Friday Music

Here we go again…..

First up — I actually was listening to this track as inspirational background for my Far West RPG design (see the appropriately tagged entries), and was planning on posting it in a forthcoming design journal entry….but I like it so much, I don’t want to wait. So, here’s a nifty western-tinged folk murder ballad: Sixteen Horsepower – “Outlaw Song.”

Speaking of murder ballads, I was reminded of one of my favorites in a post earlier this week by , who talked about the multitude of versions that exist of the legend of Stagger Lee. My favorite version of the tale is this one: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – “Stagger Lee.”

Shifting the mood to something a little less dire — some bright pop from Mika’s “Life in Cartoon Motion” album. A track that is more “gay disco” than can be expressed by the mathematical formula [(Sylvester + RuPaul)^Liberace x Scissor Sisters] …and maybe even more than that. In a really, really good way. Mika – “Love Today.”

It’s been a while since I posted some Kula Shaker. Here’s the lead-off from their first album, “K”. I love the lyric: “Smell the rose, the sweet sweet rose that grows on castle walls in heaven.” Kula Shaker – “Hey Dude.”

For all you Guitar Hero players out there, I give you a song which you should find familiar — perhaps the most perfect Led Zeppelin pastiche ever recorded. Wolfmother – “Woman.”

Some Japanese hip-hop, from the turntables of DJ Krush, featuring the vocal work of INDEN, from the album “Shinsou – Message at Depth”. Good stuff, as always: DJ Krush – “Toki No Tabiji (Journey of Time), feat. INDEN.”

In 1966, the Rolling Stones put this very Elizabethan-sounding song on their album “Aftermath.” Brian Jones learned how to play dulcimer specifically for this track, and Mick Jagger has said that he has no idea what the song is about — that all of the names were historical, but he put them together unconsciously. I really love this song — one of those jewels that you stumble upon one day, and can’t ever forget. The Rolling Stones – “Lady Jane.”

…and of course, what better way to end this week’s playlist than with a bhangra track from Panjabi MC which utilizes the theme from “Magnum P.I.” as a backing sample? Panjabi MC – “Jatt ho giya sharabee.”

Enjoy!