dusty springfield - son of a preacher man

Another song that I've first heard on the famous morning radio show. Until then... well, I had heard of the name Dusty Springfield and assumed it was a man's name. It sounded like a country singer to me :))).

This is probably one of my favourite "oldie" song. Speaking of which, I have a dilemma as to how old a song must be to be qualified as an 'oldie' and what other criteria it must fulfil. You may or may not have noticed that I haven't put that label on Pink Floyd for instance. It just doesn't feel like an oldie to me. And then, there are the 80's songs. Run to You, recently posted, has been released about twenty years ago, but I wouldn't call it an oldie. I've heard kids going 'wow, that is an old song' about songs I've been dancing to at highschool reunions. Gosh... I think those songs are still young... it is me growing old :(

Take a look at this footage. Look how she enjoys what she's doing. Check out that dancing style. Listen to the simple orchestration, close your eyes and feel how alive this song is and how it communicates the mood. Don't see much of this these days :(

pink - god is a dj

And here I am, accomplishing the wonderful feat of uniting the recent concert theme with the Eastery-religiousy thingie. Because Pink is one of the artists who will be present at the B'Estival this summer. Now when I first heard Pink I wasn't all that impressed. There was a more R'n'B feel to her first album and I am not particularly into that style. I saw, I noticed (hey, you're bound to notice pink hair in someone), I thought 'cute, but not my cup of tea' and moved on. However, her later efforts... well, that's another story. Rock and dance influence, a rebel attitude, a talent for telling unpleasant stuff straight forward and a I-don't-really-give-a-fuck motto made it for me, publicity stunt or no. So, to keep with the theme, here is God Is a DJ, a cheer-happy-go-lucky song. If God is a DJ, life is a dancefloor, love is a rhythm and you are the music...

eurythmics - missionary man

Well, this is a band. Mad genius meets tough lady and make hits. :)))) I adore Annie Lennox, seriously. There are no 80s without Eurythmics. And this song goes well with the religious theme.

ana johnson - we are

I liked this song the moment I heard it. I like rock chicks :) Not even the fact that it was on the soundtrack of Spiderman deterred me; then again, I have another film from the series posted here. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I like Spidey. It's a crap movie, of course, but that only if you insist looking at it as a movie. I don't. I continue to view it as a cartoon, with actors instead of drawings and thus am able to enjoy it despite all flaws and blunders.

Now just you go figure what a weird person I am. Here were, four or five people wanting to go to the movies to see Spiderman. Frist, someone's late for the meeting point. Then, I insist we pass an ATM so I can withdraw money to get my ticket and a coke. They don't want to take that route, cause they'll pay and I'll repay afterwards. I hate having people pay in my stead, even if it's just a loan. They rush like mad, I tell them to calm down, as all we are bound to lose are the ten minutes of commercials at the beginning of every flick. Then someone starts bickering. I have my ticket bought and get myself a bottle of coke. Finally we enter the theatre, but hey, one guy's missing cause he went to the loo. It's dark already inside, commercials showing, so we have to wait for him as to not get split up. There are some free seats there that are just perfect - nothing hindering the view, first row of a bunch of them, so we don't even bother anyone. No, someone insists we go farther to the front. The movie is about to start, we grope our way. By this time I am not pissed, I am fuming. They have watched me grow increasingly mad and kept making fun, by now I don't even talk to them, they find the whole situation very amusing and keep giggling. They finally decide they are up front enough and sit down on three seats at the margin. I sit myself in the row behind them. Am not in the mood for more giggling and teasing on their part. I just want to enjoy watching this cartoon (by the above definition) and relax, wind down. By know, one guy probably senses I'm serious about it, so he gets up and sits beside me cause it's not nice to watch a movie alone... errrrm. Hm. Approximately the same group of people wanted to watch Garfield in the 8pm show. I went to the 6pm one, alone, rather enjoying it.

Anyways, looking back these are the two things I remember about the film. Ana Johnson's song and that movie-going experience. Am not going to the movies alone anymore, but I darn sure pick my company.

nelly furtado - powerless

I like Nelly. I had mixed feelings about her first single Like A Bird, sometimes liking it, sometimes being bored by it. The album title Whoaaa... Nelly was kind of cute though an I liked other songs of it, like (Shit) on the Radio and Turn off the Lights, not to mention Forca. Her comeback now after a baby break is really amazing, with more great songs. She manages to be good looking, to be hot'n'sultry if she wishes without becoming cheap, which is a pretty rare thing in my view. One of my favourite tracks of hers is Powerless (Say What You Want), dealing with her ethnic background and the way ethnicity is treated by majoritarian cultures. A serious issue to a lighthearted tune. Listening to this on my mp3 player while making my way through rain to work puts a smile on my face, regardless of how many reckless drivers manage to soak me in puddle water. Cuz this life is too short to live it just for you...

madonna - rain

It's the third day in a row that the rain just keeps pouring here, so on my way to work (while I was getting myself soaked), I thought a rain-themed song would be in order. Don't get me wrong, I like rain. If only drivers paid more attention... It was really hard to choose something to post, as several songs came to my mind. I googled a bit and found a themed website, they had indexed over 770 songs about rain. But I've stuck to this one, as I've been humming it today at the office. If Madonna is to appear in my blog, it has to be with Rain, as it's one of my favourites of hers. Captures my rainy days mood perfectly. :) And the other folks singing about rain... well, they'll just have to wait. I ain't running nowhere.

paula cole - i don't want to wait

Ok, back-posting again. One day, I might share with you what is keeping me busy. Maybe I'll even find a song to say it with. Am just replacing "Say it with flowers" with "Say it with songs" :). Anyways, in the past few days I have caught myself on several occasions humming the chorus of this song. With my voice, it's all I really can do. I haven't heard the song in ages, so finally giving it a listen was a nice thing to do. And it would hopefully get it out of my head. It's an interesting video too, with Paula's immortal character falling in love and having to part with lovers through various ages. It was one of my favourites when VH1's pop up videos was still running - that was a good show. The first song I've ever heard of her though, was Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?, you can check it out here. It's another great song, though I've always supported the Indians myself :)

dido - sand in my shoes

Dido is the second artist that has provided me with a soundtrack while I was working on my BA paper. She has a really pleasant voice and I've quite liked all of her songs. So during that time it was two albums by Moby, two albums by Dido, load in winamp and... here I go typing like mad or spreading sheets of paper all over the floor :) Maybe it sounds weird to some, but this is a nice memory. I think writing my final paper was the best thing about going to uni. Best thing out of four years was that thing I felt was all mine, and I've done it to this soundtrack. First I thought of going with a more mellow song, but it is such a nice quiet warm day today, that I've finally decided for Sand in My Shoes.

christina aguilera - fighter

So... this is the second anthem I was mentioning in the Robbie Williams post. I absolutely love this song, though maybe you wouldn't consider Xtina as one of my obvious choices. Interesting video too. Reminds me of Silence of the Lambs for some reason. Well, not for some, but a very specific one - the creepy butterfly/moth thing. Insects freak me out but the whole coming out of the cocoon thing is a good metaphor for the song I find (though Christina looks better as a brunette, but don't take my word for it). Anyway, this song rocks. And, oh, that chorus fit so well.

So I wanna say thank you
'Cause it makes me that much stronger
Makes me work a little bit harder
It makes me that much wiser
So thanks for making me a fighter
Made me learn a little bit faster
Made my skin a little bit thicker
Makes me that much smarter
So thanks for making me a fighter

marla glen - believer

Now, I've mentioned my early years of intense radio listening before, and the morning weekend show I was addicted to. There was one dude who once (and several times thereafter) requested this song. I had no idea what it was, I had never heard of it until then... or so I thought until the song started. Then I recognized it as a song I loved and never identified. It had been used in a commercial, am not sure, but it might have been United Colours of Benetton. It featured various kids on a train (and I mean on, as in on top of the wagons), breaking out of a tunnel into the light to this uplifting song. So I was really thankful to finally find out what the song was and who was singing it. And... oh, yeah: distinctive female voice. Very distinctive :)

catatonia - road rage

Have I mentioned the phrase "distinct female voice" before? Well... I'll use it again. This time for Cerys Matthews of Catatonia, a Welsh band. Not to be mistaken for the Sweds of Katatonia. This is probably their biggest hit, a song full of energy as I consider it. I also like the lyrics. They're the 'with a twist' type. So if all you've got to do today is find peace of mind, come round, you can have a piece of mine:

janis joplin - mercedes benz

And now we're talking legends. Unfortunately, legends lived and died before my time. I see this song as a humourous-bitter comment and I can't say it doesn't still ring true after 30-something years. Some things never change.

Lyrics of this were in the forum signature of an online-acquaintance of mine, which recently re-brought the song to my attention. I've looked for a clip with actual Janis footage in it, but all those were rather twisted (am refraining hard from saying 'tormented' and 'slaughtered') versions of the songs or covers. I'd rather put up with a good song and a poor slideshow. Nice try though and thanks for using the original. Here is the commentary of one youtube user on the song:

This was recorded on October 1, 1970. If Joplin had lived, they may have added instruments to it before releasing it, but Joplin died 3 days later.
Joplin wrote this with a poet named Michael McClure. It is a social commentary on how many people relate happiness and self-worth with money and material possessions.
In the '90s, Mercedes used this in commercials for their cars. It was one of the great misappropriations of a song in a commercial, as Joplin's song was meant to convey the message that owning a luxury automobile does not make you a better person. Joplin's step-sister owned the rights to the song and allowed Mercedes to use it.
Janis Joplin never got a Mercedes Benz, but she did have a 1965 Porsche that was painted to become a piece of hippie art.

anouk - mood indigo

OK, nevermind the crappy video now (the other option was something performed on a TV show, you didn't want to see that). Best press play and minimize your browser window. Close your eyes and listen.

This is yet another distinctive female voice, I find and along with K's Choice some of the finest the Dutch gave to the music industry (I don't really know what else they gave, though, lol). I discovered Anouk by accident. Like pretty much everybody else at that time, I only knew of the single Nobody's Wife, which rocked. I liked it and that was that. Until one day, at a radio show contest, I won a tape (yes, a tape!) with the album Together Alone (1997). They even apologized that the case was broken, it was the last they had to give away. Well, 'nuff said that the tape landed periodically in my walkman in the coming years.

Apparently, Anouk is a well selling artist in the BeNeLux countries, with now six albums under her belt. I have only heard one other, but off the first, there are several songs that have stuck with me. This one is the first single off it. As said... 1997. Nevermind the video.

PS: Later edit: Apparently the video has been taken off the site. So has been the crappy one. I'll leave it here as it is and will replace it should another one appear. Do listen to the song, though :)

PS: Edit no. two. Found the crappy one again. Forgiver her, she was young and inexperienced back then. :)

garbage - only happy when it rains

"I'm only happy when it rains, I'm only when it's complicated...". Shirley Manson is in my opinion one of the best female voices / frontwomen of the new generations, up there with the likes of Sharleen Spiteri of Texas and Gwen Stefani of No Doubt. She has a very recognizable voice and at the time Garbage emerged as a band, I thought they sounded really fresh. Their older songs are still my favourites, with this particular one standing out. Apparently it is about the way we like to complicate our own lives. Enjoy.

melissa etheridge - come to my window

I really like Melissa's voice, though I only know a couple of songs of hers. She is on my "to check out" list, though. The video has a strong emotional message as well. The song kind of passed out of my memory until a couple of days ago when I was writing an entry for my personal blog and I found myself humming this song, so I looked it up and listened to it again.