sings "Cause you said it would feel that good - and it does..."which makes my legs turn to jelly like a silly teenage girl.

0. M Ward - Fuel for Fire
Late nights on the gin. Melancholy sigh.

"Got 45's to play at night
Got books to spend with every weekend
The story's always the same
Got lonesome fuel for fire"


It's been lovely to meet you all, and thanks Tone for the Tune-er-oppity. I will probably be on holiday when you all read this, but if anyone wants to read my Livejournal, 'friend' me and I will reciprocate on my return.

Any friend of Swiss' is a friend of mine.

----

Thanks Yoko - have a nice holiday!

Next week we will be graced by the presence of the inestimable Bee (or, if you prefer, The Artist Formerly Known As Serena Wombat) from Life in the B .

I ain't gonna fly, sucka! Mmm milk and a cookie....Zzzzzzzzzzzz

[previous guest editors: Flash, The Urban Fox, Lord Bargain, Retro-Boy, Statue John, Ben, OLS, Ka, Jenni, Aravis, Yoko]

6 Comments:

  • At 8:03 pm, Blogger Aravis said…

    Don't I count anymore ST? *G*

    I love "Sunday Bloody Sunday" too.

     
  • At 9:13 pm, Blogger Flash said…

    A fine selection to be sure.

    Hey Swiss, Why didn't you mention the mighty Mode when describing Editors??

     
  • At 11:35 pm, Blogger Damo said…

    Of course, with the Candi Staton track, it sounds like she's singing "Sometimes I feel like throwing my pants up in the air".

    Chortle.

     
  • At 12:02 am, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Yoko - this sounds exactly like the sort of selection I'd have running around my head at any given point in time. As Flash said, 'a fine selection', and no mistake.

    Hey - i've been (very infrequently)bookcrossing since Sept 2003, when I found 'Peter Pan' lying on a bench in Vancouver....

     
  • At 4:18 pm, Blogger HistoryGeek said…

    I'm often left wondering, looking at these lists with artists I've never heard of, about how much is it that there are different musical experiences for people in our different countries and how much is that my musical scope is limited. Probably a little of both with an extra helping of the latter.

     
  • At 8:45 pm, Blogger red one said…

    If you do nothing else today, check some Willy out as Frankie Howerd might have said.

    Actually those lyrics do look worth a listen, if that makes sense.

    I'm glad it's not just me who gets political situation-related earworms.

    his Wonderbra shades
    And that, Yoko, is a piece of genius.

    RedOne

     

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