Robotic Ears

This tumblr will follow me on my experiment to listen to all 7,491 songs on my iPod in order. Thats 21.9 straight days of music. Obviously it will take me a lot longer than that. I will post every 100th song I hear (no matter how embarrassing) and I'll write a little diddy about why I have it, why I like it, and hopefully I'll have some trivial information about each one. And maybe (just MAYBE) it will be interesting...

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Song #800 

Heart In A Cage by Chris Thile

Like I have said before, I am a huge sucker for really good bluegrass music.  Chris Thile is exactly that.  Exquisite bluegrass music.  He has to be the greatest mandolin player out there.  He is constantly surrounding himself with equally amazing performers.  Whether he is playing in Nickel Creek, Punch Brothers, or a solo project like this one I always love it.  This song has a nice groove, great passion, and stellar vocal harmonies. I highly suggest checking out more of his work.  There are several cool videos on YouTube of him (solo and with the Punch Brothers) playing totally non-cheesy bluegrass versions of Radiohead songs live. I dig this stuff so much, its ridiculous.

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Song #700

Toes Across The Floor by Blind Melon

The most underrated band of the 90's is by FAR Blind Melon.  They are so often referred to as a "one-hit-wonder", and that is a travesty...  Shannon Hoons voice is so unique and it goes in my ears like a fresh can of Coca-Cola.  The blend of instruments they choose to use in most of there songs is refreshing.  If you aren't familiar with them, please look them up because they are a favorite of mine. Most of you know the song No Rain and its infamous Bee Girl music video.  That is a great song, but they have dozens of songs that are scores better than that one.  This song isn't necessarily one of those amazing ones, but it is still great!  I love the guitar riffs, and the jazzy flute that comes in and out.  Give it a listen, and give all their songs a listen.  You will LOVE them.  

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Song #600

I See Who You Are by Björk

There are about five Björk songs I really like.  This isn't one of them.

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Song #500

Roses From My Friends by Ben Harper (Live from Mars)

Sheesh... what a depressing song... but also what a great song.  Ben Harper really has tons of songs with a lot of meaning, and you can always hear through his guitar and voice that he truly feels every second of it.  In this case the song is about being able to recover from any harm that enemies may cause, but not being able to ever get over someone you love hurting you behind your back.  This live version is great if you can get over the people randomly "wooing".  It's also a perfect example of how he sounds similar to Cat Stevens Yusuf Islam.  I really wish he would return to the music he made around this era.  His last couple albums only had a few songs I'm fond of... (oops... pardon my dangling preposition) His last couple albums only had a few songs OF WHICH I WAS FOND.  Well anyway... Check out Ben Harper's earlier stuff.  It's very relaxing/depressing/calming.  

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Song #400

Not The Same by Ben Folds and WASO

Whats better than a song about a guy at a party who climbed up a tree, spent all night tripping on acid, then came down in the morning as a Born-Again Christian? Probably a lot of things... but that concept still makes a great song.  I always liked this song when played live the best.  My wife and I saw him live at Saltair a couple years ago, and the way he teaches the crowd the three parts to the harmony to sing the "Aaahhh"s is really fun! This exact version is a really good one, even though this is the only song on this concert that he plays alone without the orchestra. If you get the chance, check out the other songs from this show (played in Perth with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra).  His music really goes well with a full orchestra.  I've always loved the way Ben Folds injects a bit of humor into his songs.  It shows you can be a brilliant songwriter, pianist, and also not take yourself too seriously.  If you've never heard him before, do yourself a favor and give him a try.  Everyone loves Ben.  

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Song #300

Getting Better by The Beatles

My final Beatles song that I am writing about is one of my favorites.  Every time I hear those initial sharp notes (played by George Martin striking piano strings with a mallet) I instantly smile.  It never fails to make me feel like there is true goodness in this world!  I love the weird drum beat, and the droning bass line. The lyrics exhibit a perfect example of McCartney's optimism vs. Lennon's pessimism.  Paul sings "It's getting better all the time", while John sings "It can't get no worse".  That's pretty much their personas in a nutshell.  There are also some lyrics Lennon wrote about beating his woman, then reforming (which apparently was true). What a great example of the music sounding much cheerier than the lyrics.  Too bad I always think of Philips Electronics when I hear the chorus... dumb commercials.

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Song #200

Dig A Pony by The Beatles

When the Beatles made the album Let It Be, they were striving to return to their basic sound. Their last few albums before this were so over-produced that they couldn't play any of it live.  They hadn't played a concert in about three years, until they went up to the rooftop of Apple Records on January 30, 1969 to play an impromptu show for anyone who happened to be walking by.  This recording that is on the album is the actual recording from that concert (hence the false start, and restart).  It may not be one of the most exciting Beatles songs, and it certainly isn't the most technical.  But for some reason I still really like it.  I love the simplicity of the drums, and the guitar riffs make my head bob.  It's too bad that Lennon was kind of giving up on the Beatles at this point, and he just made up the lyrics as he went along.  If you get the chance, you should watch the video of them playing this on the rooftop on youtube (The audio quality isn't very great on it, which is why I didn't post it).  

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BONUS SONG(S)!

Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End by The Beatles

Ok, so I decided that there are going to be a few songs/artists/albums that I am going to NEED to write about.  I realized this as soon as my listening took me to the Golden Slumbers>Carry That Weight>The End medley by The Beatles.  This absolutely has to be my favorite "song" in the world.  If there is anything perfect in this universe, it is these three songs played together. That is a pretty bold statement, I know... But I will explain. Growing up, I could never seem to see what was so special about The Beatles.  I always thought they were simple, poppy, old-timey songs about wanting to hold hands and love being all you needed.  I had friends and family who loved them, but I just couldn't get into it.  It wasn't until a few years ago that I heard these songs played together, and I immediately fell in love.  I had no idea the "Fab Four" was capable of this.  These songs made me cultivate an appreciation for the Beatles, which eventually exploded into a complete obsession of them. Now there is not a Beatles song I don't thoroughly enjoy (except Revolution 9, but don't get me started on that crap). This piece has SO much! The amazing melodies, Paul's beautiful lyrics, the heartwarming/heartbreaking message, the alternating guitar solos by Paul, George and John, the sweeping orchestration, Ringo's one and only drum solo in the history of the band... I could go on and on.  No matter how many times I hear these songs, I will never get sick of them.  In fact, most times I hear it, I will replay it instantly the moment it ends. If this suite was food, I would eat it for every meal, every day.  It has made me cry on several occasions. I am even quite sure I want this played at my funeral.  I may be overselling this... but I don't care.  If you only listen to one of the songs I ever post, I beg you, let it be this one. So please, devote the next five minutes and fourteen seconds to drowning into this gorgeous slice of humanity. 

*I know the video won't play on Tumblr, but do yourself a favor and just click over and watch it on the YouTube.  Its the highest quality audio I could find. Don't be lazy...

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Song #100

Constant Stride by Band of Annuals

This is a song I am really glad I landed on.  Most of you have probably never heard this band, and I'd love to introduce you to them.  They are a local (SLC) act who I had the pleasure of seeing live about 6 or 7 years ago at the Dead Goat Saloon (best name for a venue ever).  I was completely blown away.  I'm a sucker for folksy/bluegrass stuff, and they do NOT disappoint!  They have some beautiful male/female harmonies that make me so happy.  While this song is great, its not my favorite.  Other amazing songs from them are David's Country, Amy's Great Escape, and San Francisco.  They can lean pretty heavily on the country sound, so if you're like my wife (the steel guitar despiser) you might not enjoy some songs.  The bad news is that they are no longer a band.  Bummer.  However, some of them have moved on to some other projects, so you can check out their Facebook page for more info on that.  But in the meantime just turn it up, sit back, close your eyes and listen...

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Song #1

La Femme d'Argent by Air

This was a perfect song to start off my iPod challenge.  It usually makes me imagine driving at night in the rain.  The bass lines are so powerful, and the organ solos are absolutely perfect.  Super relaxing song.  The title translates to "The Silver Woman", which some believe is similar to the phrase "Gold Digger".  Not many people are familiar with Air, and thats a shame.  They are a great French electronica duo who get a lot of play on movies and TV soundtracks.  Chances are you've heard them and never known it.  In fact, this song was featured on an episode of Veronica Mars, and sometimes plays while you are on hold with Xbox customer service (which I know a LOT of people who have spent hours on there).