fast forward selecta...!

"A good compilation tape, like breaking up, is hard to do and takes ages longer than it might seem. You gotta kick off with a killer, to hold the attention. Then you have to take it up a notch, but not blow your wad, so maybe cool it off a notch, and you can't put the same artist twice on the tape, except if some subtle point or lesson or theme involved, and even then not the two of them in a row, and you can't woo somebody with Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi" and then bash their head off with something like GBH's "City Baby Attacked by Rats," and... oh, there are a lot of rules....."
--
Shuffleathon 2008

Call me a sucker for punishment, but I've been thinking about running another Shuffleathon this year. A couple of people have asked me about it, and as I've broadly enjoyed doing it for the last couple of years, I was thinking of giving it another go in the next few weeks.

If you're not familiar with the concept, it's basically a compilation CD exchange. I collect the names and addresses of any people interested in taking part, put all the names into an actual hat, and draw them out one by one, so that each name from the hat is paired with a name from the list of all participants. I will then email everyone individually to let them know who they've drawn, and you then make a compilation CD for the person you've drawn. You won't know who is making a CD for you until the moment that it arrives through your letterbox.... but that anticipation is pretty much the best part of the whole damn thing.

What you put on the CD is entirely up to you. You may know the person you've drawn, or you may be able to deduce something about them from their blog (if they have one). You may decide to make a CD that says something about you, or you may simply decide to put together the most kick-ass compilation you possibly can. Whatever, as anyone who has ever made one will be able to tell you, the act of making a compilation for someone is an intensely personal thing, and absolutely the most important part of the Shuffleathon is the sacred duty of each person receiving a CD to put up some kind of a review of their compilation onto the internet - on your blog or wherever. I don't ask that the reviews are completely uncritical - you are allowed not to like the CD you've been sent - I just ask that you are sensitive to the fact that someone may have poured their heart and soul into the compilation you have received, and that you write your review with that in mind.

I'll keep a big table on here somewhere linking to everyone taking part, and keeping a track of when the CDs have been posted out, when they have been received and link out to the reviews as they start to appear.

Not having a blog (or having a secret blog) does not need to be a barrier to participation - I will happily publish as many reviews here as are necessary. I am also happy to act as an intermediary for anyone who is a little wary of having their postal address revealed to a complete stranger.... as long as you will trust me with it, I will receive and post on CDs to as many people as need be.

So, does that make sense?

Who's interested?

Before you volunteer though, please bear this in mind: once you agree to take part, you are committing to both post out your own compilation for someone, and also to reviewing the CD that you will receive. One or two people last year didn't ever get round to reviewing the CDs that they received, and that was a real let down and disappointment for everyone involved..... so please, if you want to take part, I need you to take your commitment to this seriously. Post your CD out promptly and get your review up in good time.

In theory the shuffleathon is open to anyone and everyone, but I may try and keep it manageable this year, as I don't want to spend months chasing after this and sending out replacement CDs and so on... so please don't be upset if you ask to get involved and I have to turn you down. I'll try and include as many people as I can, but I have to be honest that it is likely to help if you have some track record around here, or if you can at least persuade me that you're going to take this seriously.

.... but it's fun, honestly! It's about making and receiving complilations and about sharing your love of music. What could be better than that?

Once you've agreed to take part, and you're happy to commit to writing up a proper review, then the only rules are those outlined in the quote from "High Fidelity" at the top of the page (and you can pretty much ignore them too if you want).

Your only limitation is your imagination....

If you're interested, drop me a line here and we'll take it from there.

I don't know about you, but I'm thinking of my track#1 already. It sets the tone, doesn't it?

Here's the first incarnation of that big, stupid table that we've all come to know and to love....

Let's get this show on the road, eh?

Shuffler	Address Received?
1. Me	er... yes?
2. you?
3. him?
4. everybody...?

turn off your mind, relax and float downstream...

>>>>>ST's ALPHABETICON - Part ii: B<<<<<

Right. Back again for another trawl through my archives. Remember: this is not an attempt to definitively list every album that I own. Rather, this is a run through the CDs that are gathering dust on the shelves in my study.... I have other ones sitting around near the stereos and in the car, and more albums that I only have on my laptop. None of them count. This is a stroll through the albums that I may not have listened to in years.... and if as a result of doing this, I listen to some of them, then so much the better.

Incredulous "Whatnos" more than welcome.

Previously in the Alphabeticon: A

27. Badly Drawn Boy – About a Boy

I saw Badly Drawn Boy playing at Glastonbury once and he was ferociously dull. I resisted the charms of the various singles from "Hour of Bewilderbeast" and instead got suckered into buying this because I quite enjoyed the film. It's a good film, and this is a pretty good soundtrack. Have I listened to it recently? No. Am I planning on listening to it? Not really. Hmmm.

28. RL Burnside – An Ass Pocket of Whiskey

I think I bought this because I had a brief flirtation with the John Spencer Blues Explosion when I was a student, and RL was a friend of theirs who collaborated with them on "Now I Got Worry". This is pretty much straight down the line blues. Not really on my "most listened to" playlist. In fact, not on my iPod at all.

29. The Beta Band – The 3 EPs
30. The Beta Band – Hot Shots II

Did I get this before I saw "High Fidelity"? Possibly. Do I listen to much more than "Dry The Rain"? Not really, although both of these albums are actually pretty good. I must dig these out and give them a spin - which is kind of the whole point of this exercise.

31. The Buzzcocks – Singles: Going Steady

Superb. I bought this as a student on the strength of "Ever Fallen In Love...", but you can't go wrong with this. "Orgasm Addict" is also a fantastic opening track...

32. Blondie – Parallel Lines

It's a classic, innit.

33. David Bowie – Singles Collection
34. David Bowie – Ziggy Stardust
35. David Bowie – Aladdin Sane
36. David Bowie – Heroes
37. David Bowie - Low
38. David Bowie – Hunky Dory

The singles compilation came first, when I was about 17 years old and a member of the Britannia music club, of all things. Does that still exist in the internet age, do you suppose? The other albums have been accumulated over time, and as I fluctuate through Bowie phases, the most recent of which was triggered by "The Life Acquatic With Steve Zissou"... an excellent film, but also one feeaturing a lot of Bowie covers sung in Portuguese.

39. Beatles – Abbey Road
40. Beatles –White Album
41. Beatles – 62-66 (Red Album)
42. Beatles – 67-70 (Blue Album)
43. Beatles – Revolver
44. Beatles – Sergeant Pepper
45. Beatles – One
46. Beatles - Love
47. Paul McCartney – All the Best!
48. John Lennon - Legend

Ack. The red and blue albums came first, replacing an old cassette I used to have with the hits on. Like Bowie, I've added the rest over time. The McCartney and Lennon compilations are filed here for convenience... and in my opinion, neither is a patch on the work they did together. Well, with the possible exception of the Frog Chorus, obviously.

49. Belle & Sebastian – If You’re Feeling Sinister
50. Belle & Sebastian - The Life Pursuit
51. Belle & Sebastian – Dear Catastrophe Waitress
52. Belle & Sebastian – Tiger Milk
53. Belle & Sebastian – Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant
54. Belle & Sebastian – The Boy With the Arab Strap
55. Belle & Sebastian – Storytelling
56. Belle & Sebastian – Push Bartender to Open Old Wounds

Ah, a band I used to loathe with a passion.... a hatred founded more or less entirely on a preconception of them as folky no-marks and on a ill-advised appearance on Top of the Pops with "Legal Man". Then, one night round at a friend of mine, I heard an album that I absolutely adored on first listen. The album? "If You're Feeling Sinister", an album that I still think is their high watermark (apart from possibly "Dear Catastrophe Waitress". Was I annoyed that my preconceived idea of them had been so wrong? Not really, I was just delighted to discover how much I liked them and how much of their back catalogue I had to explore. They're not to everyone's taste, I'm sure, and they can be awfully fey... but I like them.

57. The Beautiful South – Solid Bronze
58. The Beautiful South - Carry on Up the Charts

How I come to have two compilation albums by the same band, I'm not quite sure. They're only different by about three songs, I think.... still. Great band. Have I ever been tempted to explore their back catalogue properly? Not really.

59. Billy Bragg – Must I Paint You a Picture?
60. Billy Bragg – Don’t Try This at Home
61. Billy Bragg & Wilco – Mermaid Avenue
62. Billy Bragg & Wilco – Mermaid Avenue II
63. Billy Bragg – Back to Basics

The Bard of Barking is a long-time hero of mine. I discovered him when I was still at school, thanks largely to the Pollstar, and listened mainly to those albums where it's just him and his guitar singing about unrequited love and politics. Later on, I discovered the songs he did with a full band, culminating in the "Mermaid Avenue" project that Bragg did with Wilco, where they took some long lost lyrics by Woody Guthrie and put them to music. Fantastic albums both. The man is a legend. One of the good guys.

64. Beastie Boys – Ill Communication
65. Beastie Boys - The Sounds of Science Anthology

This is (almost) as far as the rap genre in my collection goes, and even then, they're hardly NWA, are they? I probably first got into them when I was 13 years old and thought "Fight For Your Right" was cool. Actually, it was pretty cool, wasn't it?

66. Ian Brown – Music of the Spheres

I've seen this clown live on a number of occasions (always when he's been supporting someone else) and he's been absolutely awful on each occasion. This album is alright, but it's all a bit of a comedown from the Stone Roses, isn't it? I was lucky enough to see the Roses live, and somehow their magic was so powerful that the fact that Brown can't carry a tune in a bucket didn't seem to matter a jot.

67. Blur – Modern Life is Rubbish
68. Blur – Parklife
69. Blur - Blur
70. Blur – Think Tank
71. Blur – Best Of

I bought "Modern Life is Rubbish" when it came out and I absolutely loved it... right up to "Villa Rosie" it was pretty much perfect. I was therefore queuing at the shop when "Parklife" came out and wished them nothing but the best in their stupid media war with Oasis. I wasn't too enamoured with "The Great Escape", but as the band sought to escape from the top of the charts, I came back to them and I think "Blur" and "Think Tank" are amongst their finest work. The singles album? Well, it was for the car. A good band. Alex James is still a cock of the highest order though.

72. Jeff Buckley – Grace
73. Jeff Buckley – Live at Sine-e

I saw Buckley singing at Reading in 1994. He was fantastic, of course, but I can't really get away from the fact that the reason I was there at all in the middle of the afternoon was that Gene were up next. They were also excellent, but it's Buckley who is the legend now. I've had "Grace" for a long time, together with a vague notion that I should get some more of his stuff. This was an itch that I scratched earlier this year when I bought the double disc special edition of the "Live at Sine-e" album, which document Buckley playing unaccompanied in a New York coffee shop, moulding his songs and just generally mucking about. It's a sublime album and he was a sublime talent. Worth it just for his cover of "Hallelujah".

74. Beach Boys – Surf’s up / Sunflower
75. Beach Boys – Pet Sounds
76. Beach Boys – 20 golden greats

It all started with "Pet Sounds" really, which always seems to be there-or-thereabouts in those "best albums ever" type polls. I bought it out of curiosity, but subsequently discovered that actually I think that "Sunflower" is a much better album, it's just less well known. The greatest hits album? I'm not sure there's a better album to listen to as you drive through Somerset approaching the Glastonbury site before another festival.

77. Ben Folds – Rocking the Suburbs
78. Ben Folds Five – Whatever and Ever Amen
79. Ben Folds Five - Ben Folds Five

Another artist it's taken me a long time to get over my own preconceptions... Ben Folds suffering from a dreadful party I went to where the guests ended up sitting around the BBQ singing his songs (along with the Barenaked Ladies) to an acoustic guitar played by an absolute tit called Dylan. Anyway. Ten years later and I got over myself sufficiently to enjoy "Rocking the Suburbs", and it was a short journey from there to his most famous albums. He's still unbearably smug though.

80. Belly – Star

My favourite album of the long summer of 1993. I loved this album then (when I had it on a cassette with the Suede debut album on the other side) and I love it now. A much underrated band.

81. Boo Radleys – Wake Up
82. Boo Radleys – Giant Steps

"Wake Up Boo!" is sublime, of course, but "Giant Steps" is better.

83. Black Grape – It’s Great When You’re Straight, Yeah!

I haven't listened to this in a decade, but I really must dig this out. The Observer was saying at the weekend how this was one of the best albums of the 1990s and should have won the Mercury Prize that year. I don't know about that, but I really should give it another listen.

84. Black Crowes – Shake Your Money Maker
85. Black Crowes – Southern Harmony and Musical Companion

Originally dating back to the tail end of my heavy metal years at school, "Southern Harmony" was actually the first album I played when my parents had left me at the start of the first term in my University career. They do a pretty mean cover of "Hard to Handle" too.

86. Bon Jovi – New Jersey

I'm actually a little surprised that I don't have more Jovi in my collection than this, to be honest. I bought this in about 1988 when it came out and I think you'll struggle to find an album with a better opening salvo than "Lay Your Hands on Me" and "Bad Medicine".... they're also pretty handy live (I saw them on the "Keep The Faith" tour, when I was arguably old enough and into the Smiths enough to know better... but they were ace!)

87. Bjork – Debut

A rarely listened to classic. I must get this out and give it a spin. I don't even think it's on my iPod, which is shocking.

88. Bluetones – Expecting to Fly
89. Bluetones – The Singles
90. Bluetones - Bluetones

I love the Bluetones, and I actually used to work with a lovely Geordie chap called Pag in HMV York who claimed that he was their original bassist. Perhaps he was. He certainly had nothing but good things to say about them and wished them nothing but the best. They've faded from public view since "Slight Return", but they're still going strong and are, if anything, much better now than they were in those days. They tour every November, and they're always excellent value.

91. British Sea Power – The Decline of British Sea Power

Talked about a lot a few years ago. Any good? Meh.

92. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – BRMC

Loud.

93. Next Brel (various)
94. Jacques Brel – de 24 Grootste Successen

One of the side-effects of having a wife who grew up in France is my love of Jacques Brel. Initially I discovered his work through Scott Walker's covers, but when I met C, I soon discovered the originals. It seems hard to believe now, but back in the 1990s, the only Brel album I could find was a Dutch import..... Amazon has changed all of that, of course. The "Next Brel" album was a spontaneous purchase in Fopp of Brel covers, and was well worth a fiver just for the Dusty Springfield version of "If You Go Away" and The Sensational Alex Harvey Band's bonkers version of "Next". The originals are pretty good too though, although when he sings in Flemish, you wouldn't have wanted to be sitting in the front row.

95. Devendra Banhart – Nino Rojo
96. Devendra Banhart – Rejoicing in the Hands

Discovered when I saw him on "Later...." and I was amply rewarded by his album, which was a real treasure trove. Not something I could listen to all of the time, but really very good indeed. He must have a really adventurous agent though, because I keep hearing snippets of his music used to advertise things like cheese, which is a bit incongruous. Fiercely prolific though, so I don't even attempt to keep up with all of the records he puts out.

97. Bloc Party – Silent Alarm

Very much the "next big thing" a couple of years ago, and in my opinion this album largely delivers. I saw them first on the same "Later..." as Interpol, if memory serves me correctly.

98. Carla Bruni – Quel’q'un Ma Dit
99. Carla Bruni - No Promises

Model-turned-singer sounds deeply unpromising, but Carla Bruni's first album is an absolute joy and stands repeated listens. The second album is all in English and features adaptations of famous English poems.... and whilst being pretty good, isn't a patch on the first one.

100. Black Sabbath – Paranoid

Worth it just for the title track, never mind "War Pigs", "Iron Man" and "Fairies Wear Boots". Well, perhaps not that last one.

101. Bright Eyes – I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning

This is supposed to be good, right?? For some reason I've never given this a proper listen. This must change soon.

102. James Blunt – Back to Bedlam

Alright. A bit embarrassing perhaps, if I cared much. I think he's probably a bit of a twat (witness any of his recent interviews), but the simple truth is that when I saw him perform "Goodbye My Lover" on "Later..." in what was his TV debut, I couldn't shake the song from my head. He had been awfully nervous and had performed the song pretty badly, but the song stuck. Soon enough, I bought the album (I had to hunt for it!) and I thought it was pretty good. By the time I saw him performing on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury at lunchtime on the sunday, the cat was well and truly out of the bag and the crowd was massive. The rest is history, and for all that the music snob in me wants to run screaming, I can never forget that I quite liked those early songs. Will I buy the new album? No, probably not. Do I carry the ticket for the Blunt gig I attended in Nottingham with C around in my pocket? Yes, I do. It's to remind me not to be too snobby about music. Does it work? Hmmm.

103. Boy Kill Boy - Boy Kill Boy

Bad hat. Bad hair. Average album. Great singles.

----

Shuffleathon update:

In so far: Tina, Sarah, Cody Bones, Mark, Michael, Hen, Cat, bedshaped, Pynchon, J, The Great Grape Ape, Ian, Martin, Monogodo, Threelight, Paul, Charlie, Lord B.

Anyone else?

Do you want guidelines for the compilation, or do you just want to freestyle?

oh lord...

--
Earworms of the Week

>Waterloo - Abba

An unexpected by-product of the alphabeticon is that I appear to have a whole pile of "Whatnos" in my head. The letter "A" seems to have been dominated by the lack of Abba in my collection. It's not something I've ever really considered to be much of a loss, to be honest, and I never really understood the whole ironic we-love-Abba thing that happened a few years back. Still, having said that, I do have a soft spot a mile wide for this song. Perhaps it's because I'm a historian?

> Rasputin - Boney M

Abba are inextricably linked in my head with this band, for some reason - perhaps that's why I can take the swedes seriously. Once Abba was lodged into my head, this earworm wasn't very far behind. Still, it's another good historical song, eh? I bet they researched long and hard before writing these lyrics. Ever heard a better summation of this period in Russian history than "Oh those Russians!" ??

> Hurricane - Athlete

I like Athlete. I like their quirky, plinky-plonky sound and I even quite like the way that Joel Pott manages to sing slightly off the beat every single time he opens his mouth. I loved their debut, "Vehicles and Animals" and I liked the follow-up, "Tourist"..... imagine my disappointment then to discover that I thought that their new album was turgid and unimginative. What a shame.

Although it's not really typical of the rest of the album, in some ways this song sums it up: it's the Athlete sound blown up and given the full-on Coldplay production treatment... except that it somehow still sounds a bit limp and empty. It appears to be a song about global warming, but the pay off is weirdly passive:

"Is it something we gotta get used to?
Is it something we gotta get used to? whoa."

Hmmm.

As I was reading earlier this week, not so much a hurricane as a gust of wind.

Still managed to worm its way onto a loop on my internal jukebox though. I'm seeing them live in a few weeks, so I'm hoping this will grow on me. I want to like it, I really do.

> Hope There's Someone - Antony and the Johnsons

Another one to thank the alphabeticon for, but this one is an absolute corker. The first time I heard any of Antony's music was when he played this on Jools Holland a while back. Utterly breathtaking. He's a real one-off and this is a magnificent song.

> When You Were Young - The Killers

By far and away the best thing on "Sam's Town" and almost as good as "Mr. Brightside". Almost. I heard this on the radio the other day, and it made me think that, although I loved the song, I had strangely absolutely no desire to see the band at Glastonbury this year.

> In Between Days (acoustic) - The Cure

Stef was raving about the Greatest Hits album the other day, and I asked him if he had got the special edition with the bonus disc featuring acoustic versions of all of the tracks. No, he didn't. Oh, it's really good. So I made him a CD and posted it on. I'm sure it only took Robert Smith about an hour to knock this lot off on his acoustic guitar, but it's really good.

Worth seeking out if you haven't already got it. A bonus CD worthy of the name.

> Nessun Dorma - Luciano Pavarotti

For obvious reasons. That was a great World Cup too, and this song will forever remind me of it.

> Frontier Psychiatrist - The Avalanches

"You're a nut. You're crazy in the coconut"

Bloody alphabeticon. Am I going to be earworming tunes in alphabetical order for the next however-many weeks?

Oh well.

> Bullet in the Head - Rage Against The Machine

RATM never seem to be far away from my head these days. Usually it's "Killing in the Name", but I actually heard this being played on the radio the other day (I think, although perhaps on reflection it's more likely to have popped up on my iPod when I was out running. Nothing like a bit of furious rock to pick your knees up when you're feeling a bit tired).

As they're apparently reforming, I'm holding out some hope that one day I might actually get to see them live.

There's been nobody else quite like them. End of story.

> Foundations - Kate Nash

Oh, stop rolling your eyes. I actually like this.

I know that there's something eminently puncheable about Kate Nash, and a large part of me wants to loathe this record... but the simple fact is that I can't shift it from my head. Yeah, I like The Streets and I like Jamie T, so perhaps I have a certain predisposition for this kind of thing. Mind you, I can't abide Lily Allen.

Yes, there a mannerisms aplenty to hate in this record, but there's still enough vulnerability and sheer invention to make this a joy to listen to.

So there.

> Old Clash Fan Fight Song - Johnny Clash (a.k.a. Billy Bragg - hear it on his MySpace here)

Billy Bragg is a long time hero of mine, and this song is an absolute corker. Bragg is as much a politician and a stand-up comedian now as he is a musician, but this is a real reminder of the punk scene that spawned him and is his tribute to the Clash. Billy Bragg being Billy Bragg, this song is available to buy as a limited edition 7" single only and all proceeds are being donated to his (fantastic) Jail Guitar Doors charity.

The man's an institution and I love him dearly.

> In the Air Tonight - Phil Collins

It was an advert that caught my attention immediately: something about the juxtaposition of a Phil Collins soundtrack and a gorilla sat behind a drum kit. I had no idea where this was going, but the very idea of it made me smile and made me pay attention. Of course, when the song kicks in proper with that drum break, it brings the house down.... but don't just take my word for it, see for yourself.


Quite what this has to do with Cadbury's Dairy Milk is beyond me, but the very fact that I'm talking about it here means that the campaign is working. You'll not see a better advert this year, and I guarantee you that this song will be winging its way up the download charts as we speak.

Whisper it quietly, but it's a pretty good record too, no?

---

Shuffleathon is back. Be a part of the solution, not part of the problem... or something.

Part of the solution so far: Tina, Sarah, Cody Bones, Mark, Michael, Hen, Cat, bedshaped, Pynchon, J, The Great Grape Ape, Ian, Martin, Monogodo, Threelight, Paul...

Anyone else?



A guy in a gorilla suit playing the drums to a slightly naff 80s classic.

Genius...

...I wondered what happened to Clarence Beeks

what use is love without a heart?

So, it's getting late and I'm still not sure whether I have remembered everything in that final 5% of my packing that I didn't get done yesterday. So what should a guy do? Write out a list? Try to see the bigger picture and make sure that I have my passport and my credit card, shrug and just let it go?

Here's what I definitely shouldn't be doing:

Shuffleathon Update

NAME	POSTED OUT	RECEIVED
1. Sarah	Y	review
2. Mandy	Y	review
3. Yoko	Y	review
4. Alan	Y	review
5. Charlie	Y	review
6. Ka	Y	review
7. spins	Y	review
8. bedshaped	Y	review
9. bytheseashore	Y	review
10. Mike	Y	review
11. Alecya	Y	sort of review
12. Pynchon	Y	review
13. Ben	Y	review
14. Flash	Y	review
15. Michael	Y	review
16. Lord Bargain	Y	review
17. Tina	Y	review
18. Del	Y	review
19. Mark	Y	review
20. Graham	Y	review
21. Stef	Y	review
22. Adem	Y	review
23. Threelight	Y	review
24. Jenni	Y	review
25. Leah	Y	review
26. Pete	Y	review
27. Statue John	Y	review
28. Monogodo	Y	review
29. Him	Y	review
30. Me!	Y	YES!
31. TheCatGirlSpeaks (virtually)	Y	my review her review

The final CD -- Jenni's CD to me -- finally arrived a couple of weeks ago after several attempts to get it through the post from the USA to the UK. Well, it finally got here. I promised Jenni that I would try to get a review up before I left, so....

1. Gene - "Somewhere in the World"

Well, here's a way to start a compilation! I loved Gene. In the UK music press they were always portrayed as nothing more than a Smiths covers band, but I knew that they were much better than that. Sure Martin Rossiter used to style himself somewhat on Morrissey, and fancied that he had a similarly waspish tongue.... but musically it was something of a lazy comparison. Perhaps it wasn't an entirely unfounded criticism in the early days, but as time went on, the more Gene found a sound of their own, and it was a sound that was much more soulful than the Smiths.

If my memory serves me correctly, this song comes from "Libertine", their last album. I saw Gene performing this. It was their last tour and they played before a half full Rock City that had been forced to endure a performance poet by the name of Selina Saliva as the support. They were fantastic. They were always fantastic. They were great when I saw them perform on the Melody Maker stage just after Jeff Buckley.

Wistful. Melancholy. Soulful. An excellent choice.

2. Alanis Morissette - "Out is Through"

I own one Alanis Morissette album. Can you guess which one? This song seems alright to me. It's pleasant enough, but it sounds a bit "by numbers" to me. I'm sure it's heartfelt, but she could have phoned this in. Perhaps I'm being a bit unfair, but I think I prefer her when she's angry? Does she do angry any more?

3. Carbon Leaf - "Life Less Ordinary"

I'm a big fan of the Ash song of the same name, and when I saw this on the tracklisting, I wondered if this was a cover. It's not a cover. It's another slice of American rock. Fair enough, I like a bit of American rock from time to time. This is pleasant, but it doesn't really grab me. It's a bit soft rock.

4. Ben Harper - "Another Lonely Day"

Ben Harper is one of those artists that I am familiar with, but I've never quite got around to checking out any of his stuff. Again, this is another mellow track, but it's nice and introspective and I have to say that I quite like it. One to come back to, I think.

What's his other stuff like?

5. Shakira - "Your Embrace"

Ah, the bonkers bird from South America. She seems to be fairly restrained here though. In fact, I think I would go as far as to say that she's being admirably restrained here. In the hands of a Maria Carey or a Celine Dion, this would be a different song indeed and would certainly be inferior. Having said that, it's not really my cup of tea, I'm afraid.

6. Saving Jane - "Girl Next Door"

Oh, I like the intro to this. I think it's because it sounds just like it could have been by the Foo Fighters.... well, until the vocal kicks in and you realise that the singer is not Dave Grohl, but is a woman. I think I've heard this somewhere. Again, it's a touch "American rock" and I could easily imagine hearing this on the radio, but it is a good record.

A hit!

Nothing wrong with being the girl next door either. Prom queens and cheerleaders (unless they are indestructible) are overrated, in my opinion.

7. Chicago - "If You Leave Me Now"

I think there was a spot of telepathy going on here. I had been earworming this song for about 2 weeks solid when this CD arrived. On the downside, this meant that I was going to have to resign myself to never shaking this bloody song out of my head.

It's a cracker though, isn't it?

8. Barenaked Ladies - "Call And Answer"

Ah, a band I always feel like I ought to loathe. I have history with the Barenaked Ladies, or at least with some of their fans. They always seem to me to be a little too in love with their own cleverness. They are capable of writing some excellent songs though, and this one seems to be pretty reasonable. I can't help that this is another downbeat song, Jenni. It's melancholy, but it seems to have a hopeful heart.

Oh wait a minute, what's this?

"But I'm warning you, don't ever do
Those crazy, messed up things that you do
If you ever do
I promise you Ill be the first to crucify you
Now its time to prove that you've come back
Here to rebuild."

Not so hopeful after all, eh? I think I know where this one is coming from.

9. Anna Nalick - "Wreck of the Day"

Hmmm. I'm not familiar with this one, although I note that it's another sad sounding song. I like this one, it's understated and it's got a jazzy feel.

I like it.

10. Jimmy Buffett - "Come Monday"

This is an artist I have heard of, but as far as I know I have never heard a single note he has recorded. Isn't he the butt of comedians jokes for some reason? Wikipedia tells me that this is one of his "Big 8" songs that he is certain to play at every show.

Nah - does nothing for me. Remind me never to go to a Jimmy Buffet gig.

11. Keane - "Snowed Under"

Just like the Gene record, I can detect the influence of a certain Lord Bargain here. Am I going to be forced to be nice about Keane for the second time inside a week? Well, I'll keep it brief: it's a nice record. He's got a good voice. Will that do?

12. Powderfinger - "My Happiness"

Ah. An Australian legacy? I've tried listening to Powderfinger before because almost every Australian I have ever met tells me how brilliant they are. I've never quite seen it myself, but there you go. A nice record, albeit I feel as though it's about to take off at any moment and it never quite does. Where's the screaming guitar solo? I feel as though they might have a screaming guitar solo in them. The one in the song is a bit.... meh.... They should have gone big! How can you go wrong with a screaming, tongue out, down on your knees guitar solo?

Thanks Jenni. Well worth the wait, and a CD that easily stands up to repeat listening, and you can't really ask for more than that, can you?

I now declare the (*ahem*) 2006 shuffleathon closed!

At some point I'll get round to doing a round up. Maybe.....

----

And with that, ladies and gentlemen, I declare this blog to be on pause for three weeks whilst I get myself off to South America... assuming I can get my packing finished anyway.

See you on 25th March.

Play nicely.