Mix Tape Monday – March 2003

After my tape deck crapped out in 1997, I was stuck listening to either the radio or full albums in whatever order the artist intended.  That all changed in 2001, when the new-fangled MP3 technology got combined with my new CD burner.

March of 2003 looks to have a lot of cover songs, along with the latest hits from Kelly Osbourne, Christina Aguilera, Avril Lavigne, and the White Stripes.

Mariah Carey – Bringing On The Heartbreak

For a minute there, I thought I could get in to this remake of the old Def Leppard hit.

iTunes stats: Never played

The Donnas – Take It Off

The one big hit for the girl group.

iTunes stats: 13 plays, most recently on 5/30/2012

Foo Fighters – Times Like These

The latest from the Foo Fighters had both an electric and acoustic version.

iTunes stats: 6 plays, most recently on 1/4/2013

David Lee Roth – California Girls

After leaving Van Halen, David Lee Roth thought becoming a cheesy Vegas lounge act was the way to go.

iTunes stats: 7 plays, most recently on 3/30/2012

Tatu – All The Things You Said

Nothing says pop music hit like lesbian Russian teenagers.

iTunes stats: 6 plays, most recently on 8/10/2011

Tegan And Sara – I Hear Noises

My first introduction to Tegan and Sara.  I own all of their albums after this and have since seen them in concert.

iTunes stats: 20 plays, most recently on 9/21/2011

Bif Naked – We’re Not Gonna Take It

A cover of the Twisted Sister hit from the Ready To Rumble soundtrack.

iTunes stats: Never played

Sixpence None The Richer – Don’t Dream It’s Over

A cover of the old Crowded House hit.

iTunes stats: Never played

Johnny Cash – Personal Jesus

A bizarre cover of the Depeche Mode hit by the Man in Black.

iTunes stats: 1 play, on 5/19/2009

Kelly Osbourne – Shut Up

The first release from Kelly’s ill-fated album meant to capitalize on the success of The Osbournes.

iTunes stats: 5 plays, most recently on 5/8/2012

Carl Douglas – Kung Fu Fighting

The 70s ode to martial arts.

iTunes stats: 2 plays, most recently on 3/21/2012

Continue reading →

Mix Tape Monday – December 2002

After my tape deck crapped out in 1997, I was stuck listening to either the radio or full albums in whatever order the artist intended.  That all changed in 2001, when the new-fangled MP3 technology got combined with my new CD burner.

Christmas time has come in the year 2002, and for some reason I celebrated by slapping 6 Run-DMC and Kool Moe Dee songs to the end of this CD, which also featured new songs by Nirvana, Foo Fighters, and Eminem.

Puddle Of Mudd – She Hates Me

This song became Puddle of Mudd’s second single to sell over 500,000 copies in the United States.

iTunes stats: 7 plays, most recently on 9/30/2011

Soul Asylum – Somebody To Shove

The debut single from Grave Dancer’s Union.

iTunes stats: 14 plays, most recently on 5/25/2012

The Breeders – Divine Hammer

The second hit for the Deal sisters.

iTunes stats: 7 plays, most recently on 12/18/2012

Nirvana – You Know You’re Right

The final song recorded by Nirvana.  Courtney Love fought for years to block its release.

iTunes stats: 3 plays, most recently on 3/29/2012

Foo Fighters – All My Life

Meanwhile, Dave Grohl has this side project he’s been working on…

iTunes stats: 13 plays, most recently on 9/26/2012

Primitive Radio Gods – Standing Outside A Broken Phone Booth With Money In My Hand

The hit from the Cable Guy soundtrack featured a sample of B.B. King.

iTunes stats: 5 plays, most recently on 5/25/2012

Urge Overkill – Girl, You’ll Be A Woman Soon

The cover of the Neil Diamond hit was featured in Pulp Fiction.

iTunes stats: 9 plays, most recently on 10/16/2012

The Wonders – That Thing You Do

The big hit for the faux-60s rockers from That Thing You Do.

iTunes stats: 14 plays, most recently on 7/25/2012

PJ Harvey – This Is Love

The song, featured on the Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back soundtrack, earned Polly Jean a Grammy nomination.

iTunes stats: 10 plays, most recently on 5/26/2012

Christina Aguilera – Dirrty

Christina Aguilera returns to prove she’s no longer the squeaky clean teen pop-star from her debut album.

iTunes stats: 7 plays, most recently on 11/29/2012

Continue reading →

Mix Tape Monday – August 2001

After my tape deck crapped out in 1997, I was stuck listening to either the radio or full albums in whatever order the artist intended.  That all changed in 2001, when the new-fangled MP3 technology got combined with my new CD burner.

I obviously didn’t know it at the time, but this CD would be the last I would make before the world changed on that early September morning.  This edition featured new music from Nelly Furtado, Weezer, Smash Mouth, and Eve.

Nelly Furtado – I’m Like A Bird

Prior to her current incarnation as a pop music princess, Furtado hit it big with this soulful hit that relied more on her voice than a producer’s computer.

iTunes stats: 2 plays, most recently on 7/30/2012

Mazzy Star – Hallah

After Fade Into You went huge, radio programmers looked to their previous album and found this gem.

iTunes stats: 8 plays, most recently on 2/7/2011

Bif Naked – Lucky

One of the highlights of the Buffy soundtrack that led to me buying her debut CD.

iTunes stats: 4 plays, most recently on 8/10/2011

Joey Scarbury – Believe It Or Not

The theme song from The Greatest American Hero became far more successful than the show from which it was spawned.

iTunes stats: 5 plays, most recently on 5/1/2012

John Sebastian – Welcome Back

Another theme song, this one from Welcome Back, Kotter.  This MP3 was ripped from the album, which you can tell from a little skip towards the end.

iTunes stats: 9 plays, most recently on 11/19/2012

Liz Phair & Material Issue – The Tra La La Song (One Banana, Two Banana)

Yet another television theme song, covered for a compilation of cartoon hits.  I apparently never imported this CD into iTunes, a mistake I have now rectified.

iTunes stats: Never played

Material Issue – Kim The Waitress

The one big hit for the local band that seemed to be going places before singer Jim Ellison committed suicide in 1996.

iTunes stats: 7 plays, most recently on 9/19/2012

Weezer – Islands In The Sun

The latest single from Weezer’s comeback album.

iTunes stats: 1 play, on 3/28/2012

Foo Fighters – Learning To Fly

One of my least favorite Foo Fighter songs.

iTunes stats: 1 play, on 12/1/2010

Continue reading →

30 Day Music Challenge Day 30 – Your Favorite Song At This Time Last Year

Just over one and a half years ago, I started this 30 day challenge with this song as my favorite.  As I said at the time, the concept of a favorite song is something that is tough to quantify at my age.  There is nearly 50 years of rock and roll to choose from, and there are many songs that could have, at one time or another, been considered my favorite.  What was it at this point last year?  Who knows.  Had I taken this challenge in the manner it was meant to be taken, as a teenage girl, I likely could have given you an answer.

So, if I can’t tell you what my favorite song was at this time last year, I can tell you what I considered my favorite song a year and a half ago.  It may be a bit of a cheat, but I’m going to end this challenge the way it started, by fighting some foo with the Foo Fighters.

 

Friday’s Tunes

Between the commute to work, a lunch time trip to Best Buy to pick up some essential office supplies, CD burning, and the commute home with a stop off at the Weber Grill for dinner, I spent a lot of time in the car on Friday listening to music. Here’s the selection that helped get me through the day.

Hash Pipe Weezer Weezer (Green Album) 11/9/2012 6:52 AM
Time Bomb Rancid …And Out Come The Wolves 11/9/2012 6:54 AM
Help! The Beatles Help! [2009 Stereo Remaster] 11/9/2012 6:57 AM
The Mustard The Cast Of Buffy The Vampire Slayer Once More, With Feeling 11/9/2012 6:58 AM
REALLY Silly Religious Crazies. I Mean, Double, Triple Crazy!! David Cross Bigger and Blackerer 11/9/2012 11:39 AM
If I Had $1000000 Barenaked Ladies All Their Greatest Hits 1991-2001 11/9/2012 11:44 AM
Page Off Intro / Theme From 30 Rock / Kenneth Chokes Jeff Richmond 30 Rock Original TV Soundtrack 11/9/2012 11:44 AM
Continue reading →

Mix Tape Monday – Volume 19

Between 1989, my sophomore year of high school, and 1995, my fourth year of college, I put together a nearly 20 volume collection of mix tapes, containing my favorite songs that I had gathered either from the radio, a cassette tape, or (eventually) CD. I thought it would be a fun exercise to look back at all 20 volumes and which of my “favorite” songs I still listen to today.

Volume 19 stretches from late summer 1995 and into the fall semester of the first of my two senior years of college.  Again, it mostly features what was considered alternative music, with Coolio interjecting some street flavor for good measure.

Side A

Tripping Daisy – I Got A Girl

The one hit for Tripping Daisy was taped off the radio courtesy of Q101.

iTunes stats: 3 plays, most recently on 9/2/2011

Foo Fighters – This Is A Call

The debut for Dave Grohl’s new venture was taped off Q101.

iTunes stats: 13 plays, most recently on 10/10/2011

Pearl Jam – Whipping

Pearl Jam’s latest was taped off the CD.

iTunes stats: Never played

Hootie and the Blowfish – Only Wanna Be With You

Hootie’s ode to, among other things, the Miami Dolphins was taped off the CD.

iTunes stats: 2 plays, most recently on 8/28/2009

Elastica – Stutter

The follow up from Elastica was taped off the CD.

iTunes stats: Never played

Cranberries – Ridiculous Thoughts

The latest from the Cranberries was taped off the CD.

iTunes stats: Never played

Green Day – J.A.R.

Green Day’s contribution to the Angus soundtrack was taped off the radio, likely Q101.

iTunes stats: 7 plays, most recently on 10/11/2011

Alanis Morissette – Hand In My Pocket

The second release from the juggernaut that was Jagged Little Pill was taped off the CD.

iTunes stats: 3 plays, most recently on 8/31/2011

Side B

Continue reading →

Moday’s Commute

It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these.  Here’s a look back at the tunes that got me through Monday’s commute.

Rub You The Right Way Johnny Gill Booty Jams 6/11/2012 5:44 PM
Counting Blue Cars Dishwalla Counting Blue Cars 6/11/2012 5:49 PM
All My Life Foo Fighters One By One 6/11/2012 5:53 PM
Pray MC Hammer Millennium Hip-Hop Party Vol. 2 6/11/2012 5:59 PM
Justify My Love Madonna The Immaculate Collection 6/11/2012 6:04 PM
Man In The Box Alice In Chains Facelift 6/11/2012 6:08 PM
Blood For Poppies Garbage Not Your Kind Of People 6/11/2012 6:12 PM
Wild Horses (live) Garbage Shut your Mouth EP 6/11/2012 6:17 PM
I Don’t Want To Wait Paula Cole Songs From Dawson’s Creek 6/11/2012 6:22 PM
Best Of You Foo Fighters Skin And Bones 6/11/2012 6:27 PM
In The Street Big Star #1 Record – Radio City 6/11/2012 6:30 PM
Rape Me Nirvana In Utero 6/11/2012 6:33 PM
Ain’t 2 Proud 2 Beg TLC Ooooooohhh…On The TLC Tip 6/11/2012 6:39 PM
No Scrubs TLC Fanmail 6/11/2012 6:43 PM
Love Me Do [Mono] The Beatles Please Please Me [2009 Stereo Remaster] 6/11/2012 6:45 PM
Night In My Veins The Pretenders Last of the Independents 6/11/2012 6:49 PM

Snowplow Shuffle

Another snowstorm has hit.  Here’s the soundtrack that got me through clearing the driveway both yesterday afternoon and this morning.

 

Loser (LP Version) Beck Loser 1/20/2012 4:00 PM
Smells Like Teen Spirit Tori Amos Crucify 1/20/2012 4:04 PM
Sunny Came Home Shawn Colvin A Few Small Repairs 1/20/2012 4:08 PM
The Taste Oblivion Sweatpants USA 1/20/2012 4:12 PM
Buffy Theme Nerf Herder Buffy The Vampire Slayer: The Album 1/20/2012 4:13 PM
Finish What Ya Started Van Halen The Best Of Both Worlds [Disc 1] 1/20/2012 4:17 PM
Everlong (Acoustic Version) Foo Fighters Greatest Hits 1/20/2012 4:22 PM
C’mon And Get My Love Cathy Dennis featuring D-Mob Move to This 1/20/2012 4:25 PM
Don’t Go Away Mad (Just Go Away) Mötley Crüe Motley Crue Greatest Hits 1/20/2012 4:30 PM
The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite R.E.M. Automatic For The People 1/21/2012 9:19 AM
Oh Yeah Yello Stella 1/21/2012 9:22 AM
Walking After You Foo Fighters The Colour And The Shape 1/21/2012 9:27 AM
I Want You Back The Jackson 5 Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5 1/21/2012 9:30 AM
True Colors Cyndi Lauper True Colors 1/21/2012 9:34 AM

Small break to get a new snowblower.

Everything Zen Bush Sixteen Stone 1/21/2012 10:41 AM
Life’s A Happy Song Finale The Muppets The Muppets 1/21/2012 10:43 AM
This Is Love PJ Harvey Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back 1/21/2012 10:47 AM
Mr. Bass Man Floyd & Scooter Muppet Hits 1/21/2012 10:49 AM
Downtown Tegan and Sara So Jealous 1/21/2012 10:54 AM

Goodbye, iPhone 3G – Music Edition

As I wait for tomorrow’s delivery of my new iPhone 4S, it is time to say goodbye to the 3G that has been my trusty companion for nearly the past 3 1/2 years.  We’ve traveled the world together (well, at least Canada and the UK) and have listened to a lot of music.  Here is every song (all 1597 of them) I’ve listened to on the phone, with some (ok, very little) bonus commentary!

He’s a Pirate Klaus Badelt Pirates of the Caribbean (Soundtrack from the Motion Picture) 100
Gordon Beckham Intro 91
Let’s Go-Go-Go White Sox Captain Stubby and the Buccaneers 87
Thunderstruck AC/DC The Razors Edge 84
Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye Steam Billboard’s Top Rock ‘n’ Roll Hits: 1969 83
sox05_montage 75
We Are The Champions Queen Queen: Greatest Hits I & II 73
Boom P.O.D. Satellite 70
Don’t Stop Believin’ Journey Journey’s Greatest Hits 69
2008 White Sox Central Division Champs Montage Chris Tannehill WSCR 670 The Score 65

No surprise that the top 10 are all part of (or were part of) my White Sox victory playlist.  This gets played on the way home from every White Sox winner, plus the occassional ride to a game.  Continue reading →