Friday Music

OK, Let’s get the request out of the way first. This is for who asked me last Satuday for some Blues. I was tempted to put up some mid-1930s Robert Johnson, but I decided to go with something a bit more standard, complete with Mojo, John The Conqueror Root, and the whole Hoodoo shebang: Muddy Waters – “Hoochie Coochie Man.”

One of the coolest things about the soundtrack to Velvet Goldmine is that they put in quite a few original songs, which appeared in the film as the music of Bryan Slade/Maxwell Demon. These songs were recorded by groups made up of various artists like Bernard Butler and Thom Yorke of Radiohead and Thurston Moore and Steve Shelley of Sonic Youth. This is one of my favorite tracks, recorded under the group name The Venus In Furs — the stutter-step jazz drumming on this really gets to me, and the melody manages to convey a sense of ethereal beauty. My description does it no justice. Listen. The Venus In Furs – “2HB.”

Occasionally, you have a really bad week. In times like those, you obviously need to listen to not-safe-for-work, kung-fu-movie-based hip-hop. I mean, DUH. This is one of my favorite tracks from the absolutely classic 1993 debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) — Wu-Tang Clan – “Wu-Tang Clan Aint Nuttin Ta Fuc Wit.”

How bad was the week? Let’s put it this way: The Bronx – “Shitty Future.” This is a hellacious song…love it. Of course, the group is called The Bronx….and they’re from L.A. Naturally.

Special for : A Propellerheads track that she hasn’t heard, because it’s not on the CD that she keeps stealing from me, decksanddrumsandrockandroll. This is a track from a follow-up EP, called, ingeniously, Extended Play. Propellerheads – “Crash.”

Another track from Rob Zombie’s new album, Educated Horses, which I’ve been listening to quite a bit since its release. Rob Zombie – “Let It All Bleed Out.” Needs more monster movie samples, but aside from that, I like it. :)

A track by Moby which was used as the opening music from the mediocre-but-fun car-heist movie, Gone in 60 Seconds. I like this kind of stuff from him the best — where he mixes new music from old recordings of blues, gospel and the like: Moby – “Flower.”

I just discovered this group, and I’m blown away by how beautiful this song is. I don’t know anything about them right now, but I’m planning on remedying that soon. Midlake – “Young Bride.”

Hope you enjoy this week’s selections. Here’s to better weeks ahead.