The grass is always greener…

SAD BASTARD MUSIC FOR LUANNE

Playlist: 2007-05-04
MOOD: SAD BASTARD MUSIC

1. Sam Cooke - A Change Is Gonna Come
2. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - And No More Shall We Part
   
3. Art Of Fighting - Skeletons
   
4. Wilco - She’s A Jar
   
5. The Verve - The Drugs Don’t Work
   
6. Portishead - Roads
   
7. The Postal Service - Nothing Better
   
8. Smashing Pumpkins - To Forgive
   
9. Jeff Buckley - Lover, You Should Have Come Over
   
10. Bird York - In the Deep
    
11. Radiohead - Exit Music (For A Film)
    

Well this list was basically because I was talking to Luanne about depressing music. She reckons she’s into the downbeat tracks and I dared to challenge her that I had the most grief-stricken, cynical and self-loathing music collection in our group. So I decided to find the most depressing music I had handy and put it up for your “enjoyment”. Now this list isn’t definitive by any imagination as my access to music is limited in China and I’m missing the bulk of my collection. I also don’t want to make it sound like this is an lethargic exercise in coming up with songs that make me feel like shit. Far from it! I love every song on this list. They’re all beautiful and touching to me. A lot of the songs represent a period in my life when I found comfort in these downbeat tracks and actually most of them make me happy. But be warned. If you’re not into that sort of thing you may simply find the songs depressing.

TOP 10 - MUSIC (4 May 2007)

Playlist: 2007-05-04
MOOD: SCHIZOPHRENIC

1. Kasabian - Club Foot
2. Faye Wong - 脸
3. Radiohead - 2+2=5
4. Aphex Twin - Avril 14Th
   
5. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Scar Tissue
   
6. New Order - Ceremony
7. Portishead - All Mine
8. Travis - Big Chair
9. Emiliana Torrini - Heartstopper
10. Smashing Pumpkins - X.Y.U.

2007-05-04: 10 songs, 38.9 minutes, 59.6 MB

I can safely say this is one of the strangest top 10s I’ve put together in a while now. Hence, I named it “Schizophrenic”, because, it is just that. It is a collision of moods and themes, emotions and ideas all rolled into an unrelenting cacophonous compilation.

From the opening notes of the alt.rock.dance tune of Kasabian to the mood altering bliss of Chinese pop queen Faye Wong you will think you are on a mind bending journey to a dreamlike place. Your sweet nocturn is interrupted by a deliberate distortion and arithmetic antics of Radiohead with 2+2=5. Thankfully, all this noise this gives way to an elegant little piano ditty of Aphex Twin that flows into the summer road trip of Scar Tissue before rerouting to the haunting Ceremony by New Order. Your course takes a sharp turn into the bombastic brassy jazz sounds of Portishead, making you think you’re about to be blasted with big band joy until the layers of sound are stripped away to reveal a sinister, wanton voice of desire, pain and obsession! Barely escaping the clutches of a woman scorned, you are elevated again to pop heaven, riding high on the pulsating beats and heartfelt emotion of the Big Chair buy Travis. As the last notes of the song slowly take you back down to earth, you find yourself in a remote fishing village, listening to the flowing river, slowly creaking of waterwheels and Emiliana Torrini singing about heartbreak. As you wind down to the Icelandic songstress’s mellow tune, you think the journey is over, turning to leave. BUT NOT YET! In your way stands a monstrous figure of black and silver, bearing the insignia X.Y.U.. Into the eyes of the Jackal you stare, facing your final opponent before you can return to the safety of reality.

Beware. This journey may consume your very soul. It will make your food tasteless without the addition of an inhuman dosage of condiments and your Kenny G albums sound lifeless and bland. Beware.

TOP 10 - MUSIC (22 April 2007)

Well I decided to put up some of the music I’ve been listening to. In the tradition of Hi-Fidelity, it’ll be in the form of a Top 10!

The order of my top 10s will not be in order of preference, rather, it will simply be a list of 10 songs I like which fit into a certain mood. Order will be simply be my choice which I believe makes the songs flow best from one to the next.

What makes my Top 10 even cooler is that you can download all the tracks I have on my list! (MP3 format). Officially, it is of course, online for my own personal archive uses. *cough*. ENJOY!

Playlist: 2007-04-22
MOOD: SENTIMENTAL & INFATUATION

1. Phantom Planet - California
2. Jet - Hold on
3. Bic Runga - She Left On A Monday
4. Greg Laswell - High And Low
5. Depeche Mode - Precious
6. Phantom Planet - Always On My Mind
7. Sonic Youth - Incinerate
8. James Carrington - Ache
9. Rogue Wave - Eyes
10. Joseph Arthur - In the Sun

2007-04-22: 10 songs, 41.0 minutes, 53.7 MB