100 Songs I Love: 123-126

Wow, there's been a whole lot of negativity popping up on GEP lately. That review of Zendik's We the Poet was harsh. Deserved and funny, but mean. And it seems like I'm always going on and on about songs I hate and movies I think look stupid so much that I feel like I've lost the original vision I had for Giant Electric Penguin, or, rather, the second original vision, as the original original vision was a horror movie review blog. The second original vision I had for this blog was that it would be a place of celebration; a celebration of the awful things in life, yes, but also the enjoyable, the tuneful, and the competently constructed. So, without further blah-blah-blah, I give you the latest, and the weirdest, installment of 100 Songs I Love. 


123. "Cocktails for Two" (Spike Jones and The City Slickers)  


"Cocktails for Two" is one of my favorite songs from my youth, particularly middle school, when a friend, Chris, introduced me to the wacky world of Spike Jones. Before my family moved to North Carolina, this friend was nice enough to record for me probably the best mixtape I've ever been given. The A-Side featured the songs of Tom Lehrer and a collection of Beatles parodies written and recorded by Chris himself, who was and is an accomplished pianist. The B-Side was wall-to-wall Spike Jones. I listened to this tape endlessly during my first summer and freshman year in Charlotte. Then everybody got into ska or whatever (ugh) and that lasted pretty much until college, where you learn on the first day, no matter what university, community college or online institution you get into, that ska is basically the worst thing ever.


I love Spike Jones. Who doesn't? People who hate life, I guess. The above film, a raucous tribute to drinking, smoking and causal transvestism, just makes "Cocktails for Two" that much better. No matter where I go or what I do in life, I will never stop being thankful to Chris for bringing Spike Jones and his wacky, wacky kids into my life.


124. "Stay With You" (capsule)



I love pop music, and if that love pop music includes a plethora of beeps, boops, auto-tuned weirdness, and Japanese lyrics, well, I'm even more in. And I don't think it gets any more poppy or Japanese than capsule's "Stay With You." This song makes my brain feel good. It makes me want to dance, and I have a strict "only-dance-at-weddings" policy. Toshiko Koshijima could be singing about animal torture, and I'd still feel like dancing. That's how infectious this song's groove is. I'm quite aware that many of my readers will choose to resist "Stay With You." To you sad-sacks I say, too bad.


125. "Still Alive" (GLaDOS & Jonathan Coulton)  


Here's what I know about the video game Portal: it involves portals and I would be terrible at it. There's also something about cake. 


"Still Alive" is the song that plays over Portal's end credits, written by Jonathan Coulton and sung by a robot that apparently gives you non-stop shit during the game. 


Funny story: I don't know how this song got onto my iTunes. I don't remember buying it, but there it was, languishing in obscurity, until one chore-filled afternoon (my life seems, and is, chock full of these right now), I went into song shuffle mode and about ten songs in, this perfect little pop gem appeared. It's got everything I love: killer hooks, lyrics about death and science experiments and a singing female robot. It's like Jonathan Coulton climbed into my dreams and wrote a song about what he encountered there. "Still Alive" is so good, thought I am still perplexed about where it came from.


126. "Whatever You Like" (Anya Marina)  


Yes, this yet another white girl with a child's voice covering a rap song--in this case T.I.'s "Whatever You Like"-- featuring lyrics about wet, late night sex sessions and masterful blowjobs, while strumming an acoustic guitar. I know, it's all be done before, but, dammit, I like this. A lot. It's tons better than the original. For real. "Whatever You Like" kinda sucks.

100 Songs I Love: 122

122. "Dream Weaver" (Gary Wright)



When I started working for the government (i.e. The Man) five years ago, I was delighted to learn that employees were allowed to listen to music at their desks. The temp job I held for two years before this did not permit such distractions, even though I spent my days filing, stuffing envelopes, and/or staring forlornly at the carpeted walls of my cubicle praying for the sweet release of death. Music could've really come in handy, you know; chase the suicidal thoughts away or whatever. But none of that mattered anymore. I was no longer a temp. I was a respectable, gainfully employed member of society now and respectable, gainfully employed members of society get to listen to music while they work.

So, I purchased a cheap radio/CD player from Wal-mart. It proved itself a hunk of shit right out of the box, but it provided the sweet tune-age my brain required to maintain it's sanity, so I was delighted. Then, when I got tired of listening to the same Asobi Seksu album over and over (I listened to Citrus five times in a row one day--that's not a bad thing, it's a great record), I had the radio option (by this time I had moved up to the 8th floor and had a window in my office). I listened to NPR almost exclusively and for awhile it was a good fun time. Soon, however, the radio/CD player's inherent shittiness became too much to bear, plus, I had an iPod now and I mostly listened to podcasts anyway, so I donated the radio to my newborn daughter. "Here's a piece of garbage CD player with a short in it somewhere," I said, dropping it off unceremoniously in Quinn's bedroom. "Enjoy yourself."

What does any of this have to do with Gary Wright's "Dream Weaver." I'm gettin' to it! Patience!

When Quinn turned about eight months or so, me and my wife decided to turn the guest room into a guest-room-slash-play-room thing. We moved Quinn's toy box, her various puppets, and her Little People Little Talker's Zoo into the room. We also moved the crappy radio/CD player. The thing will hardly play a CD any more--the conditions have to be just right--so we turned to the radio for our musical needs, settling on 96.1, Raleigh's "hybrid" classic rock station.

Hybrid, you ask. Yes. For every expected classic rock band they play (Led Zeppelin, ACDC, Steve Miller Band), they'll play something from the 90's (Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers, the song "Linger" by the Cranberries). As far as radio stations go, it's pretty great. For better or worse, there are no DJ's, so we get a pretty solid, uninterrupted block of rock every night during playtime. The classic rock appeals to my wife, while the 90's alternative satisfies my listening needs. I like some of the classic stuff too. I do mistake every other song for "Jessie's Girl," but most people do that, right?

(A note on that "Jessie's Girl" thing: Until this morning, when I was telling my wife about my plans to write the very piece you are now reading, Jen was under the impression that my whole "this is 'Jessie's Girl,' right?" thing was a joke. It, sadly, is not.)

We've been listening to 96.1 in the playroom for a long time now and I've noticed something: They never actually play 'Jessie's Girl."

Also, they never play Gary Wright's "Dream Weaver." I've had limited exposure to classic rock radio, but there was a station I would sometimes listen to in Charlotte that presented itself as a classic rock station, and they played "Dream Weaver" all the time. What gives, 96.1? You'll play every single ZZ Top ever released and Tesla's "Love Song" 50-times a day, but no "Dream Weaver?"

I like "Dream Weaver." It's weird and nice. And it reminds me of Wayne's World. I liked Wayne's World.

I've been threatening to call 96.1 and request "Dream Weaver" for, like, three weeks now. I think I'm going to do it. Maybe they can play it between "Thunderstruck" and "La Grange" one day. Dammit, I hate "La Grange." But that's for an entirely different feature. I'll let you know what happens with this whole "Dream Weaver" situation.

NEXT TIME: GEP calls out 96.1 FM for never paying Europe's "The Final Countdown."

100 Songs I Love: Rocking Out and Totally in the Groove Edition (121)

121. "Born With a Mic In Our Hand" (Barbie and The Rockers)



If you ever had a little sister, you probably played Barbies with her at some point, unless your parents wouldn't allow her to have Barbie dolls because they felt that the brand promoted sexism or they believed that dolls of any kind were perfect vessels for demonic possession. My little sister had Barbie dolls however, so we played Barbies. That's what you call it: playing Barbies. If you'd ever played Barbies, you'd know.

By the 1980s, Barbie had been a lot of things--a homemaker, a secretary, an airline stewardess--but somehow she'd never been a lady rocker. So, Mattel made her one, gave her a backing band and everything. They were called The Rockers because why not. Barbie and The Rockers were not just a matching set of rock-n-roll dollies though. They were also recording artists. Rock-n-Roll Barbie, or whatever the fudge she was called, came with a cassette tape. This cassette tape contained two or three songs, I think. The most irritating and, therefore, my favorite, was titled "Born With a Mic In Our Hand."

I'm assuming you've listened to it by this point. You'll notice first that it is not good. Not good at all. The reason I like it is because it brings back pleasant memories of me and my sister getting along. I am aware that I lashed out at many of you several weeks ago for your weird love of the The Trashpile's "Surfing Bird" song and I'd like to take this moment to apologize. You go ahead and like "Surfin' Bird." Maybe your daddy played it for you when you were sick and it made you smile. Maybe it was playing the first time you and your cousin shared an illicit opened mouth kiss behind the Christmas tree. Wait, what? Doesn't matter. If "Surfin' Bad" brings back joyous memories of your misbegotten youth, you go ahead and revel in it, you weird freak. You take "Surfin Bird" and I'll stick with "Born With a Mic."

After the overall shittiness of Barbie's song, you probably noticed that the lyrics aren't very good. They are not. They are not only bad, but they are confusing and a little sick. Let's take a closer look.

"Born...born with a mic in our hand": This opening line leads me to belief that Barbie and The Rockers were never meant to be a proper five-piece band, but rather a hideously conjoined singing manbeast. How else do you explain the fact that they were born with a single microphone in their collective hand? Wouldn't it make more sense to sing "Born with several different mics in our separate hands?" Or maybe just have Barbie be the one born with a mic in her hand. They all had to be born with mics in their hands? You're Barbie and The Rockers for a reason, guys. No one's paying to see The Rockers. The Rockers would be lucky to get a state fair gig without Barbie. Of course, if they were a conjoined oddity, they probably could get work on the freak show circuit.

"Singing everything that we can": So, songs, right? That's about all you can sing, you know, without looking like a mental patient.

The verses: So, in the first verse, Barbie explains that as a little girl she would often close her eyes and have eerie visions of herself surrounded by four adults in rock-n-roll gear, which I assume would include ripped jeans, keytars, and vials of coke. In the second verse, Barbie explains that her visions have come true. And that's the song. THAT'S THE SONG!

Why do I like this? It's partly the childhood memories, but it's kind of because I respect a well-crafted pop song and, well, this is undeniably well-crafted. It crawls in your head, lays its poison eggs, and leaves you nauseous and bewildered, but also a little sparkly. It's a tune that has literally etched itself into the deepest reaches of my brain--in the brains of many of my generation, I've discovered--and because of this, for better or worse, we are forever linked.

100 Songs I Love: Tribute to R.E.M. Edition: Part 1 (111-120)

R.E.M. is one of the three bands that changed my life. If it wasn't for Automatic For The People, Nevermind, and Apollo 18, I might still be listening to nothing but Boston Pops and Michael W. Smith. R.E.M. had a hand in radically altering my musical taste and for that I will forever be appreciative. Now, I'm a fan of early- and mid-period R.E.M.--but don't worry, I'm not a dick about it--so this list of my favorite R.E.M. tunes noticeably lacks anything after Up. Also, the ten songs presented here are, in fact, favorites, but if included each and every one of my favorite R.E.M. songs, well, we'd be here all night and I have plans, so, you know, I gotta leave time for a shower and stuff. I'm not even wearing pants right now. So, without any further silliness, here are 10 R.E.M. songs that I totally love. It was a good run, guys. In the words of ABBA, thank you for the music.

Ooh! I should do an ABBA one of these. Nick would love that.

111. "Fall on Me" (Lifes Rich Pageant)


If you were to ask me to name my very favorite R.E.M. song, I would most certainly say "Fall on Me." It is simple, catchy, and beautiful. I've always enjoyed the interplay of Michael Stipe's and Mike Mill's voices.

112. "Daysleeper" (Up)


There is a sadness to "Daysleeper" that appeals to the corporate drone I play from 7:30 to 4:30 during the work week. Stipe is not describing my job per se--I do all my sleeping in the nighttime, thank you very much--but he, or rather the character he is playing here, gets it. "My night is colored headache gray" is one of my favorite Stipe lines ever.

113. "Swan Swan H" (Lifes Rich Pageant)


If you happened by my dorm room in college, you were guaranteed to hear my roommate and I perform a cover version of this song for you. We had a little set we'd do for visitors--whether they wanted it or not--and this, I think, was the crown jewel of it. A simple, dark, and folksy tune that is a lot of fun to sing. I wonder if Brent and I could still do it? We probably could.

114. "Try Not to Breathe" (Automatic for the People)


My favorite off of the first R.E.M. album I ever purchased. I don't know what it is, but I usually gravitate to songs about death, especially when they're as tuneful as this one. It should be noted, that it only took me about two weeks after buying Automatic to own the rest of R.E.M.'s catalogue up to that point. I told you they changed my musical life. Big thanks to my mom for helping me out.

115. "Cuyahoga" (Lifes Rich Pageant)


I'm sure it's pretty obvious what my favorite R.E.M. album is by this point. This song popped up on my iPod yesterday when I was driving home from work and I wrecked my voice shouting "Cuyahoga" during the chorus. It was worth it. And look, here's a nice cover of "Cuyahoga" that one of my current favorite bands, The Decemberists, did.

116. "1,000,000" (Chronic Town EP)


A foot-stomper from the Chronic Town EP. I've beaten the crap out of my steering wheel many times listening to this one.

117. "Stumble" (Chronic Town EP)


Another rocker from the Chronic Town EP. You know what, the whole of Chronic Town is solid. Go listen to it right now!

118. "Near Wild Heaven" (Out of Time)


A nice showcase for Mike Mills. I never tire of this one. So nice.

119. "Catapult" (Murmur)


From the classic Murmur. I don't know what it's about--I mean, obviously a catapult, but what are they doing with it?--but I love Peter Buck's guitar.

120. "New Test Leper" (New Adventures in Hi-Fi)


My favorite song off of a pretty solid album.

You know what, there are still so many R.E.M. songs I love that I'm gonna have to do a Part 2. So, stay tuned.

100 Songs I Love: For the Kids Edition (101-110)

The Grammys are tonight, but we don't care, and neither should you. However, since this is "music's biggest night" or whatever, GEP is getting all musical up in here and counting down some of our favorite songs for kids. These are the tunes you loved as a child, as well as some recent songs that are destined to become classics. So, wake up your babies and turn up the volume on your speakers, because we about to blast the kind of kid rock you don't want to repeatedly punch in the face with your fists.

101. "Don't Bite Your Friends" (Yo Gabba Gabba)

Say what you will about Nick Jr's Yo Gabba Gabba--it's weird; it's annoying; it's obviously for unemployed stoners in their early 20's--but these little monsters can rock a catchy-ass tune. And what a great message. This is the kind of real-world life lesson that my generation could've used. The months of the year, the alphabet, bed-jumping monkeys--sure, these are important issues for children to be aware of, but biting is not only mean, it spreads disease and it all but guarantees that won't be invited to Peter's birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese. Think about it.

102. "Party in My Tummy" (Yo Gabba Gabba)



Before we leave the Gabba gang in the dust, I would be cheating our readers if I didn't mention "Party in My Tummy," a song I first experienced in book form. My niece, Dakota, received the novelization of Brobee's ode to lunchtime last Christmas. My sister didn't just read the book to Dakota--which is exactly what I would've expected, it being a book and all--she sang it. The tune was enchanting. I couldn't get a recording of my sister singing the book to her daughter, so I thought the actual clip from the show would suffice.

Observation: Something tells me this "tummy party" wouldn't have been so great if Brobee had actually chewed his food. Oh, well, as we learned earlier, it's not cool to bite your pals, and I'm sure it's pretty difficult not to befriend anthropomorphic food. I mean, food is awesome when it can't dance and sing.

Niece Fun Fact: Turn on an episode of Yo Gabba Gabba, and Dakota will start wiggling around like nobody's business. She loves it!

103. "Farm Animal Friends" (Gwendolyn and the Good Time Gang)



I've been a fan of this song for a long time. Still not keen on the drummer however. I think it's very telling that when the various members of the Good Time Gang are popping out of barn windows near the end of the video, the drummer is in a room by himself. Whatta creep!

104-105. "Unpack Your Adjective" & "Lolly, Lolly, Lolly, Get Your Adverbs Here" (Schoolhouse Rock)





We could probably devote a month-long feature to the Schoolhouse Rock series. We're not going to, but we could. Here are two of my favorites: "Unpack Your Adjectives" because it's catchy and I've always had an affinity for adjectives--they were my favorite words to come up with for MadLibs; and "Lolly, Lolly, Etc. Etc. Adverbs" because it is so damn weird. Schoolhouse Rock will probably look old and crusty to my daughter--hell, it looks that way to me now--but I'll always be thankful for it's existence, as it was the go to thing to do when my high school English teachers had nothing else planned.

106-108. "Can You Find It?", "Triops" & "Mammal" (They Might be Giants)







Brooklyn's Ambassadors of Love, They Might be Giants, have entered a new phase in their amazing 29-year career: kid rock (or, edu-rock, if you prefer). Thing is, TMBG have been educating, as well as entertaining, since very early on, as evidenced by "Mammal" from the Apollo 18 album. "Mammal" actually helped me pass a test or two in high school science. No lie. The best thing about the duo's continuing career though is that now me and Quinn can claim the same favorite band and it won't be some crusty old group from back in my day. Just imagine all of the embarrassment this will spare my daughter, you know, at least on one level.

109. "You Can Be Anything" (Gwendolyn and the Good Time Gang)



The Good Time gang isn't just about duckies and farm cats. They're also about positivity and self-esteem. This song proves you can be anything if you put your mind to it, including a goofy- looking drummer with dumb hair.

110. "I Don't Want to Live on the Moon" (Ernie)



If this one doesn't move you, you are unmovable, son. I feel sorry for you.

100 Songs I Love: 95-100

95. "Super Mario Bros. Main Theme" (Koji Kondo)

Immediately whisks me back to the Christmas morning I unwrapped by Nintendo Entertainment System and came face-to-face with this chubby Italian plumber and his identical, green-clad brother for the first time. An unmitigated classic!

96. "Take Me Home" (Phil Collins)

If I didn't lose you when I included Extreme and ABBA on this list, I may lose you now. Guess what? I don't care. 100 Songs I Love is not about proving to the thousands of people who visit this site on a daily basis, sometimes multiple times throughout the day, how hip and cool I am. No! It is about sharing with you, my friends and loyal readers, the music that means so much to me, and, yeah, Phil Collins has written some of that music. If that makes me lame, then call me Lamerick Von Lameypants the Third. But not to my face please. I'm a very sensitive man.

97. "Story of An Artist" (Daniel Johnston)



A simple, yet beautiful, song written and performed by a true American original. If you're not familiar with the music of Daniel Johnston, familiarize yourself. Now.

98. "Definition" (Black Star)



I'm fairly certain there has never been, nor will there ever be, a hip-hop team-up as electrifying as Mos Def and Talib Kweli of Black Star. If I'm wrong, feel free to let me know, but I don't expect many arguments.

99. "Everyday Is Like Sunday" (Morrissey)



My favorite Morrissey song. There you go.

Remember when...: This song--well, a tiny part of this song anyway--was used in commercials for the NFL some time ago. I remember thinking it was weird, but as a huge fan of both Morrissey and American football, I kinda dug it.

100. "Baba O'Riley" (The Who)



When asked in the past--either by random strangers, bosom buddies or Facebook surveys of ill repute--what my #1 favorite song of all time is, I've usually responded with a, "What? You want me to pick one song of the millions upon millions that have been written since the dawn of man and deem it my very favorite? What are you, some kind of brain-fevered fool?" to which they've answered, usually through a veil of tears, "I just...sob...wanted to know...sob, sob...what kind of music...sob, sob, sob...you like...you didn't...sob...have to...sob...be so mean...sob, sob, HONK!*" to which I finally answer, "Oh. I love "Baba O'Riley by The Who. If I had to pick a favorite tune, that's probably it. Have you tried the spinach dip? It's pretty great?**" So, any list of songs I love would be wholly incomplete if I failed to include this anthem to fieldwork or teenagers or whatever the hell they're talking about. It rocks!

Well, there they were, 100 songs that I love. Of course, hundreds of songs didn't make the list, but that doesn't mean I don't love them in a way. I could probably keep this up, if I wanted to, and I kind of do, so, I think 100 Songs I Love is going to become a regular feature, one that, I think, is destined for greatness and then, inevitably, destined to be ignored by me and dropped for an indefinite amount of time (see What the WTF?!!, Sunday Bloody Sunday, 5 Lamest..., Stop Already, etc). But, hey, it'll be fun while it lasts.

Also, starting next year (i.e. any time after tomorrow), GEP will bring you it's next list of 100 somethings that I, your humble editor-and-chief, Matt Lawson, loves. Who knows what it might be? I do. It'll be the 100 Characters I Love. How's that for build up? You're right, it was terrible. Anyway, 100 Characters I Love starts in 2011 along with new features and a brand-spanking new podcast (!!!!!!!!!!) that will stick around longer than the other ones. Promise.

Visit every day. Comment often. Tell your friends. See you in 2011.

*Said questioner is blowing his/her nose, hence the "HONK!"

**This usually happens when I am at some kind of friendly get-together, like a house warming party or a church potluck dinner.

100 Songs I Love: The List So Far...

2010 is rapidly coming to a close, which means I'm almost finished sharing my list of 100 Songs I Love. You can look for the final six songs on New Year's Eve, but today I thought I'd post a comprehensive list of the 94 songs chosen so far. So, here they are, 94 of the 100 songs I happen to enjoy.

1. Space Oddity (David Bowie)
2. In Heaven (from Eraserhead)
3. Motorway to Roswell (Pixies)
4. Melanie (“Weird Al” Yankovic)
5. More Than Words (Extreme)
6. America (Simon & Garfunkel)
7. SOS (ABBA)
8. Pilot Can at the Queer of God (The Flaming Lips)
9. Frank Mills (from Hair)
10. Goodnight and Go (Imogen Heap)
11. Gumby Theme Song
12. Let’s Stay Together (Al Green)
13. Bizarre Love Triangle (New Order)
14. Bizarre Love Triangle (Frente)
15. Walkin’ After Midnight (Patsy Cline)
16. Bury Me Closer (Palomar)
17. How’s It Going to Be (Third Eye Blind)
18. Nothing Better (The Postal Service)
19. Meantime (The Futureheads)
20. This Friendly World (Andy Kaufman)
21. That’s Entertainment (The Jam)
22. She Wolf (Shakira)
23. Satan Gave Me a Taco (Beck)
24. There Is A Light That Never Goes Out (The Smiths)
25. Pap Smear (Crystal Castles)
26. Good To Me (Inara George)
27. Perfect World (Liz Phair)
28. Malchik Gay (t.A.T.u)
29. Rihanna (Rude Boy)
30. Distopian Dream Girl (Built to Spill)
31. Form (Hooray for Earth)
32. Los Angeles (Frank Black)
33. Heaven’s On Fire (The Radio Dept)
34. Daisy (Fang Island)
35. Water Wings (Superchunk)
36. Dead Womb (Death From Above 1979)
37. Me and Mia (Ted Leo and The Pharmacists
38. This Love is Fucking Right (The Pains of Being Pure at Heart)
39. Dark As Days (Army Navy)
40. Hola’ Hovito (Jay-Z)
41. All Hail Me (Veruca Salt)
42. Mother Knows Best (Crystal Castles)
43. Be My Head (The Flaming Lips)
44. Fresh Born (Deerhoof)
45. Wolves and Libertines (Heartsrevolution)
46. Doctor Rock (Ween)
47. Frankie’s Gun! (The Felice Brothers)
48. Jail La La (Dum Dum Girls)
49. Deep Space 9mm (El-P)
50. Kid Icarus Title Screen Music (Hirokazu Tanaka)
51. Imaginary Person (Ty Segall)
52. The Hardest Button to Button (The White Stripes)
53. This Year (The Mountain Goats)
54. Leader of the Pack (The Shangri-Las)
55. 96 Tears (? and the Mysterians)
56. Cathy’s Clown (The Everly Brothers)
57. Take Good Care of My Baby (Bobby Vee)
58. Stuck in the Middle with You (Stealers Wheel)
59. Runaway (Del Shannon)
60. Midnight Confessions (The Grass Roots)
61. Just Dance (Lady GaGa w/ Colby O’Donis)
62. Polite Dance Song (The Bird and The Bee)
63. I’d Rather Dance With You (Kings of Convenience)
64. Dancefloor (The Legends)
65. Stadium Love (Metric)
66. Suspiria (Goblin)
67. Alberto Balsalm (Aphex Twin)
68. Brainbow (Royal Bangs)
69. The Shaded Forests (Deastro)
70. One More Suicide (Marcy Playground)
71. The Moon Theme (Ducktales for NES)
72. Hard to Be (David Bazan)
73. Old Blind Bartimaeus (The Bishops)
74. Best Friend (The Drums)
75. Wish (Nine Inch Nails)
76. Shiny (The Decemberists)
77. Set It Off (0:21-1:21) (Girl Talk)
78. Autumn Sweater (Yo La Tengo)
79. I’m Waking Up to Us (Belle & Sebastian)
80. Title and Registration (Death Cab for Cutie)
81. Leave (Get Out) (JoJo)
82. Praise You (Fatboy Slim)
83. Sunday Morning (No Doubt)
84. I’ve Just Seen a Face (The Beatles)
85. Scenes from an Italian Restaurant (Billy Joel)
86. King of Carrot Flowers Pt. 1 (Neutral Milk Hotel)
87. King of Carrot Flowers Pts. 2-3 (Neutral Milk Hotel)
88. Ana Ng (They Might be Giants)
89. Santana DVX (The Lonely Island feat. E-40)
90. Jetpack Blues, Sunset Hues (Anamanaguchi)
91. Crazy in Love (Beyonce w/ Jay-Z)
92. Possibly Maybe (Bjork)
93. Who Is It (Bjork)
94. California English (Vampire Weekend)

100 Songs I Love: 89-94

89. "Santana DVX" (The Lonely Island feat. E-40)

We all know (and love) The Lonely Island's songs about being on boats, combining Red Vines and Mr. Pibb to make a taste combination that can only be described as "crazy delicious," and concealing their genitalia in festively wrapped packages, but I want to highlight a song from the Incredibad album that didn't make as many waves, this thunderous tribute to Carlos Santana's signature champagne, Santana DVX. To me, there is nothing funnier on The Lonely Island's debut album then when Mr. Santana himself, portrayed by rapper E-40, shows up to describe what makes his sparkling white wine like no other on the market.

Santana DVX--appropriate for some animals: "A monkey drank a bottle and learned to speak/A squid drank a bottle and became a freak"

Santana DVX--not appropriate for other animals: "A lion drank a bottle and forgot how to growl/A horse drunk a bottle and fucked a cow."

90. Jetpack Blues, Sunset Hues (Anamanaguchi)

Where have I heard this?: You may also know "Jetpack Blues, Sunset Hues" as the theme song for the Nerdist podcast, hosted by Chris Hardwick.

91. "Crazy in Love" (Beyonce w/ Jay-Z)

Dammit, Beyonce is hot! Also, this song is pretty damn great. One of those perfectly-crafted pop songs I can't seem to get enough of (see also: "Umbrella" by Rihanna)

For real: I'm not the only one sporting a boner right now, right? This video could give a lady an erection. Sheesh!

92. "Possibly Maybe" (Bjork)

Speaking of boners, I've always found this Bjork song/video really sexy. I know that's not exactly what you want to be thinking about this close to Christmas, what turns me on sexually, but I can't help it. Each version of Bjork is hotter than the last.

If I'm being honest, the bulk of this list could be Bjork songs if I let things get away from me, but I think "Possibly Maybe" is a sterling example of why I love that bizarre little Icelandic songbird so much.

93. "Who Is It" (Bjork)

Oh, hell, here's another one, just because. As of late I've been obsessed with"Who Is It." This video, sadly, is decidedly less sexy than the former, but it does serve as the perfect visual representation of the moldy cliche "I'll be there with bells on."

94. "California English" (Vampire Weekend)

The boys of Vampire Weekend put out arguably one of the best albums of the 2010, Contra, and this is my very favoritest song from it. When this one pops up on my iPod, I usually listen twice. Feel free to do this yourself and don't feel as if you have to limited yourself to two times.



Only 6 more songs to go! Be here when I wrap things up next week! Exclamation points!

100 Songs I Love: 83-88

83. "Sunday Morning" (No Doubt)

If you're going to work so hard to make a nice spaghetti dinner for each other, why waste it having a noodle fight. I've always loved this song, in fact, the whole Tragic Kingdom album is pretty solid, but this video pisses me off. Thumbs down, No Doubt.

A nose for hits: I've been cursed with the ability to preternaturally pinpoint a band's biggest hit without really know it. Let me explain. Upon seeing the "Just A Girl" video for the first time--late night Mtv, most probably--I fell for No Doubt, and fell in lust with a certain Ms. Gwen Stefani. At the time, No Doubt was yet to capture the hearts and wallets of America's youth, so I felt like I was on the ground floor of something epic. I bought Tragic Kingdom and listen the shit out of it. My favorite song: "Don't Speak." It was different than every other track. There was a sadness about it(obvs) and it touched me (not inappropriately). So, there I was, listening to No Doubt and proudly (maybe a little pretentiously also) proclaiming "Don't Speak" as the stand-out track that I, Matt Lawson, had discovered, my song, if you will. Then what song breaks No Doubt all over America's face like a dozen organic eggs? Effing "Don't Speak." Suddenly, every dope at school is singing it and asking if I've ever heard of No Doubt. It happened with "Brick" by Ben Folds Five too. It's usually what made my intense love for these bands cool off. Now that I'm older I don't care so much, but I spent my formative years having great bands stolen from me by the so-called "cool kids" and that didn't sit right with me.

84. "I've Just Seen a Face" (The Beatles)

How does one pick a favorite Beatles song? Well, for me, it's quite easy. My favorite Beatles song is and will always be "I've Just Seen a Face." There you go. It was the reason Rubber Soul meant so much to me as a young man. But, "Wait," you say, "'I've Just Seen a Face' isn't on the Rubber Soul album, but, rather, the Help! album," to which I say, "Wrong, buck-o, 'I've Just Seen a Face' was totally on the Capital version of the Rubber Soul album released in the US in '65. Look it up, dickwad!" Seriously though, the song was the opening track on the Rubber Soul cassette I wore out in my car stereo during high school. One afternoon, years after tossing most of my tapes in the trash on the cusp of my impending nuptials, I found myself wanting to hear the Paul McCartney-penned classic and pulled out my wife's copy of Rubber Soul on compact disc and to my chagrin found that my favorite tune had been replaced with "Drive My Car," ironically my least favorite song in the Beatles oeuvre. "What is this treachery?" I said, shaking my fists at the heavens. With the recent addition of the Beatles catalogue to iTunes (have you heard about this yet, he asks sarcastically), I've been able to once again add this classic track to my collection. Thanks, Apple Corporation.

At 00:39: Was that something people could actually buy? And use?

A little help: I swear I had a copy of Steve Earle covering "I've Just Seen a Face," but the internet is making me feel as if I've lost my mind. Somebody confirm this cover version please.

85. "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" (Billy Joel)

When I rediscovered this song--my initial introduction to it is a story much too long and boring for the blog, but ask me about it next time we're having a beer together--I fell so deeply in love with it that I had to share the magic with my girlfriend at the time. "Get ready for this," I said, excitedly shoving the first disc of Billy Joel's "Greatest Hits-Volume I & Volume II" into my car stereo. "This song is going to blow your mind!" About a minute and a half into it, she lost interest and tried to start a conversation with me. "What's wrong with you?" I ask with a little more vitriol than was necessary considering the fact that I could've easily paused the song or started it over or what have you. "Why are you talking over the song?" She shrugged. "It's kinda boring." I promptly shoved her out of my moving car, turned up the volume to a deafening degree, and drove off into the sunset. I've never been back to that town since. I hope she didn't get hurt too badly. Anyway, here's the song. Shut up and listen! What, you can't be quiet for 10 minutes? Don't make me throw you out of this moving car!

86-87. "The King of Carrot Flowers Pts. 1, 2 & 3" (Neutral Milk Hotel)

Simple, beautiful and amazing. In fact, In the Aeroplane Over the Sea is a jaw-droppingly amazing album. And it's a classic! For Pete's sake, why aren't you running out to buy it right now? I'll assume you already own it. In that case, good for you.

Fun Fact: It was not unheard of for GEP editor & chief, Matt Lawson, occasional contributor to the blog, Jonathan, and comment jockey, Gabe, to play "King of Carrot Flowers Pt. 1" when they got together and found themselves surrounded by various instruments. True story.

88. "Ana Ng" (They Might be Giants)

TMBG is my favorite band and this is my favorite TMBG song. Nuff said.

We're in the home stretch now. Keeping checking back. The final 12 songs will be revealed before the year's end.

100 Songs I Love: 79-82

79. "I'm Waking Up to Us" (Belle & Sebastian)

Yet another song about a broken relationship on the list. You must think I spend my days wallowing in misery. In this song--my favorite by Belle & Sebastian--there is just enough snark and smirk to turn what could've been the typical "woe is me" proceedings into something both sarcastic and wistful at the same time.

80. "Title and Registration" (Death Cab for Cutie)

Let's keep wallowing, shall we?

Simply put, "Title and Registration" is one of my very favorite songs by one of my very favorite bands. If you've ever had your heart broken into a million pieces and your car does, in fact, have a glove compartment in it, this song is for you.



81. "Leave (Get Out)" (JoJo)

I swear, everything is fine, I just prefer break-up songs to love songs. This predilection for songs about broken relationships and bitter regret has not always served me well. When my wife and I were dating, I made her a series of "mix CDs," collections of songs I was listening to at the time that I thought she might enjoy. The first disc was fairly innocuous. There were no hidden meanings behind the songs, they were just, you know, songs. On disc 2, however, I decided to show my hand, at least, a little bit. I included songs like Imogen Heap's "Goodnight and Go" (#10) and Beulah's "A Good Man is Easy to Kill," which contains the lines "...give up, give up your love...I promise it's not gonna kill ya...and I need ya, Lord, I need ya." Actually, that's not very subtle, is it? But it also included the songs "Nothing Better" (#18) by Postal Service and Cat Power's "Good Woman." After we were married, my wife confessed that CD #2 had filled her with confusion. I promptly apologized.

When I heard JoJo's "Leave (Get Out)" for the first time on Top 40 radio way back in 2004, I thought, "This is a woman who knows about heart break, man! She's been there! She gets it and she's not going to take some dude's bullshit anymore." Then I found out she was 13-years-old and it creeped me out a little. Anyway, it's a catchy-as-hell pop puffball and I like it. Give it a listen and get in touch with that heartbroken middle school girl we all have inside.

Oh, shit! Did I miss Fox's Ferocious Fight Night?

82. "Praise You" (Fatboy Slim)

Great song. Great Spike Jonze-directed video. Great job.

100 Songs I Love: 74-78

74. "Best Friend" (The Drums)

Oh, The Drums, you had me at Jonathan Pierce climbing in through the window.

Lingering question: What's wrong with everybody's pants?

75. "Wish" (Nine Inch Nails)

As I mentioned in a previous '100 Songs I Love' post, I am not above wallowing in the sadness of a shattered relationship with the assistance of a depressing song. But what happens when the sadness turns to anger and the tears turn to fists? Nine Inch Nails happens, of course. Specifically "Wish," a song fueled by pure, unadulterated rage. The simple chorus--"wish there was something real, wish there was something true/wish there was something real in this world full of you"--can be embraced by jilted lovers and God-hating goth kids alike. "Wish" is one of the purest distillations of unfettered anger ever committed to tape and suitable for just about any situation. Good show, Mr. Reznor.

Lingering question: What's wrong with Trent Reznor's pants?

76. "Shiny" (The Decemberists)

Let's shift gears drastically, shall we? I love The Decemberists (the band, not the uprising), and this song, from the '5 Songs' EP, is one of my very favorites. You'll notice in the following clip that lead singer Colin Meloy does not need a cage to protect himself from shirtless, rage-crazed fans. That must be nice.

Gettin' older: I attended a Decemberists concert a few years ago with some friends, even though I felt horribly ill and had for several days leading up to the show. (Fun Fact: The following night, I drove myself to the emergency room believing that I might possibly be having what medical professionals call a 'heart attack') I wasn't going to let chest pains and difficulty breathing keep me from a Decemberists show. Hell no! Being quite familiar with their oeuvre, I was certain the audience wouldn't be required to 'stand' or 'dance around,' as we were in a classy establishment with assigned seating and cushioned chairs. "I'll just sit here in incredible amounts of pain and enjoy my favorite songs," I incorrectly thought. The first thing out of Meloy's mouth when he takes the stage: "Everybody get out of your seats!" "Where are we," I thought, "a Poison reunion show" So, you know, old guys and sickies, don't think you're gonna get out of standing up at a Decemberist show just cuz they play nerdy, mostly quiet, pretentious music in classy, upscale theaters. (Belle and Sebastian, however, will permit you to stay seated for the duration of their concerts.)

77. The part in "Set It Off" where Jay-Z's "Roc Boys (And The Winner Is)..." gets mashed up with Radiohead's "Paranoid Android" (Girl Talk)

Exact location: 0:21-1:21

Listen, if you want to think of Girl Talk as the Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer of music, you're entitled to your opinion, but you'd only be half right. Sure, part of the "fun" of Gregg Michael Gillis' mash-ups is recognizing songs you love (and sometimes hate) and saying to yourself, "Oh, hey, I recognize that! Yea me!" To be honest though, that can get old after, um, the first listen. What never stops being fun, or better said, amazing, is realizing how seamless and endlessly creative his Frankensteinian combinations can be. Quite frankly, I'd like to hear an entire album of Jay-Z mashed-up with Radiohead. It worked with The Beatles, right?

78. "Autumn Sweater" (Yo La Tengo)

One thing I like about Girl Talk's stuff is how he uses songs you aren't expecting, oftentimes combining them with the most shallow, empty-headed hip hop songs currently cluttering up America's radio dial with mind-blowing results. Sampling a Radiohead song on his album Feed the Animals wasn't that surprising to me, nor was the Aphex Twin sample in "Shut the Club Down," but on track seven, "Like This," Gillis samples one of my favorite tunes of all time, one that I would've never expected to hear surrounded by the likes of Pras, Mya, and Ol' Dirty Bastard: "Autumn Sweater" by Yo La Tengo. Here's "Autumn Sweater" all by itself for your listening pleasure. It's simple, quiet, and I bet Yo La Tengo would let you sit down while they played it.

100 Songs I Love: 69-73

69. "The Shaded Forests" (Deastro)

The only things I ever did in my parents' basement were lose to my dad at ping pong an embarrassing amount of times, play Mickey Mousecapade on my Nintendo Entertainment System, and film a collection of irritating vignettes with my friend James Petix--long before he became a documentarian and noted man about town--entitled James' World, as it was closely modeled after the Wayne's World, a popular SNL sketch at the time. I played 'Matt," a screechy-voiced goofball with a penchant for sexually molesting Barbie dolls. I also played 'Cranberry Bob,' a Santa Claus-wannabe wrapped in wooden cranberry garland, who during his one and only appearance backhanded 'James,' Petix's character, in the face with a string of fake cranberries; 'Roger,' a high society character lifted from a middle school acquaintance who, I learned later in life, lifted it from Gilligan's Island; and a rock musician who performed a song about not wanting to do his own laundry. The show was permanently cancelled after my parents found out that several scenes were shot on a neighbor's trampoline.

I wasted my childhood basement. Randolph Chabot, AKA Deastro, on the other hand, took advantage of his. He crafted hundreds of original songs in his parents' basement, 10 of which were selected to appear on a 'best of' album called Keepers, one of which you are about to hear right now!

Common misconception: Deastro is not a transforming robot from outer space. He's just a guy. Don't worry.

70. "One More Suicide" (Marcy Playground)

You're welcome to refer to Marcy Playground as a 'one hit wonder' if you must, just don't do it around me. If you're having a Marcy Playground discussion with a group of friends and I come sauntering by, drop it to a dull roar, all right? Granted, "Sex and Candy" made the biggest splash--one could argue the only splash and one would, in fact, win this argument--but Marcy Playground's eponymous first album is full of splash-worthy gems: "Sherry Fraser," "A Cloak of Elvenkind," and this charming ditty about death and sadness. Someone should've told Christopher that it gets better.

Reasons why I love Marcy Playground and their first two albums, Marcy Playground and Shapeshifter:
-the number of times and style in which lead singer, John Wozniak, utters the word "yeah."

-most of the songs are easy to play, which is great for a 15-year guitar amateur like myself.

-songs about sex, candy, elvish cloaks, and super hero squirrels are awesome.

71. "The Moon Theme" (Ducktales for NES)

There's no use denying it: The beloved "Moon Theme" from the Ducktales video game is one of the finest achievements in epic 8-bit music makery. Yoshihiro Sakaguchi wrote the highly regarded tune and the rest of us just soaked it in while Scrooge McDuck hopped around on his magical pogo-cain. Seriously, for a geriatric Scottish duck, that guy could effing bounce.

72. "Hard to Be" (David Bazan)

Hi. Want an insight into my views on organized religion--particularly Christianity--and the religious themselves? Look no further than this rather straight forward assessment written by David Bazan and performed here live in all its gorgeous, stripped down glory.

Favorite lyrics: "Wait just a minute, you expect me to believe that all this misbehaving grew from one enchanted tree? And helpless to fight it, we should all be satisfied with this magical explanation of why the living die and why it's hard to be...a decent human being." AND "Child birth is painful. Toil to grow our food. Ignorance made us hungry. Information made us no good. Every burden misunderstood." AND ... it's all my favorite, all right? Just listen to it!

73. "Old Blind Bartimaeus" (The Bishops)

Lest you think I am a godless heathen, you should know that I have a special place in my musical heart for Southern gospel music, particularly when it is sung a cappella by three weird looking brothers and their even weirder looking old man. Keep in mind, I discovered The Bishops two years after I discovered Nirvana. I have eclectic tastes, and that makes me super cool. That's all I'm saying.

100 Songs I Love: 65-68

65. "Stadium Love" (Metric)

Ostensibly a song about various animals battling one another for supremacy, "Stadium Love" is as cheesy and goofball as it is loud and rocking. Metric could record an entire album of songs about random animals fighting each other and I'd be right there nodding my head and jumping up and down until both of my legs were broken. I think Ms. Haines' song is about something deeper than MMA-style animal brawls--possibly how humankind is daily engaged in the same kind of fights for survival as our four legged brethren--but I just like the idea of a rabbit and a dove donning boxing gloves and duking it out in front of a unruly crowd.

The Results:

-Spider vs. Bat: Spider (the spider is poisonous)

-Tiger vs. Rat: Tiger ('cause duh)

-Rabbit vs. Dove: Rabbit (the rabbit just wanted it more, plus doves are all about peace or whatever)

-Owl vs. Dove: Dove (after the rabbit debacle, the dove was sick of being called a pussy; the owl is actually still in a coma)

-Angel vs. Eel: Draw (both parties fought exceptionally well)

66. Suspiria (Goblin)

Suspiria is a creepy movie about an international school of dance inhabited by bloodthirsty witches, and Italian prog rock band Goblin's theme song sets the mood nicely. Nothing could prepare one for falling maggots, torture rooms full of razor wire, and an invisible, centuries old hag quite like the music of Goblin. Turn down the lights and turn up--or pump up, whichever you prefer--the volume on your computering device, and prepare yourself for six minutes of creepiness, Goblin-style.

67. "Alberto Balsalm-Steel Drum Version" (Aphex Twin by way of the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati (CCM) Steel Band directed by Rusty Burge)

I can't think of any instrument more irritating than the steel drums. They remind me of the first and only cruise I've ever been on. For those of you just joining us, I hated that cruise so much. Don't get me wrong, there was nothing inherently wrong with or evil about any of the cruise ship's staff, they were a lovely group of people, especially our personal waiter, Michael. And I have no complaints about the food. The food was epic! It was just everything else: the ports of call (Nassau? More like Snore-sau! Right?); the on-ship entertainment; my unluckiness at the casino; the constant barrage of alcoholic beverage offerings; the whole 'being on a boat in the middle of the vast, endless ocean' thing. All of these nightmares come rushing back to me whenever I hear steel drums. Unless I'm hearing a steel drum version of my favorite Aphex Twin song, which is, incidentally, right here for your listening pleasure:

Spot on, College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati (CCM) Steel Band directed by Rusty Burge.

Songs including steel drums that don't piss me off: "No Signs of Pain" (Azure Ray); "Heartbeats" (The Knife); "Under the Sea" (The Little Mermaid)

68. "Brainbow" (Royal Bangs)

Royal Bangs is my latest discovery. I bought their 2009 album Let It Beep on a whim two weeks ago and it has become a quick favorite. Here they are performing one of my favorite tracks live at a venue called Sticky Fingers for some reason.

Admission: My favoritest favorite song on Let It Beep is called "Shit Xmas," but I couldn't find a place where you can easily listen to it, so I've showcased my second favoritest favorite. You can hear clips of "Shit Xmas" in various places, but my suggestion is that you just man up and buy the damn album already. Isn't my admission of love and respect for it enough, or are you still holding the fact that I've put an ABBA song and an Extreme song on this list against me? Buy Let It Beep, a-hole! But not you Jonathan. I'm gonna make you a copy. See, it pays to be my friend.

100 Songs I Love presents...Singin' 'Bout Dancin' (61-64)

61. "Just Dance" (Lady GaGa w/ Colby O'Donis)

I don't go to parties--mostly because I'm not invited to any--but I wouldn't mind hanging out for a bit at the scuzzy, whacked-out soiree featured in the video for Lady GaGa's infectious single "Just Dance." A weird old lady wearing novelty New Years eyeglass from 2006. A chick in a full Indian headdress. A shirtless, musclebound high school mascot chilling out in the bathtub. Spaghetti-and-meatballs served Lady and the Tramp-style. And was that Mr. Echo? This party's got everything!

62. "Polite Dance Song" (The Bird and The Bee)

"Polite Dance Song's" lyrics go from polite to crass fairly quickly, but the lilting beauty of Inara George's voice keeps things from getting too smutty. It's a catchy little pop song brimming with goofy sexuality, made all the goofier by the Eric Wareheim-directed music video, which depicts the most surreal dance contest ever captured on film.

Favorite line: "Pardon me, for losing my cooling..."

63. "I'd Rather Dance With You" (Kings of Convenience)

A delightful kiss off. Or is it? I can't decide if the singer feels intimidated by the woman with whom he's ask to dance, choosing to hit the dance floor rather than discuss literature or film (after all, he hasn't read a book in the past year and the only film he saw, well, he "didn't like it at all") or if he assumes the woman won't know anything about books or movies, so rather than spend the evening locked in abysmal conversation, whisks her to the other room where dancing is apparently occurring. Either way it is another delightful tune from Norway's foremost indie-folkists.

64. "Dancefloor" (The Legends)

I don't know if this song is actually about the physical act of dancing, but it sure as hell makes me want to get up and move around like a maniac.

100 Songs I Love: 55-60

55. "96 Tears" (? and the Mysterians)

My dad could've been a rock-n-roll star! In his teenage years, a friend asked if he could fill in for an ailing guitar player at a gig, but my grandfather forbade him to play in an establishment that sold liquor drinks. So, my dad hung up his rock star dreams, went to college, made a gosh darn success of himself, married my mother, and was instrumental in creating and raising the man writing this paragraph today. I loved listening to my father play his old Washburn--a guitar that eventually became my own--when I was a kid. The set was always the same. He'd open with a little Chet Atkins, then a few times through "Smoke on the Water"'s opening riff, and he'd wrap up with his own rousing take on "Wild Thing," a little number he is still famous for in some circles. What does any of this have to do with "96 Tears," you ask? Well, my dad loved "96 Tears," and he used to tell me about a friend of his who could play the crap out of the organ part of the song. "96 Tears" is a garage rock classic and I, for one, like to imagine my dad rocking out to it with his friends, if not in some seedy Baltimore bar, then in a hot, cramped rehearsal space.

56. "Cathy's Clown" (The Everly Brothers)

A rousing anthem for the pussy whipped loser who's finally grown a pair a decided to leave his coldhearted girlfriend in the proverbial dust. We've all been there, fellas. We've all felt like some evil chick's "clown." Just hearing the Everly Brothers harmonize about it, putting the whole situation in perspective, always made me feel a little better about things. Oh, but now I've gone and said too much.

57. "Take Good Care of My Baby" (Bobby Vee)

I've said it probably a million times, on this blog and in private conversations that are absolutely none of your business, sir, but I love a well-crafted pop song, and "Take Good Care of My Baby" is about as well-crafted as pop songs come. In this song, instead of being a wimpy cuckold like the dork in the Everly Brother's number, Bobby Vee is a jerk who has become pussified after the fact. It's his cheating ways and tendency to paint rainbows all over the place, that has driven the titular "baby" into the arms of another man. I do find it a little strange that girl in this song seems to have very little say in who she ends up with. The lines "and if you should discover that you don't really love, just send my baby back home to me" take the girl's feelings right out of the equation. If I were her I'd be all like, "Look here, fellas, if one of you is going to be a cheating creep who develops enough of an obsession with me after we break up to you write a vaguely threatening song for my new boyfriend, and the other one thinks he can just send me back into the arms of the weird guy I obviously can't stand when he gets sick of me, I'm going to have to bid you both a good day and take myself to a place where the dudes are normal. I hear good things about this internet dating. No, really. There isn't a stigma anymore."

58. "Stuck in the Middle with You" (Stealers Wheel)

A lot of you probably first heard this Stealers Wheel classic (Are there any other "classic" Stealers Wheel songs? Are there any other Stealers Wheel songs period?) via Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs. My first exposure to it is far nerdier. I used to be obsessed with tape recording myself putting on what were essentially old timey radio dramas. I didn't do anything like The Creaking Door or the The Long Ranger, but I would stretch out on the floor in front of my tape player/radio, gather together whatever action figures I had hanging out on my bookshelves--they were the players in these dramas--and record myself yammering away for hours, coming up with elaborate stories on the fly. My most epic recording involved Will Vinton's California Raisins. I don't remember the exact plot, but I think it was sort of an origin story of the Raisins forming their musical group, the one that shot to superstardom thanks to their commercials and the Christmas special. I would record about five minutes of story, set up that a certain character was about to impart some kind of widsom or dispense some advice through song, pause the tape, and then turn my radio to the local Oldies station and wait for the next song to start. Didn't matter what the song was. I'd try to make the song make sense with the overarching story after the fact. This is how I heard "Stuck in the Middle with You" for the first time, as well as, "Take Good Care of My Baby" and the next song on my list.

59. "Runaway" (Del Shannon)

I think one of the California Raisins was running away from home to join the band.

Also: I love this song. "Runaway" is one of the songs I've always wanted to play at some kind of open mic night somewhere. I don't know how I would do with all the falsetto parts though. I'd probably do all right.

60. "Midnight Confessions" (The Grass Roots)

It was Tarantino this time. "Midnight Confessions" was track 13 on the Jackie Brown soundtrack. It was also my favorite track. Still is. Pure pop joy. Dig it.