Tuesday Music Mix

Good morning on what may be a wet or dry morning. I am not sure as I have not looked outside yet.

Stricken - No Doubt

Good song a little dramatic and sappy but I believe it was written by a teen girl. So I will allow it.

Tomorrow night I am getting taken to see 'The Big Lebowski' on the big screen in Portland. I am very much looking forward to that. It is personally one of my favorite films and one that has grown on me over time. The first time I watched it I found it a little hard to watch and I am not sure exactly why. Though I have noticed that several of the Cohen Brothers films that I love were initially a little hard for me to watch.

Get The Fever Out - Samantha Crain and The Midnight Shivers

I enjoyed this poppy little tune from this small band. I am not sure if they are even together.

Being able to see it again on the big screen will be a great experience I am sure. That is one of the many good or great things about living near the Portland area. There are often some great films being shown or shown again and if you are paying attention you can have some great experiences. If you like that kind of thing that is.

I Want You Now - Depeche Mode

One of Depeche Modes great songs. I saw this band in concert and it felt like it was a really good show. Worth seeing live.

Maria - Men at Work

A very nice song from the boys who came from down under.

Boy I guess I emptied the ol' noggin after yesterday. There is not much going on. I am not feeling upset or super happy. I am just feeling present and I think that is good. But, when I am digging for something to write about it isn't as helpful. But that is the way the cookie crumbles I suppose. I am not complaining about it.

See What A Fool I've Been - Queen

This is a seriously good bluesy Queen song. So good.

Keep on loving each other today folks and if you get a chance. Take a moment and take a deep breath. Breathe in through your nose and really try to fill your lungs with that air. Then hold it for a bit and release it through your mouth. You will feel the better for it. Trust me and if you can find the time to do it once today then maybe tomorrow you can find the time to do it twice and so on and so on. It will help. Trust me.

Men At Work Monday

Today is Monday and I hope you like Men at Work because that is all you are going to be getting today. As I was trying to decide what it is that I wanted to play for you today, it occurred to me that I wish there was a way for my Google play to sort my music by the year in which the album or song was released. Alas, that is not a possibility but you never know what may occur in the future. But once I had moved past the pain of that I thought, well it has been a long while since I had listened to Men at Work so why not devote the day to them. It is Monday and Men At Work Monday sounds pretty cool. So there you go.

Men At Work - Who Can It Be Now

The very first album that I remember getting was Men At Work's "Cargo". This was in grade school or Junior High which is now called Middle School and I won it because of a contest selling newspaper subscriptions to the Statesman Journal. In fact delivering papers was probably my first real job. It wasn't a job I was particularly good at or even enjoyed and there was a couple of apartment complexes in my neighborhood that would routinely rip me off when it came time to collect for the month.

Men At Work - Down Under

In those day you didn't get a monthly bill for the paper. The paper boy would show up at your house and present you with a bill and you would either write me a check or pay cash. But people in the apartments would always be moving out on me and that would leave me having too foot the bill. Sometimes it was my fault because I just wouldn't see the papers piling up outside of their apartment. If it was a second floor unit I would usually wing the paper up at the door from the parking lot below. I got pretty good at the old hook shot that way.

Men At Work - Underground

But once I hit High School I began to fall asleep in class and I think my parents decided that I should stop getting up so early and that was it for having a job in High School. Not that not having a job helped my grades any, because it did not. I was too busy chatting with my friends and not really paying any kind of attention at all for any of that to matter. Either it was very easy for me and I just figured it out without any sort of effort or I just would rather not even be involved in the class at all. I just didn't feel the need ofr any kind of focus or effort. Which I suppose is pretty typical of a fair amount of students. I don't feel like I was unique or anything.

Men At Work - I like to live

I have always enjoyed this band. There is just something about them that made listening to them an enjoyable experience. I think they were basically the first big band out of Australia as well and I thought that was pretty cool. I think I always felt that everything out of Australia was some sort of magical thing. It was like some sort of far off distant fairy land that had Dingos and Tasmanian Devils and Mel Gibson. I felt that way about Midnight Oil as well and INXS, though not as much for INXS.

Men At Work - High Wire

I made it to Australia eventually and I found out that it was a pretty magical place. The people seemed very friendly and the ladies were very attractive and friendly. It was a great experience and one that I hope to have again. Though the cost of such an endeavor does make that something that seems very likely. But you never know. If my Powerball retirement plan would ever kick in then things would be totally fine. Do not worry folks. I will be generous.

Men At Work - Dr Heckyll And Mr. Jive

I hope you enjoyed the trip down memory lane and the music today. Catch you later.

Musical Wanderings

I was really not sure what I wanted to listen and to share with you today. So lets put the musical machine on random and see what pops up shall we...

But before we get to that, it is a grey morning and if I didn't know any better I would think it was Nov, the only difference is that it is to warm for that. I am hoping that it will burn off and while I do not like it super hot I do like it when there are some blue skies and some sunshine out there. So heres to hoping.

Laird Baird - Charlie Parker

Oh this is kind of nice. Opening things up with a little bit of jazz this morning and some jazz from one of the masters. I have grown to like jazz more and more in the last few years. I am not sure if that is a sign of maturity or if my tastes have just gotten better. Either way I am enjoying listening to some of the greats.

Queen Anne's Revenge - Flogging Molly

This is one of my favorite bands and they have been a part of some great memories for me. One of which is seeing them with the Maestro and Eric and I will always remember and hold on to that as one of my favorite musical memories in a long line of amazing musical memories. I miss you Eric.

Hold On To What You Believe - Mumford and Sons

Well things seem to have taken a somber turn, but that is okay with me because today seems kind of like a somber day all things considered. I do enjoy this song and this band a lot and I honestly do not care if they wear vests all of the time or are to hipster for some. I just plain enjoy the sound of their music and if I sound defensive about it then so be. If you don't like it then jog on. pfffffft

Let Me Put My Love Into You - AC/DC

I love it. Nothing puts a bigger smile on my face then when some classic AC/DC pops up. I have lots of them in the player but I rarely pick them to listen to. I am not sure why that is. Because whenever they pop up on random I am thrilled by it. The very first air band I was in was in grade school and we did an AC/DC song. "Back in Black" I believe was the song and we rocked it so hard. I remember cutting out a guitar outline or tracing it from a Sears catalogue so that I could have a cardboard cut out to play for the show.

Insert Supertramp song here that I was unable to find a video for. No big loss and we are just going to move on.

Hard As A Rock - ACDC

Oh my we are doublin down on the AC/DC this morning but sadly this song is no where near as cool as the earlier one. As the band as gotten older the voice of the lead singer has gotten worse and worse and it really was not all that good to begin with. Now the chugging guitar and the drums and the antic of Angus Young are still just fine. But the vocals are pretty rough. It might be time to pull a Judas Priest and bring on a new younger singer. Hmmmm I wonder if Justin Bieber would be interested?

Underground - Men At Work

Nice back to back from the Aussies. I really do like Men At Work and this is a nice treat for me to hear as well. I may need to do some more listening to them today. I also like that this is a deeper cut from the album.

That is it for now folks. You guys have a great day if possible and keep on rockin!

. . . 'Till the End

Love You 'Till the End - The Pogues

Wow...that is a heart wrenching song. I guess I could take it as a hopeful song and there may have been times in my life when I would have. But overall, right now, it feels more somber and painful to me then anything else. Don't get me wrong it is a good song. But it is painful for me to listen to right now.

Streets of Philadelphia - Bruce Springsteen

This is such a good song. It does an amazing job of evoking the sadness of lost friends and feeling alone as you walk through life. Often while the intellect can tell us over and over again that we are not alone. The emotional side of life and the darkness that hides in all of us tells us over and over again that we are alone. Those two conflicting messages can be very hard to fight against. I am not saying that their is some great battle within us for our souls but I suppose some people would argue just that and I suppose it would be easy enough to take that position but I am going to choose not too.

Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison

What a classic, classic song and one that I always seem to enjoy and just like listening to.

4 O'Clock in the Morning - The Pogues

Oh boy, this song pulls no punches. It is about death and it is not a pleasant song for me at all to listen to. I guess when inspiration strikes you hold on and your write until the train stops rolling along the tracks even if I am not super happy with what is popping up in the music player to fuel that train. I will never be unhappy about feeling the push to write because there are enough days that it doesn't happen so when it does I just do it and damn the consequences.

Dr. Heckyll And Mr. Jive - Men At Work

I love the chorus in this song. It just soars along and there is something about it that never fails to work for me. Such a good, good song. And with that it seems that the train has slowed to a stop. I hope you guys enjoyed the double post today.

I Would Walk...

I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) - The Proclaimers

I find it interesting that Ireland is fully metric but the Proclaimers are singing about miles in this song. It doesn't really matter but the thought just crossed my mind as I sit here on a Friday afternoon.

House of Fun - Madness

Is there any other band that is as fun to listen to as Madness? I do not think there is. Their type of second wave SKA is so enjoyable and always gets my toes tapping and brings a smile to my face. Don't try to deny it. Just give in to it's power.

It Must Be Love - Madness

This is one of my favorite songs and I think it perfectly evokes that feeling when it first starts and you are in the middle of it and all you can think about it that person. They dominate your every thought and often your very being. That is why it is so horrible when more often than not everything falls apart.

Is She Really Going Out With Him? - Joe Jackson

How great is it that this was the song that randomly popped up next? This does seem to be the obvious question post break up, or even before the dating has started when the girl you are pining after is dating some loser. And if they aren't dating me then they are obviously dating some loser.

I Hope You Never - Tom Petty

Oh this is hilarious, I am not feeling angsty at all. But the songs that are popping up today sure make it look like I am. I love it. I can't wait to see what pops up next. At this rate it will be a song about an ex lover getting remarried or something.

Underground - Men At Work

Oh well, it doesn't relate to the theme of the other songs but it is one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite bands. I just like their sound and enjoy them so much. Do yourself a favor and look them up on Spotify if you haven ever given them a listen.

Come on Eileen - Dexy's Midnight Runners

Oh yes! Lets finish up this Friday afternoon with another of my personal favorites. Who wants to dance with me? Come on!

Random Music Thursday

and away we go

Two Legs - Mark Foggo - I always like starting things off with a little ska. It makes my toes tap and my head bob and brings a smile to my face. I just wish that ska was as popular as it used to be. But if it was really mainstream then, to be honest, I would probably not enjoy it that much. I am just that kind of a jerk.

No Restrictions - Men At Work - Aaah, one of Australia's great bands. They are for sure a product of the 80's but the music they put out was infinitely listenable. It was just great, great pop music but also had some serious lyrical depth as well. This song is a good example of that for sure.

Mount Morgan - The Middle East - I can't really say much about this band. I think I picked them up as part of a big music download I did and I really do not know much about them. I do like the ambient nature of this song and of their other songs that I have heard. But I am not even sure what part of the world they come from. I do hope you enjoyed the listening experience. They remind me a little bit of Joy Division and I like that a lot. I can picture myself clothing my eyes and leaning back with my headphones on while the music washes over me.

Wintertime Love - The Doors - There is not much that I can say about the Doors that has not been said by other far more talented writers then myself. I like the Doors and I their music always brings me back to high school. But that is because I spent far to much time with my ears plugged into sixties music.

Poor Boy - Electric Light Orchestra - You got to love some ELO. If you don't then I serious question if you even really like music. There is just something about this band that makes them super enjoyable to listen to.

More Music (Men At Work)

It is Monday and what better day then a Monday to highlight the great 980's band Men At Work. I have their first two albums Business as Usual and Cargo. I enjoy them both pretty regularly and in a little bit of Lance trivia the first album that I ever purchased was Cargo. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do and please feel free to comment and tell me that you liked the music or even if you didn't like it.

"Who Can It Be Now"



"People Just Love to Play With Words"



"Be Good Johnny"



Now, lets hear three from their second album.

"Dr. Heckyll and Mr. Jive"



"Overkill"



"It's A Mistake"

More Music (Australian Day)

I listen either National Public Radio (NPR) or KNRK on the way to work each morning and since today is apparently National Australian Day. (Don't ask me why. I have no idea.) KNRK played 8 songs from Australian bands or artists and I liked that idea so I am stealing it. These are in no particular order but they are bands that I like who are from Australia. So please enjoy them.

1. Men At Work: "Overkill"



2. Midnight Oil: "Forgotten Years"



3. INXS: "Mediate"



4. Crowded House: "Don't Dream It's Over"



5. Olivia Newton-John: "Physical"



6: Jet: "Cold Hard Bitch"



7: AC/DC: "Thunderstruck"



8: GOTYE: "Somebody That I Used To Know"



There you go. I hope you guys enjoyed this little bonus musical excursion.