another music meme

[sabotabby]

For/from zazuomgwtf, 'cause she's under the weather and for bizarre reasons wants to know about my weird musical tastes. Feel better!



Total volume of music files on my computer?
549. According to iTunes, that's 1.6 days of music. Wow.

The last CD I bought was...
I don't remember...probably Dan Bern's "Swastika EP." I think the last (non-burned) CD someone gave me was "Partisans of Vilna," which is a collection of Yiddish anti-Nazi music. Whee!

The last song I listened to before writing this was...
"Sleep Now in the Fire," by Rage Against the Machine. I am a walking cliché, but I really like them.

Song playing right now...
"Get Up," by the Coup and Dead Prez.

Five songs I listen to a lot or that mean a lot to me...
"And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda," The Pogues. Possibly one of the best anti-war songs ever written. wouldprefernot2 was particularly fond of it, I'm told.

"Come Out Ye Black and Tans," Wolfe Tones. Or by Celtic Cross or a number of other bands. The lyrics are...if not mildly racist, I'd say at least condescending. Whenever we're at McVeigh's, Celtic Cross play it for us and we get up and dance like a bunch of idiots.

"James Connolly," Black 47. Have I raved about them enough lately? I'll rave some more. This is one of their best songs, and it openly mocks the blind nationalism in the other song about James Connolly ("For God's sake, don't let them make a martyr out of me...don't let them bury me in some field full of hearts and shamrocks." "An English boss a monster, an Irish one even worse.") And the guy was a Wobbly. Whoo!

"In God's Time, Not Yours," Dan Bern. "She said for all we know time could start moving backwards, I said for all we know it always has. We stood there coldly in the kitchen, the night she left for good…" I haven't broken up with anyone recently, but this is a fantastic breakup song. Just beautiful.

"Changes," Phil Ochs. The creepy guy who sent this to me says it's one of his favourite love songs. I tend to agree.

Five albums I listen to a lot or that mean a lot to me
I don't really listen to albums. Not all at once. It goes back to the not-buying-CDs thing.

I guess I've been listening to Real Gone, by Tom Waits, a lot because I downloaded the whole thing. I also downloaded a lot of Asian Dub Foundation songs, but I don't think they're all from the same album. I can also listen to entire albums of Muslimgauze, Umm Kulthum, and Fela Kuti (mostly because when I download something by any of those artists, it turns out to be album length.) And anything by A Silver Mt. Zion is always good (I do buy their stuff on CD); the album in my icon is still my favourite.

Interesting...it seems like I'm more likely to listen to a whole album in its entirety if I don't understand the lyrics. I wonder what that says about me.

Comments

[zazuomgwtf.livejournal.com]

Thank you :)

[sabotabby]

Feeling better?

[zazuomgwtf.livejournal.com]

well I have the biopsy on thursday and would like that behind me, but since I am on antibiotics my throat is all better.

[sabotabby]

Ugh, no doubt. ::e-hugs::

[terry-terrible.livejournal.com]

I hope you get better!

[zazuomgwtf.livejournal.com]

Thank you stranger :)

[rohmie.livejournal.com]

The last Tom Waits CDs I bought were Alice and Blood Money. I have been a tad gun shy since Bone Machine which was such a disappointment that I sold it back to the record store - the only Waits CD I had ever done that with.

[rohmie.livejournal.com]

I forgot to ask my question:

What album does Real Gone most resemble?

[sabotabby]

Oh. Probably Blood Money, (loud, dissonant, and raspy), but it's better.

[sabotabby]

I don't get your taste at all. Bone Machine is brilliant and Alice and Blood Money were...okay, I would have liked them if they were by someone else, but from Tom Waits, I expect better.

I mentioned that I was sending you a mixed CD, yes? My tastes are eccentric enough that I predict you'll hate about half of it.

[rohmie.livejournal.com]

I don't get your taste at all.

There is no accounting for some people's tastes ;)

Bone Machine felt like a cynical self parody with very little thought put into it - essentially a few radio songs and some filler. Alice and Blood Money weren't as good as what some fans call "The Trilogy" (Swordfish Trombones, Frank's Wild Years and Rain Dogs), but they seemed more thought out - probably because they were thematically unified around a story like The Black Rider.

I mentioned that I was sending you a mixed CD, yes?

Yes.

My tastes are eccentric enough that I predict you'll hate about half of it.

No worries. That's the inherent nature of any mixed tape or CD - even when your tastes are not eccentric.

Speaking of memes, where's that drink and travel testimonial post?

[sabotabby]

There's no accounting for taste. (If you're curious, I'd say The Black Rider, Big Time, and Closing Time are my favourites, entirely for different reasons.)

Speaking of memes, where's that drink and travel testimonial post?

Stay tuned.

[chibibluebird.livejournal.com]

"And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda," The Pogues.

wow, I was looking for this awhile ago, but could't quite convince anyone on the forum I asked about it on that such a song even existed.
Thanks for the band name.

[sabotabby]

Oh, it's brilliant. Other bands have covered it, but I like The Pogues' version the best.

bands

[the-lunchbox.livejournal.com]

From your list, can I assume you're into Flogging Molly? And to a 'harder' extent, the Dropkick Murphys? If not, check them out, especially FM. Also, for a change to the Scottish, try the Real MacKenzies. They blend the bagpipe in with the electric guitar very well.

I's na' wanker shite.

Re: bands

[sabotabby]

Yes to both; I've heard about one song by the Real MacKenzies, which convinced me to download more. Anything with a bagpipe is fine by me.

[rote.livejournal.com]

I liked 'James Connolly' when marijuanaclock first forced me to listen to it, but since then it's started to grate on me. The music and vocals more so than the lyrics (which also bother me). The other song of theirs that I know, Bobby Sands MP, isn't too bad.

[sabotabby]

That one's good too. I like everything I've heard from them. (Yet another band where I was asking, "Why did none of you people tell me about these guys?")

[rote.livejournal.com]

I'm surprised anarchists hasn't been all up on 'em.

But I guess they haven't given Red Shadow (mp3 here!) the due they deserve either.

For the record, syndicalist was the first to link to Red Shadow. (http://mediamogul.seas.upenn.edu/pennsound/authors/365/365-Days-Project-01-06-red-shadow-understanding-marx-1975.mp3)

[sabotabby]

I'm not in anarchists. Too many wankers. I tend to get along with Marxists and social democrats better than I do with anarchists. It's really sad.

Awesome song.

Anarchists

[the-lunchbox.livejournal.com]

Anarchists shouldn't be able to have blogs, because you always have to put in the same user name and password. That's not very anarchistic.

[bike4fish.livejournal.com]

Do you know "Arthur McBride"? A nice description of what to do with obnoxious government agents:

And our whacking shillelaghs came over their heads
And bade them take that as fair warning...

[sabotabby]

Read the lyrics, never actually heard it. What's a good rendition?

[bike4fish.livejournal.com]

A decent online version is at http://www.chivalry.com/cantaria/lyrics/arthur-mcbride.html

I'm trying to figure out whose version I first heard - but I'm sure it was on Max Ferguson's radio show on CBC Stereo (now CBC 2).

[sabotabby]

Much appreciated...and even a mention of CBC!