Clarence Ewing: The Million Year Trip writesFriday MP3 Shuffle: Happy Birthday Laurie Anderson Edition

Avant Garde extraordinaire Laurie Anderson’s career is Exhibit ‘A’ in the argument against artistic specialization. First coming to prominence in the ‘70s New York Experimental art and music scene, where she shared a physical and artistic community with folks such as frank Zappa, Alan Ginsburg, John Cage, and Andy Kauffman, Anderson’s work encompasses music, visual art, performance art, writing, film, and television. Along the way she’s even invented her own musical instruments, such as the Talking Stick and Tape Bow Violin.

Anderson's life is an inspiration to anyone who values creativity, and today’s her birthday! Wish her a happy one by pressing the “shuffle” button on your MP3 player and sharing the first 10 songs you hear:

1. Magical Beautiful, “Burst Black” (demo) – This is a Chicago band I’m not sure is around anymore. A nice and crunchy Post-Punk sound. The roughness of the demo gives it nice edge.

2. White Manna, “Dunes I” (Pan) – This is a new records that’s currently in rotation on CHIRP Radio. I really like this band’s sound (West Coast psychedelic) and tempo (urgent).

3. Krieg, “Winter” (Transient) – The most recent album from the one of the few legit American Black Metal bands around. They certainly don’t spare the whip on this one. Rage and noise in abundance.

4. Radiohead, “Ideoteque” (Kid A) – In their 20+ year career, Radiohead has released only 8 studio albums (from Pablo Honey to The King of Limbs), but from their influence and notoriety, it seems like more. That, kids, is called quality.

5. Glenn Miller Orchestra, “Boog It” (The Essential Glenn Miller) – A 1940s ditty from what might be considered America’s first major Pop band. Other jazz musicians like(d) to criticize this group’s music for being too easy and fluffy, forgetting that when you’re getting paid lots of money to make teenagers dance, that’s kind of the point.

6. Slough Feg, “Habeas Corpus” (Digital Resistance) – Metal that sounds like it would work as the soundtrack of a modern Western, complete with some rather disturbing lyrics.

7. Black Pus, “Fly on the Wall” (All My Relations) – Brian Chippendale’s the man. How cool would it be for him and Colin Stetson to do something together? My mind is blown just thinking about it.

8. Thunders, “Sunny Baby” (Monster Compilation Vol. 1) – Noisy Garage Rock with a Psych twist in the guitars. This compilation from Chicago’s Dumpster Tapes is top-notch.

9. Lord Raja, “TV Talk” (A Constant Moth) – Ambient chill music with hard drops and just the right kinds of samples.

10. Louis Jordan, “What’s the Use of Getting Sober (When You’re Gonna Get Drunk Again)?” – I ask myself this from time to time, but I don’t think my job would accept it as a rationale for keeping wine in my desk. It’s hard to overstate the influence Jordan had on music as he held the line on danceable Swing and Blues songs (laying the foundation for modern Rhythm & Blues) while Jazz became more complicated and exclusive in the ‘50s.

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