I think we’ve all done that meme where you list 10 random songs that come up on your iPod. However, like everyone else, I’m guilty of massaging my list a bit. I never make anything up, but sometimes I’ll skip a song that comes up if Maude is the one who uploaded it, or if the 10 songs don’t really reflect my taste, I might start over and hope for a better draw the next time.
With this meme, it is the same, however there is no cheating allowed. A chapter from an audiobook comes up? It still goes on the list. Podcast? On the list. Kelly Clarkson CD that you didn’t tell anyone you downloaded from iTunes? On the list! No reshuffling or starting over is allowed. Also, you need to say something about each of the songs that comes up.
I, Ned, promise that I will not alter my list in any way, nor have I been saving up a particularly good first 10 random songs. So, let me grab my iPod, hold my breath, and let’s do this.
1. “This Is Not an Exit” - Saves the Day. Frick. Well this is what I get for promising complete honesty. I bought this album off the strength of “At Your Funeral” but it doesn’t get heavy rotation. This song isn’t bad, I’m just not passionate about it. Saves the Day always reminds me of my sophomore college roomate, Mike from New Jersey. He was straight-edge and very nice. He only listened to vinyl but he wasn’t pretentious. And he returned my Smiths Louder Than Bombs LP when he accidentally took it home with him. I miss you, Mike!
2. “Believe” - The Bravery. The Bravery are horribly over-exposed but I don’t care. I like them in spite of the fact that I have to hear parts of their songs in car commercials. The Bravery always remind me of my crappy temp job at a garbage company a year or two ago. I was so stressed out by Friday that on the way home I’d always blast “Unconditional” by the Bravery on the car stereo to try to let off some steam. That was the only job I ever physically dreaded going to. On to happier thoughts!
3. “Church” - Outkast. Yeah, it’s the one rap group that everyone likes, but still, they’re good. I guess this is an appropriate song for Ned Flanders’ list. It’s probably the only song on my iPod that advocates going to church. “If you feel that left behind, you need to get up and go to church.” Of course, in Outkast’s movie Idlewild, “Church” was the name of the speakeasy, which gives this song a whole different spin, huh?
4. “B.O.B.” - Outkast. Two songs in a row by the same artist? See, here’s where I might have been less than honest in the past and just hit next. I only have 3 Outkast albums, so it’s pretty anomalous that TWO songs would come up, especially back to back. I remember the first time I heard this song was when I had a subscription to CMJ and they included a CD of new somewhat indie-ish music every month. This was on one of the CDs. Eventually I let the subscription lapse because a lot of that stuff just isn’t very good. Sometimes there’s a reason someone hasn’t been discovered.
5. “Still Ill” - The Smiths. This is my second-favorite song of all time (right behind “I Know It’s Over” by the Smiths). I still get goosebumps every time I hear it. This is actually a bootleg live version of the song from the Smiths last concert. Sniff. Terrible sound quality, but it doesn’t even matter. God, I love Morrissey. “If you must go to work tomorrow, well if I were you I wouldn’t bother / For there are brighter sides to life and I should know because I’ve seen them, but not very often.” This song is too good to remind me only of a specific time.
6. “Forever Yellow Skies” - The Cranberries. Another one I might have been tempted to skip. I really liked their second album, but this one (To the Faithful Departed) was just okay. This song reminds me of my mission when we would go to the Carrefour in San Martin in Buenos Aires and they had CD listening stations. Much to my companions chagrin, I couldn’t help but put the headphones on for a little while. This CD was one of the choices. “Hurry up! A member might see us!” Good times.
7. “Re-Hash” - Gorillaz. I’m starting to think that Damon Albarn can do no wrong. I love Blur, Gorillaz, and The Good, The Bad & The Queen. This song is just okay though. It doesn’t have any strong memory attachments for me.
8. “She’s Hearing Voices” - Bloc Party. I absolutely loved Bloc Party’s first album. At the time it was kind of reassuring that I could still like new music even into my late 20s. This song reminds me of going through the import singles at the Virgin Megastore in New York City, looking for Bloc Party b-sides.
9. “Invincible” - Muse. Maude is the big Muse fan, but she didn’t like this album. I think it’s better than their earlier stuff. I usually listen to Muse at work when I just need to zone out and not get wrapped up in what I’m listening to. This song is pretty good.
And last but not least:
10. “Dr. Dedoverde” - Cypress Hill. I’m not a big Cypress Hill fan, but for this album of greatest hits, they translated and re-recorded every song in Spanish. I think they’re better in Spanish even if sometimes the words don’t fit the English rhyme scheme. “Medio loco en el coco” just isn’t a good translation of “insane in the brain.” But what is, really? This is another good song to listen to at work that can wake me up and work a bit faster.
That’s it. No cheating. Obviously, the randomness missed a huge chunk of my musical taste (where is the Pulp? I must have at least 200 Pulp songs on there) but it also missed all the opera and books on tape that I was concerned it might dredge up. Never mind Kelly Clarkson (that’s Maude’s, I swear!).
If you actually read all this, consider yourself tagged.