2.23.2009

Top 15 Songs EVER : part 2

12) Old Friends/Bookends Theme : Simon & Garfunkel -- Beautiful, poignant lyrics (as always with Paul Simon), lovely guitar work, and a string arrangement that images the words so wonderfully -- like that dissonant part in the middle, sort of soaring, but scary at the same time. The album that this is from, Bookends, is definitely on my top 10 albums.

OLD FRIENDS, BOOKENDS THEME - Simon & Garfunkel


11) Be Your Husband (Live) : Jeff Buckley -- The first time I heard this song, I freaked. The breadth and depth of the vocals, the breaths and falsettos...he's got this blues thing down. An inspiration to any vocalist. And all done a capella...flipping awesome.




10) Paranoid Android : Radiohead -- I know more than half of us probably have this on our top 15, so it basically speaks for itself: A-mazing.

Paranoid Android - Radiohead


What phenomenal music awaits us?!?! We'll find out in the next installment...

2.15.2009

Top 15 Songs EVER : part 1

Alright, after a torturous process (as Kallie will attest), I've finally chosen my top 15 songs of all time. I tried to cave and add classical in there, but, frankly, it was just too hard. So here it begins, sans classical: the top 15.

15) Gobbledigook : Sigur Rós -- I was a little leery about adding this one because I've only lived with it since it came out last summer, but this song fills me with a kind of giddy joy that makes me just want to run and jump and dance. The percussiveness is so primal and powerful...it just makes me deeply, deeply happy.

"Gobbledigook" - Sigur Ros

14) Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours : Stevie Wonder -- There's no denying how much I love funk and soul; both definitely influence everything I do musically. This song is quintessential of both genres, and I am absolutely in love with Stevie's voice...he's basically the man.

Signed, Sealed, Delivered Im Yours - Stevie Wonder

13) Christmas Time is Here : Vince Guaraldi -- Yeah, you guys all knew this one would be on here. But if it's good enough for Royal Tennenbaum's, it's good enough for my top 15! I love Vince Guaraldi's lovely lyrical style, the brushes on percussion, and the overall melancholy feel of the song. And it's got all these happy, Christmasy, Charlie Browny, piano playingy memories attached, too. Not to mention, how sweet to have a children's cartoon all jazzed out in the soundtrack? That's genius on par with Mr. Rogers.

Christmas Time is Here -

More to come...

2.09.2009

You know you're working at a call center...

...when more than one person thinks that your brown shirt with thumb holes is one of those carpal tunnel braces. I really got the pity vote for having to have them on both hands. Maybe I could trick them into giving me worker's comp, too...

2.05.2009

Look out Wes Anderson...


...'cause I've got a letterpress and your font...well, it's really Spartan, but it sure looks a lot like Futura. This is the first run on the press since I've gotten actual type, and let me tell you, typesetting is not for wusses! There's definitely a lot to learn about how to get a clear print on all letters. These aren't perfect, but they were fun...perfection will come. Next run: invitations for Margo Tenenbaum's new play.