Rainy Friday Written On A Saturday, Also Rainy

This might be a first. In all of my years of blogging I don't think I ever once have written on a weekend. I get to work, settle in, grab a coffee and some peanut butter pretzels and get down to typing.

But today Melody is off at a Guess Christmas party, Cashel is asleep in Santa Monica after an all night laser tag Boy Scout gathering, laundry is running and I already watched 'Afrosaumurai: Resurrection'.

Which I highly recommend. The series is amazing and this movie picks up where that left off. Fantastic.

These songs I listened to yesterday as I traipsed around Santa Monica in the rain filing legal papers at the Court House. A mis-communication meant that I had to walk over there twice. More songs to write about!

122. No Offense - Jack Logan from 'Mood Elevator'

He croons this song right down into the ground. A curlicue of a lament rolls out of a thick guitar amplifier and he tells the woman who has just broken his heart that he doesn't blame her at all. He's just surprised she stuck it out that long. A terribly sad beautiful song.

123. Jealousy - Iggy Pop from 'American Caesar'

Great for two minutes. It is six minutes long.

124. Ecstasty - PJ Harvey from 'Rid Of Me'

For a few seconds I couldn't place this song and I thought it was some deep Zeppelin track I was forgetting. That should give you an indication of how hard this song rocks and how good this album is. If she had kept mining these hills she'd be a legend by now.

125. My Friend Goo - Sonic Youth from 'Goo'

The sound on this album is killer, buffed and shined within an inch of its life. Longtime fines thought they were selling out or some such nonsense but song after song on this album jumps out and grabs you by the throat. And Kim Gordon is the all-time underrated female bombshell rock singer.

126. It's Maria's Heart - The Mahoneys from 'Live From The 20th Century'

I wrote this song for Maria when she was still married, before she'd left him to be with me, before we moved in together in Providence, before we broke up and I moved to New York, before we got back together and she moved down to be with me, before we got married, before we had Cashel, before we got divorced. So, yeah, kind of an important song in my repertoire. And one of my best.

127. The Ghost Of A Smile - The Pogues from 'Hell's Ditch'

128. Paul Rosenberg (Skit) - Eminem from 'The Eminem Show'

Eminem has guns.

129. Bottom Of The Barrel - Amos Lee from 'Amos Lee'

It is very hard to fall asleep while walking in the rain but Amos Lee just made it happen to me.

130. More News At 11 - Public Enemy from 'Apocalypse 91...The Enemy Strikes Black'

I'm sure as shit awake now. Flava goes off in this song, just one of many perfect tracks on this angry brutal album.

131. With A Child's Heart - Stevie Wonder from 'For Once In My Life/Uptight'

Meaning, "Give me that toy, it's MINE!" Or deliberately throwing food onto the ground in a fancy restaurant? What type of 'child heart' are you referring to, Stevie?

132. Parameters - Ani DiFranco from 'Knuckle Down'

Again, very complicated response to Ms. DiFranco, sometimes contradicting responses within a line. But this one makes me cringe from the beginning with the hackneyed overwrought phrases she forces over a sinuous groove.

133. Cecilia - Simon & Garfunkel from 'Simon & Garfunkel Greatest Hits'

I have always resented Garfunkel. Like, what do you do again? You sing real high just like every other curly haired jerk you used to see singing old folk songs in coffee houses. You just hit the lottery and partnered up with one of the greatest songwriters of all time. Ever hear of Wham, Mr. Garfunkel?

134. The Rain Song - Led Zeppelin from 'Houses Of The Holy'

This song is very appropriate today. Actually, playing this song on a sunny day has been known to cause thunderstorms it is that powerful.

135. Big Black Mariah - Tom Waits from 'Rain Dogs'

More weather appropriate material, this whole album sounds like tap shoes running down an alley in New Orleans in a downpour. Before he became tedious in his quest to reach an apotheosis of quirk, Tom Waits occasionally nailed you to the wall with a strange groove.

136. Driftin' - Eric Clapton from 'From The Cradle'

Eric Clapton, meet Amos Lee. Amos Lee, meet sngazzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

137. Roy Rogers - Elton John from 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road'

Everyone bemoans the state of modern music and how there are no superstars anymore but the truth is that if Elton John came around today he'd be lucky if he had 5,000 fans on Facebook. No corporate entity in the world could make a star out of this guy, especially when 'Roy Rogers' is the third single off the best album he ever made.

138. Miss Know It All - Scientist from 'Trojan Dub Box Set (Disc 1)'

Every time a song from this box set comes on I feel like I am sitting on a beach with a giant joint in my mouth and I don't have a care in the world.

139. Like Dylan In The Movies - Belle & Sebastian from 'If You're Feeling Sinister'

Undeniable. Easy to poke fun at they are so twee, but every single song is as tight as a drum.

140. New Killer Of America - Bomer-B from 'Out Of Charactor: Act 1, Id City'

Perhaps my creepiest recorded moment. A dirge hip hop track with a wheezy harmonica solo, a haunted keyboard, and lyrics that name-drop Michael Jackson, Cisqo, Comerica Park, San Francisco, Miller Beer, and Manifest Destiny. Supremely weird.

141. Someone To Watch Over Me - Etta James from 'Time After Time'

More like we need someone to watch over us. Sheesh, this lady could rule the world.

142. Shrunken Head - Jack Logan from 'Bulk (Disc 1)'

Second track from this refrigerator mechanic. Great great song.

143. Gone Fishin' - Louis Armstrong from 'All-Time Greatest Hits'

Bing Crosby and Louis Armstrong sing about goin' fishin' together. Yeah, right.

144. So Nice (Summer Samba) - Bebel Gilberto from 'Tanto Tiempo'

Everything this woman records seems designed to make sure that our planet gets populated, if ya catch my drift.

145. Us And Them - Pink Floyd from 'Dark Side Of The Moon'

Sorry, Pink Floyd, I am in neither category. You guys are on your own.

146. All Right, Yeah - Low Light Supercharger from 'Umpg Presents Res Freq Recordings'

A sampler. This is a run-of-the-mill modern rock song.

147. Heading For Light - Traveling Wilburys from 'Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 1'

It is hard to imagine how this album came about. Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty, Mark Knopfler and Jeff Lynne are all at a cookout. "Hey, know what we should do?" Et voila, instant classic. I bet Bruce Springsteen was mad he wasn't invited.

148. Give 'Em What They Want - DMX from 'Umpg: Current And Upcoming Singles...'

What the inside of Michael Vick's brain sounds like.

149. Never Is A Promise - Fiona Apple from 'Tidal'

Well, I wish you'd kept it, Fiona, because this is a piece of garbage. I can see these lyrics printed out in your diary with the name of whoever the guy is surrounded in hearts and crossed out, all right alongside a description of 7th period gym class. Juvenile in the worst way, the way that says, "I am the only one who has EVER felt any pain." Mothers all over the country roll their eyes upon hearing this song and can't wait for their 14 year old daughters to go to college.

150. L'ame Slave - Jacques Higelin from 'Boris Vian Et Ses Interpretes'

Oh, French people. You try, you really try hard and it is cute.

151. I Cry Alone - The Black Keys from 'thickfreakness'

Damn. I overlooked these fellas at first because they came out around the same time as The White Stripes (White, Black, duos, electric blues) and I lumped them together. Turns out I love The Black Keys and have tired of The White Stripes. These are classic songs, the sonic equivalent of souped up Mustangs on deserted roads.

And so a Saturday post is finally achieved. See ya Monday.