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

Friday, May 08, 2009

is the world finally growing wise?

Well, we've had a couple of weeks without any, so I don't know about you, but I'm pretty keen to get back on the earworm wagon and see what's happening.... amazingly enough, in spite of my best efforts, I seem to have landed myself a quality Guest Editor too. So at least that means you won't have to put up with any of the old shit floating around my head (for the record? Mostly "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns n'Roses and "Not Fair" by Lily Allen). So, without further ado, it is my great pleasure to present for your earworming pleasure......

Earworms of the week - guest editor #98 - Lisa from Rullsenberg Rules

Thanks be to ST for letting me impose my offer on the Earworms slot. I've had some of these knocking around for ages, leaning me to sing around the office. However, see if you can spot that one that I didn't want in there...

> Bach, played by Yo-Yo Ma - Prelude Cello Suite in G

Perhaps one of my most favourite pieces of music ever, it has recently re-entered my psyche thanks to, of all things, a celebrity show trailer on Channel 5. Go figure. But it has re-awakened my adoration of the piece and its now zooming in and out of my brain, bringing with it a wealth of imagery -- not least of course its use in one of my favourite ever episodes of The West Wing 'Noel'. Shiver.

> Festival - Fair and True

Another Rough Trade special. With minimal percussion of tamborines etc - its mostly an acapella track with harmonies and 'ooooooh's - its a delicate track. Oh this earth has dirtied this lonesome heart / and the wind has bought it to you / oh the days are long and the days are hard / but the light proves fair and true. Dreamy. I defy you not hear and be seduced.

> Grandaddy - A.M. 180

I can only apologise in advance for this because this is truly one of those tracks that when you hear it again you remember why it gets stuck in your head. 'Da da da da da da da da da da da da da da.... Gah. I love this track but it one of the most insistent hook lines with that toy-like organ riff. I was passed this track by the brother of an old school friend (Hi Brian!) but had never really registered the track title or band. Now of course it haunts me quite often (in a good way I hasten to add!)

> Headless Heroes - To You

I've been raving about this track on the blog since last year and it still has the power to drill a space in my head. Yes, its a cover of I am Kloot, but in the hands of Alela Diane there's a new found ethereal quality to the track. 'The Gods and the saints preserve you' indeed.

> The Heart Strings - Jose Fernandez

I have a serious love of the Rough Trade compilations, especially their end of year goodie bags which usually ably cover me for pursuing what I haven't already acquired from the years best CDs. Its refrain, with the delicious shout of 'Jose Fernandez!' is gloriously uplifting and I've been wandering the corridors of work for some weeks now randomly yelling 'Jose Fernandez!' to the bemusement of colleagues.

> Whitney Houston - I wanna dance with somebody

All I can do is apologise. This is what comes from having to get a taxi home from work when you're ill and the driver inevitably has Heart FM on. Someone chose this as their happy song. I can say for sure I'm not bloody happy having this in my noggin.

> The Leisure Society - The Last of the melting snow

Novello nominated I'll have you recall, though I feel very chuffed at having purchased the album in our pre-Novello announcement trip to the smoke - with the purchase made on the back of finally remembering to write down who the band were when listening to Mark Riley on 6Music. Its lilting melody often catches me unawares to make me go all tingly.

> Underworld - Pearl's Girl

Ah YouTube. Remembrances of a TV series much loved and never repeated or released (though it can be hunted out), I was thinking back on this fact as it is a frightening 10 years since it aired. And in doing so, bang, in came Underworld. Used as the theme tune for Psychos, this was already a band that we liked in our house but this track has a special place as it so perfectly takes me back to watching that series.

> Dr Horrible Soundtrack - On the Rise

As a Whedon fan I've often been seduced to get tracks stuck in my head from its soundtracks - and this is no exception. However, I've also had this on the brain thanks to the lovely Maggi again. Brilliant. Now I have even more things to visualise when I have the tune in my head.

Hope that isn't too long a selection - but they're bouncing in my head. May all your Whitney saints preserve you.

Rullsenberg

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Thanks Lisa. Nice work. Whitney Houston notwithstanding, it's always a pleasure to welcome you around these parts. Nice to see that you've managed to squeeze the Doctor in there somewhere too..... naturally. An eclectic list, for sure, but then I'd expect nothing less from someone with as rarefied a taste as yours. I've no idea if I've got anything particular lined up for next week, but rest assured that somebody's earworms will be up here this time next week.... even if you have to put up with mine. Stay tuned.

What?

No! Come back!

[Previous Guest Editors: Flash, The Urban Fox, Lord Bargain, Retro-Boy, Statue John, Ben, OLS, Ka, Jenni, Aravis, Yoko, Bee, Charlie, Tom, Di, Spin, The Ultimate Olympian, Damo, Mike, RedOne, The NumNum, Leah, Le Moine Perdu, clm, Michael, Hyde, Adem, Alecya, bytheseashore, adamant, Earworms of the Year 2005, Delrico Bandito, Graham, Lithaborn, Phil, Mark II, Stef, Kaptain Kobold, bedshaped, I have ordinary addictions, TheCatGirlSpeaks, Lord B rides again, Tina, Charlie II, Cody Bones, Poll Star, Jenni II, Martin, Del II, The Eye in the Sky, RussL, Lizzy's Hoax, Ben II, Earworms of the Year 2006, Sarah, Flash II, Erika, Hen, Pynchon, Troubled Diva, Graham II, Cat II, Statue John II, Sweeping the Nation, Aravis II, Olympian II, C, Planet-Me, Mike, Michael II, Eye in the Sky II, Charlie III, The Great Grape Ape, asta, Ben III, Earworms of the Year 2007, Cat III, JamieS & Wombat, Pynchon II, Briskate, Craig Cliff, Fiery Little Sod, Cody II, J, Yoko II, Rol, Lisa, Pollstar II, Joe the Troll, Eye in the Sky III, Jerry Cornelius, Stevious, Luke, FLS II, Earworms of the Year 2008, FLS III, Mik, Mark Again, Ben IV]

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4 Comments:

  • At 12:05 am, Anonymous C. said…

    I don't always read earworms... In fact, I often skip earworms and gig reviews when I'm reading ST's blog. But I had to read the earworms from someone who started with Bach's first suite for cello. It's a magnificent piece of music. The way it builds tension before breaking into shards of notes that hang in the air on the final chord is almost orgasmic. I play this on the guitar and it's appeal is that it is both intellectually interesting and emotionally engaging.
    Good choice.
    But Whitney? I feel deeply sorry that someone with such an appreciation of music should have to put up with that.

     
  • At 12:07 am, Blogger swisslet said…

    in the main, classical music gives me a terrible headache.

    How did I end up with my wife again?

     
  • At 12:38 pm, Blogger Lisa Rullsenberg said…

    Ha! Believe me the Whitney is proof-positive that an earworm doesn't necessarily get chosen, rather it chooses you! Nothing on this earth would make me willingly be struck by the urge to yelp 'I wanna dance with somebody!' So yeah, it does feel harsh...

    With you on the Bach and sorry ST that classical isn't quite your bag.

    BTW the MySpace site for The Heart Strings will allow readers to pick up on the Jose Fernandez track. Sadly I'm not so sure you can hear the festival track online , except by maybe dodgy means, and since Pinnacle went bust (their record dealer) I'm loath to take from their already restricted income. Shame.

     
  • At 7:26 pm, Anonymous Queenie said…

    I feel the urge to stand up for late 80s dancefloor corn at this point. Alexander O'Neal to the lot of you.

    (Bach rocks though, no two ways about it)

     

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