Rocket's Launch

CD # 2
ROCKET’S REVOLUTION :
Rise Up & Listen

Hi CD Clubbers!

I am always listening to music, my days are like long music videos, and music always either magically matches my mood, or changes it, depending on what I need. Since it is such a strong influence, I’m sure you understand that it’s important to always be surrounded by good music. With this in mind, I wanted to pull together a compilation of tunes that offer tidbits of advice that remind us to rise up, listen and live!

1) Wash it down – K’Naan: Okidoke. We’re starting with some more K’Nann. I had this planned out long before DJ Pants’ compilation, honest, and though I toyed with removing it, I decided I felt fine including this track with the reasoning that I’m including him more for his CanCon connection. He is currently the toast of Toronto. I love this track because a) despite all the bullshit, we must remind ourselves, music is like water – we can’t live without it and b) the sound of music in the background is so comforting.

2) Parade – Pretty Girls Make Graves: A fun and poppy call to arms. Also: heard this while in some trendy store in Brooklyn, this song playing over and over again. Awesome staff rebellion and you could just picture a musical theatre number with them meeting in the back room, throwing down their push brooms, hanging up their apron ties, and storming out in a perfectly formed chorus line. I love it!

3) Gadje Sirba – A Hawk and a Hacksaw: a short musical interlude segueing our way into the 4-song series of Balkan beat music (happily, a region not on our world tour, so no overlap here).

4) Ultimate – Gogol Bordello: they say you either love or hate these guys, though a recent review stated those who don’t like Gogol Bordello don’t like fun, and I know you y’all like fun, so I felt safe putting them on. And if a reminder to have fun weren’t enough of a reason to be included on this compilation of life advice in song, the opening chorus is: “there were never any good old days, they are today, they are tomorrow, it’s a stupid thing we say, cursing tomorrow with sorrow.” Live in the now - Hoptza!

5) Adir Adam – Balkan Beat Box: I have never played a song that got the people dancing as quickly as this one does, so this song reminds us to get the people dancing!

6) Elephant Gun – Beirut: our final Balkan influenced tune, and honestly, since I’m weak with lyrics, I really have no idea what’s going on in this song. But I think this song is sublime. And sometimes in life, that’s all you need. The performer also has a funky back story – inspired by the Magnetic Fields, he dropped out of high school because he wanted to make music, made some albums, travelled, got caught up in the Balkan/gypsy movement, and made some more albums. And he’s all of 20. From this we take the notion that you need to live life like you want and if that’s sometimes just airy and light, that’s okay – not everything has to mean something.

7) Gore Veil – Deadly Snakes: I feel like there has been so much loss lately, so I had to include a song about our mortality. The end of this song concludes that maybe we’re here to for the simple things, that we need to cherish the quiet moments. Following in the wake of the Elephant Gun, momma music reiterates not everything has to mean something. I remind myself of this on the difficult days. Ba bad da ba.

8) Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist – Avenue Q: everyone is, so let’s just get over it, and get on with it, yeah? (for more detes on the play, see: http://www.avenueq.com/

9) You are What You Love – Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins: the first song in this compilation’s trio of love songs. Frankly, we need not look beyond the title for the important kernel from this song: you are what you love. Sage advice if ever I heard any. (Tidbit: Jenny Lewis is the lead singer for Rilo Kiley and stared as Shelley Long’s daughter in one of my fave old movies: Troop Beverley Hills).

10) No Sissies – Hawksley Workman: from my fave troubadour we learn that if we are what we love, then we shouldn’t love the sissies.

11) Absolutely Cuckoo – Magnetic Fields: and Stephen Merritt reminds us to stay away from the crazies, too. This concludes the trio of love songs - I hope we’ll each walk away a little clearer on love thanks to these tunes.

12) Us – Regina Spektor: nothing is forever – everything will decay, even statues. This is both relieving and sad, but important to remember. Also, in my head (I am, however, one of the crazies song 11 warns us to stay away from…), I decided this song was about the statue on this CD cover (Vera Mukhinas’s Worker and Kolhoznitsa), so this song had to be included.

13) Joyful Girl – Ani Difranco: because if we’re not doing it for the joy, then why bother?

14) Самоцветы – Всё, что в мире есть у меня – kids, basically, the most important advice I can leave with you: always finish with a showstopper. In this case: Soviet Disco.

Just Keep Your Pants On!

I have a secret to tell:

It's somebody's birthday today.

Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday DJ Pa-ants
Happy Birthday to you!

Recently, while sitting in a cafe welcoming in my husband's birthday and, it felt like, co-celebrating the birthday of the fella at the next table, the hostess played a CD with no less than 20 versions of various birthday tunes.

Which got me to wondering: what's your favourite song to play at birthday time?

Also: CD 2 will be out shortly.

Judging by the cover

Yes, it is time to pimp this blog with some pictures. Music is all fine, but the beauty of a great album cover is not to underestimate. So, as we have listed our desert island discs and outed our instrumental experience I hereby challenge you to start posting the best and worst looking album covers in your CD/LP collections (that is, for those of you who still buy actual records).



Above is the favourite among my covers: The 1976 Italian prog classic "Aquile e scoiattoli" (meaning "Eagles and squirrels") by Latte e miele (Milk and honey). If I ever get kids, I will make them look this way.



Next up, the un-coolest cover in my collection: Swedish band Big Money with the album "Moonraker", released in 1994. I once, mid-90's, read an article in a Swedish newspaper, where some American rock star (I don't remember who) was given the assignment to judge a couple of Swedish records by their covers. His verdict on this one was something like "it sucks", and that it looked like they had found the sword on their way to the photo shoot. I agree. The music, however, isn't that bad, the opening track might even appear on CDOTM # 11.

Now, bring me the fucking counterparts, man/woman!

/ a-funk

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Sorry, someone mention late 80s hip hop and awesome tracksuits?

huxxx

and, apropos of very little, my favourite photo from picturelsofwalls.com

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since it is impossible to beat the first album cover posted here for best, i'll skip straight to the worst. i knew that, sooner or later, my metal phase would come in handy. yes, i was a proud owner of this one:

and of course i had to check out picturesofwalls.com, where i found this appropriate gem:

dj pants

changing of the guard

my dear friends,

while i have enjoyed my reign as the inaugural dj of the month, the time has come for me to step down. our fate now rests in the hands of dj rocket, and i have no doubt that she will come up with some inspirational tunes to get us through the dog days of august.

if i may borrow from the montreal canadiens dressing room (who apparently borrowed it from the poem "in flanders fields"), i'll say the following to dj rocket: "to you from failing hands we throw the torch, be yours to hold it high"

rock on. :)

dj pants

p.s. i'm waiting patiently for somebody else to set us up as a group on facebook...