Gonna Kill Me a Cupid
It's time for my annual audio holiday card, a mix CD of what I've been listening to lately. As in previous years, if you're a regular here, drop me a line with your snail-mail address and I'll be delighted to send you a copy.
| Gonna Kill Me a Cupid | | Stuff I've been listening to in 2004 |
| Eli Goulart e Banda do Mato | 1 | Sunny
Samba saves another piece of 60's pop from itself. Goulart was a Germany-based Brazilian who died in 2003 just as his career was taking off. |
| The Brunettes | 2 | Loopy Loopy Love
Gonna kill me a cupid, 'cause a cupid causes love. |
| Racey | 3 | Kitty
I thought this was a switcheroo cover of the hit "Mickey" but it was the other way around. (1979) |
| Spek | 4 | Smell the Coffee
Whatever you're thinking, that's a floating home. Desi hip-pop from Toronto. |
| Skalpel | 5 | 1958
Jazz reassembled from 50's Polish samizdat tapes, when swing was a crime against the state. |
| Barcelona | 6 | I Have the Password to Your Shell Account
I tried your mom's first name, I tried your cat's name. I don't think you're smart enough. |
| Momus | 7 | I am a Kitten
My girls ask me, daddy, has that ever really happened? (1996) |
| Emilio Santiago | 8 | Bananeira
What's the right way to see a banana tree? (1975) |
| Trio Mocotó | 9 | Onde anda o meu amor
The old guys get together with the young cats of Zuco 103. |
| Single Tear | 10 | Jugando joqui con el mono
All the scientists are looking for the monkey, but he's playing hockey with the children. |
| Los Ocho de Colombia | 11 | Cumbia del beso (Por cuánto me lo da)
How much for a kiss? Twenty pesos. Where? In the kitchen. When? After the dance. (~1982) |
| Grupo Fantasma | 12 | Utility Rock
It's hard being a broke slacker by day and a cumbia god by night. |
| Ghandaia | 13 | Odara
Let me sing so the world becomes beauty, Odara. |
| Bersuit Vergarabat | 14 | Perro Amor Explota
Love explodes. |
| Orquestra Jean Kelson | 15 | Berimbau
One string becomes six, six become an orchestra. (1965) |
| Lemon Party | 16 | Spalding Gray is Missing
A sad theme for the songwriting contest at SongFight. |
| Barbara Morgenstern | 17 | Kleiner Auschnitt
I am a very small excerpt. |
| Shane Bartell | 18 | Don't Believe Everything
Hurry up and grab the money and nothing needs to change. |
| Franz Ferdinand | 19 | Take Me Out
Sometimes the art history nerds do good stuff. |
| Heloise and the Savoir Faire Dancers | 20 | Odyle
Love the song, love the choreography. |
| Scanty Sandwich | 21 | Because of You
The scary sampled voice is that of a young Michael J. |
| Bobby Conn | 22 | We Come in Peace
Theme song for W's second inauguration. |
| Thalma De Freitas | 23 | Tranqüilo
I am not afraid of the world. |
|
This year developments like MP3 blogs and Webjay have made a big difference in my listening habits. I'm hearing lots of new things I never would have heard any other way. You can tell from all the indie pop and DJ/electronica/dance creeping onto the list, normally not "my" genres. I like the novelty, but the downside is that I'm a sucker for a lot of one-hit wonders: when I manage to track down additional material by these people it doesn't always match my expectations. Not a good sign for the "give them a taste for free on the net and they'll buy the album" school of thought. Oh, well.
My one regret about this list is that I had to leave out what might be my favorite tune of the year, Take Off Your Clothes (click there! that's an MP3!) by Morningwood.
It's missing strictly because I was shooting for a PG-13 rating, not NC-17. The sacrifices we make for our children. Sigh.
What else?
If you know anything about Single Tear, please please pass it on; they elude my Google skills.
I thought about trying to track down videos for these songs but the ones I found were pretty dismal except for the must-see Odyle and the would-be-better-in-hi-res Take Me Out. [Update: Grupo Fantasma also has a great video out for Utility Rock.]
Finally, Momus and Thalma de Freitas both have blogs which are worth a look.
There. Now I can start my playlist for 2005.