Summer Songs! Jill's June 2013 playlist

Jill's June 2013 playlist: Summer Songs!

Hot diggity dog. It's summertime at last!

1. Summer Song - The Honeymoon Thrillers 

Skin is bare, salty air... obviously a lyric driven choice.  Fast & fun Killer-esque energy. 

2. Ring The Belle - LaBelle

"LaBelle es una banda de Madrid inspirada en el rock de los años 50"  Lead singer is Alicia LaBelle and I don't think she's related to Patti. Keep an eye on this LaBelle for a future Sharktopus sequel soundtrack possibly. Love the surfin' vibe at the start of this track, but the whole album "Cinema" is worth a listen.

3. Keepin' The Summer Alive - Beach Boys

I was thinking how this track sounds like the most sevenites sounding Beach Boys song ever.. then researched a bit and saw that the album was released in 1980.  

4. Time To Go Outdoors - Hot Hot Heat

Canadian pop band enthusiastic about warmer weather. Band name cracks me up - how could Canadians know anything about heat? 

5. Life's a Beach - Django Django

Jangly summertime pop from a Scottish quartet. Everybody loves the beach!

6. Ooh Baby I Love You - Richard Berry featuring Shuggie Otis

Mellow soul sounds featuring my fave, Shuggie. FYI - Richard Berry is the original composer and original performer of the rock standard, "Louie Louie"  (Hit for The Kingsmen, Animal House soundtrack etc). 

7. Say You, Say Me - Lionel Richie & Jason Aldean

Commodore Country! from Tuskegee, a mild, but interesting cross-genre experiment album.

8. How Good It Feels - Will Dailey & The Rivals

Boston based retro-pop sound, hugely popular on prime time TV soundtracks.  Feels like a summer song to me.

9. Barbara Ella - Kula Shaker

Purring and cowbell.  Kula Shaker lead singer, Crispian Mills is the son of Hayley Mills (original Parent Trap twins).  The Parent Trap always makes me think of summer & camping and all that. So yeah, there's your tie in to my "theme".

10. Sleep When We Die - K'Naan & Keith Richards

I don't know much about Somali-Canadian poet, rapper, singer, songwriter etc etc, K'Naan. (can you tell I've been doing my Wiki-homework this month?)  Stumbled on this while checking out what Keef was up to lately. 

11. Take a Giant Step - Taj Mahal

"Come with me I'll take you where the taste of life is green"...  this song is as relaxing as a long nap in a hammock.

12. Few Times - Aer

Still loving this breath of fresh "aer" from the Boston area.  Go their web site and get a free download of their latest ep. http://www.freshaermovement.com

13. You're My Favorite Waste of Time - Marshall Crenshaw

Hearken back to my 80s past with yet another pop powerhouse. Has a good true bubblegum feel.  

14. You're No Good - Dee Dee Warwick

If you dig deep enough (click on related artists several go rounds on Spotify) you eventually find real gems. I had no idea this was a hit before Linda Ronstadt's 1975 cover!  Dee Dee (Delia Mae & yes she is Dionne's sister) recorded this original (written by Clint Ballard, Jr./ produced by Lieber & Stoller) in 1963, but it was a hit for Betty Everett later that year. 

15. Pipeline  - Stevie Ray Vaughan & Dick Dale

Thought I'd go out riding high on some tasty waves. Fun facts: Since Dale is left-handed, he was initially forced to play a right-handed model guitar but then went to a left handed model. He did so without restringing which led him to effectively play upside down & often reaching over the fretboard rather than wrapping his fingers up from underneath. Now, I don't know anything about playing guitars, but I can really relate to finding strange ways of adapting to being left-handed. ( I'm actually a bit of both ). 

Listen on Spotify: Jill's June 2013 Summer Songs

May-April "not all that springy" Playlist 2013

May-April 2013 Playlist

OOPSY DaiSy! somehow I forgot to make a list for April. No biggie. I'll just add a few extra tunes and combine and April and May list!  I should admit I haven't given music too much thought these past couple months. Well that, or I just don't like the changes they made to Spotify so I haven't been using it as much. And other stuff just comes up.  But here's a list of songs anyway:

1. He Stopped Loving Her Today - George Jones

George Jones really did stop loving her. Because he passed away recently. Sad song, sung beautifully by a classic country superstar. Who's gonna fill their shoes?

2. Windfall - The Flying Burrito Brothers

Always been one of my fave Son Volt songs (Trace - a fave album). Just plain neat to hear the original alt-country pioneers cover this later alt-country classic.  I didn't know Burrito Bros were still recording.

3. Fool's Parade - Michael Stanley Band

Ahhh the regional favorite sons from my northeast Ohio childhood! Friends recently went to a concert and got me all kinds of nostalgic. Cabin Fever was my "favorite" album (well, when I was 15).  I was so young.

4. Kindness - Will Dailey & The Rivals

Is this song a hit? I must hear on a commercial, or shopping or somewhere. I have no idea what's "popular" these days, but this seems like an adult contemporary "pop" song. 

5. Want U - Lo-Fi-Ink

Synthesize It, Baby! Pour a Heineken and watch robots dance.

6. Shake Some Action - Cracker

I just didn't realize Cracker had a song on the Clueless soundtrack. 80s wow. I love this.

7. Nothing for Nothing - Gizelle Smith & The Mighty Mocambos

Motowny horns and soulful sassy gal vocals. Gits ya movin' don't it?

8. Love's Dart - Django Django

The guys on NPR were chatting about this band & Andy hears them on XM, so I was just giving them a tryout.  They dig percussion gadgetry - clippety clop and vibra-slapping fun - reminds me of being stranded in a desert and moving way too fast inspite of the heat.

9. Life Ain't Ever Been Better Than It Is Now - Lenny Kravitz

Keeping a beat and giving thanks for what I got, at the church of Lenny.  

10. Don't Ever Leave Me - Patsy Cline

The superlative voice that is the standard by which all other singers are compared.

11. Easy - The Stone Foxes

I like how they mention Williamsburg in this song. But I bet they probably mean the "other" Williamsburg - the cool one in Brooklyn.

12. Satisfied - Woody Pines

More strumming - totally reminds me of Taj Mahal's 'Queen Bee' or maybe it's a cover?  

13. Good Thing - Fine Young Cannibals

Remember this one? mmm I know I should be sick of it, but I still like it. Curse you Pop Music.

14. Safety Dance - The Asteroids Galaxy Tour

This one was ripe for a good covering at some point in the 2010s. Sound almost like chipmunks, but fun. 

15. That Was Your Mother - Paul Simon

That was your token Happy Mother's Day song. 

16. Calgon Take Me Away - Swearing At Motorists

Mom deserves an escape... bubble bath and all that. This band sounds Cake-ish, only in a slightly depressing way. 

Something Something for Everyone - Jill's March 2013 Playlist

Listen here: 2013-03 MARCH Jill

Happy March!!!! Spring is in the air, so let's listen to old music! okay, and some new-ish music that sounds old. Okay, let's listen to whatever we feel like.  Here's this month's random collection of tunes that satisfy my ears. 

1. Hate Street Dialogue - Rodriguez

I probably should just post the entire soundtrack to Searching For Sugar Man for my monthly list and get it over with because let's face it, I am head over heels in love with all things Rodriguez (music-wise that is). The movie just won an Oscar for best documentary.  The story is so incredibly tied to a specific time and places that it could really only happen once... but the story of music transcending, bridging cultures is timeless and happens constantly, over and over again.

2. Missing Pieces - Jack White

I had to re-listen to this after the Grammys (saw the album nominated). I like the Edward Scissorhands of modern whatever you call today's cool music guy. And like Rodriguez, Jack White is from Detroit. Just doesn't get more real than Detroit. (this connection was made after I'd selected this order for my playlist btw)

3. One Love To Another - Edward Sharpe & The Magnectic... something

To be honest, the way I make up a monthly playlist is kind of random. I dump tons of songs, albums, artists that interest me into a "grab bag" playlist on Spotify and then shuffle and listen over a few weeks. Songs that catch my ear get dumped into finalist playlist for monthlies. So, when this song caught my ear, I thought it was one of the ancient reggae bands from some box set deal I'd tossed in the grab bag, BUT it turns out to be a not old band. (and one that I just featured last month, so now I forgot where I was going with this story...)

4. Cowboy Boots - Macklmore & Ryan Lewis

Alright, Macklemore grabbed my attention from headline on internet -- success without labels. Then my 10YO was singing Thrift Store the other day and I was obliged to listen more. And Voila! 

5. Something Something - Tippu 

Starts out all Van Halen-esque and grabs the ears then turns into a sort of Michael Doughty/Soul Coughing chant... and then the BRASS kicks in.  There is Something Something for EVERYONE in this one song. Very fulfilling meal of a track.  I don't know anything at all about Tippu. Not one thing except that I love this song -- well except that it's Bollywoodish and I was a huge fan of Benny Lava.  (you can bet I'll check out some more Tippu tracks over the next few weeks)

6. Happy Up Here - Royksopp

More happy.  Not a lot of words.  Just Happy & moving.

7. Halfway Up The Stairs - Rodriguez

Mmmhmmm I can put more than one Rodriguez song on my list if I want. I make the rules here.

This was a happy departure from some of Sixto's darker social commentary.  

8. You're Pretty When I'm Drunk - Bloodhound Gang

It's almost the theme to Fresh Prince, with kind of disgusting but mostly funny lyrics. Just silly.

9. Baby Jeans - The Wooden Birds

Strumming, girls with guitars, indigo-like girls.  I like songs about jeans.  Jeans are such an integral part of life.  It's not by accident "jeans" are a homophone with "genes".

10. Light Up in The Sky - Gringo Star

Back in the day (a few years ago) when Daytrotter was really really free I found Gringo Star, so when this band popped up on Spotify I listened some more.  There's nothing terribly memorable about this track, but it kept me awake and moving while I was working on something... so I developed an attachment. 

11. Five Green Queens and Jean - The Pogues

token song by Irish band in honor of St. Patty's Day.

12. Trouble Town - Jake Bugg

Bugg does a good homage to sound of Sanford Clark sound (a 1950's singer I read about in Keith Richard's bio mentioned as an early influence). 

13. Jailhose Tears - Lucinda Williams

So I've been a Lucinda fan since Car Wheels (back when I lived in WXPN territory).  Add Elvis Costello and well, it's just a win win!

14. Portobello Belle - Dire Straits

Yep, I stalk my Spotify friends to see what they listen to... that way I get reminded just how cool Dire Straits is and stuff like that.  

Check it out on Spotify:

2013-03 MARCH Jill