2011 Soundtrack

It’s now year seven of my annual soundtrack project. I ended up with a lot more new music (actually released in 2011) than in past years:

1. The Mills Brothers: “I Heard”
2. Ike Turner & The Kings of Rhythm: “Getting Nasty”
3. People Under The Stairs: “Gamin’ on Ya (Dub)”
4. Beastie Boys: “Make Some Noise”
5. Beck: “Qué Onda Guero (Remixed by Islands)”
6. The Voluntary Butler Scheme: “To the Height of a Frisbee”
7. Wire: “Adapt”
8. Simple Minds: “70 Cities As Love Brings the Fall”
9. Oingo Boingo: “Ain’t This the Life”
10. They Might Be Giants: “When Will You Die”
11. The Like: “Walk Of Shame”
12. Scott Reynolds: “Jesus, Satan, Gene Beeman, His Car, and Pizza Hut”
13. The Strokes: “Under Cover of Darkness”
14. Rival Schools: “Choose Your Adventure”
15. Forgetters: “Vampire Lessons”
16. The Pavers: “Emma Lee”
17. Rush: “Dreamline”
18. The Meters: “Hey! Last Minute”
19. Kanye West & Jay-Z: “Otis (featuring Otis Redding)”
20. Just-Ice: “Put That Record Back On”

You can listen to (most of) these songs on this Spotify playlist.

Women & Vocal Fry

Vocal Fry Creeping Into U.S. Speech (ScienceNOW)

A curious vocal pattern has crept into the speech of young adult women who speak American English: low, creaky vibrations, also called vocal fry. Pop singers, such as Britney Spears, slip vocal fry into their music as a way to reach low notes and add style. Now, a new study of young women in New York state shows that the same guttural vibration—once considered a speech disorder—has become a language fad.

Of course, if you listen to NPR you’ve been hearing this for years, which drives me nuts for the worst offenders (I’m looking your way, every female This American Life reporter). And of course, Liz Phair was doing it before Britney even released an album:

Apocalypse Theme Song by the Pixies

If the world does end May 21 can we agree to not play Pixies “Where Is My Mind” for our last song? I know it’s a good song, but it’s cliché. (via @juliasegal)

Of course, May 21 isn’t the end of the world; it’s Judgment Day. We wouldn’t play the Pixies until October 21. Still her suggestion stands as a good one.

New Music Wednesday

I’m not really plugged in to the world of new music anymore: I’m old and follow the bands I like. Occasionally I “discover” a new band (usually after The Kids have already decided they suck) but I have a hard enough time keeping up with “my” bands.

Anyway, today I got a three-fer with new music from old bands I like. First, They Might Be Giants have a new album/CD/download (I’m not sure what to call them anymore) coming this summer, and Pitchfork previewed the first song “Can’t Keep Johnny Down”. Give it a listen here.

Then I read that the Beastie Boys will be releasing Hot Sauce Committee Pt. 2 in May.

Beastie Boys: “Too Many Rappers” (feat. Nas)

And finally, Jimmy Fallon had Wire as the music guest (!), who are promoting a new album, Red Barked Tree (that, again, I didn’t know about until today).  You can check out their performances of “Red Barked Trees” and “Map Ref 41N 93W” at Pitchfork, too.

Wire: “Map Ref 41N 93W”

2010 Soundtrack

My annual “soundtrack project” continues with 2010′s version. I seem to have regressed a bit to my earlier alternative & rap days.

1. Beck: “Orphans”
2. New Order: “Fine Time”
3. The Smiths: “Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before”
4. The Beatles: “What You’re Doing”
5. The Kinks: “Victoria”
6. The Winstons: “Amen Brother”
7. Beastie Boys: “Super Disco Breakin’”
8. Mantronix: “Electronic Energy Of…”
9. People Under The Stairs: “Plunken’ Em”
10. Mos Def: “Quiet Dog”
11. Hieroglyphics: “Let It Roll”
12. Bob James: “Take Me To The Mardi Gras”
13. They Might Be Giants: “I’m Impressed”
14. Vampire Weekend: “Cousins”
15. Art Brut: “Alcoholics Unanimous”
16. Wire: “Read & Burn”
17. Bad Religion: “Modern Man”
18. Minutemen: “Search”
19. The Ramonetures: “She’s the One”
20. Man Or Astro-man?: “Maximum Radiation Level”
21. Rush: “Vital Signs”
22. Neko Case: “I Wish I Was the Moon”

iPad + Airplay

The best new feature in the new iOS 4.2 update has to be Airplay. I don’t have Apple TV (so I can’t stream video) but we do have an Airport Express hooked up to our receiver. It was (and is) great for playing iTunes through the house, but with Airplay we can now play almost any audio app through our “good” speakers, including Pandora, Public Radio, and Concert Vault. Concert Vault in particular has a pretty substantial library of live recordings (I haven’t really explored it before today) and tonight my baking soundtrack was some live Clash from 1981.

Also, this seems to be changing our thinking of what a remote control could (or should) be. Perhaps the future of TV & entertainment center remotes will just be your iPad/iPhone or something similar, and less like the button-crazy remotes of today (like Sony’s controller for Google TV).

2009 Soundtrack

Here’s 2009′s soundtrack. This is the first year that there’s no real punk or hardcore on my annual list (not that I didn’t listen to any, but there were no clear picks for 2009). Perhaps I’m mellowing with age?

1. People Under the Stairs: “Acid Raindrops (Instrumental)”
2. The Beatles: “Dig A Pony”
3. Beck: “Chemtrails”
4. Neko Case: “This Tornado Loves You”
5. The Smiths: “Rusholme Ruffians”
6. Vampire Weekend: “Bryn”
7. Interpol: “PDA”
8. Wire: “Perspex Icon”
9. Pixies: “Velouria”
10. Rush: “Far Cry”
11. Paul McCartney: “I’ve Got A Feeling”
12. Lee “Scratch” Perry & The Upsetters: “Jungle Lion”
13. Q-Tip: “Won’t Trade”
14. Chali 2na: “Comin’ Thru”
15. RJD2: “A Beautiful Mine”
16. Squarepusher: “Hello Meow”
17. Radiohead: “15 Steps”
18. People Under The Stairs: “Trippin’ At The Disco”
19. Rodrigo y Gabriela: “Triveni”

Update: if you want to hear these, download a podcast of these songs (73MB).