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Entries categorized as “Friday MP3 Shuffle” 276 results
Mike Bennett writesFriday iPod/MP3 Shuffle—Happy Birthday RZA Edition
Today we’re paying tribute to an important figure in hip hop, RZA of Wu-Tang Clan. RZA was only 11 when he got into his first rap battle, a portent of things to come. In the early ‘90s, he led the amazing collective of talent that was Wu-Tang, kicking things off with the great Enter The Wu-Tang LP. Of course, RZA, like his fellow members, has made some fine solo music, and he has also acted in numerous films. Just last year, he directed his first film, the martial arts/action flick The Man with the Iron Fists. In honor of this hip hop giant, please grab your iPod or MP3 player, hit shuffle, and share the first 10 songs that come up.
Mike Bennett writesFriday iPod/MP3 Shuffle—Happy Birthday Richard Rodgers Edition
Today we pay tribute to a giant of American popular music, composer Richard Rodgers. He is the first person to garner an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and a Tony award. Oh, and he won the Pulitzer Prize too. Teaming with Oscar Hammerstein and Lorenzo Hart (each who penned lyrics), Rodgers composed some of the greatest melodies in American popular song. From “My Funny Valentine” to “The Lady Is a Tramp” to the amazing run of musicals he did with Hammerstein (Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I and The Sound Of Music), Richard Rodgers’ music has had so much impact and still delights audiences to this day. So in honor of Mr. Rodgers, please grab your iPod or MP3 player, hit shuffle and share the first 10 songs that come up.
Mike Bennett writesFriday iPod/MP3 Shuffle—Happy Birthday Ray Davies Edition
Ray Davies is one of the most important figures in ‘60s rock music. He’d be deserving praise if he had only written “Waterloo Sunset”, which former Village Voice music critic Robert Christgau called (and I’m paraphrasing) the best song in the English language. Utilizing the same blues and rock ‘n’ roll influences as his British Invasion counterparts, Davies (with the help of brother Dave) created some of the first riff rock on classics like “You Really Got Me”, planting the seeds for heavy metal and punk. He quickly advanced to more sophisticated territory. In so doing, he got away from aping American sounds (especially vocally) and really creating a British vocabulary for rock music. His initial observational songwriting was closer to Dylan in spirit, but soon he was creating lovely vignettes that touched on specific experiences that were sometimes witty and sometime poignant. While their commercial prospects waned somewhat, The Kinks reeled off one of the great album sequences in history, from Face To Face to Something Else to Village Green Preservation Society to Arthur (and one could argue Lola... too). Davies’ influence loomed large on many British acts, including XTC, Madness and Blur, inspiring even more classic music. Of course, he couldn’t keep up that pace, but he is still a warm and wonderful live performer and still might have classic song or two in him. Let’s celebrate Ray’s birthday by grabbing your iPod or MP3 player, hitting shuffle and sharing the first 10 songs that come up.
Mike Bennett writesFriday iPod/MP3 Shuffle—Happy Birthday David Thomas Edition
It’s time to wish a happy birthday to the man once known as Crocus Behemoth. David Thomas helped found the short lived but extremely important proto-punk band Rocket From The Tombs, and once they split, formed Pere Ubu, the self-proclaimed avant-garage band. With the large and oddly compelling front man whose quavering high voice somehow was perfect for an ultra-arty take on rock tropes, Pere Ubu has been making important music over five decades. From spooky to rocking to pretty darn catchy (the band’s Cloudland album is one of the great pop albums of the ‘80s), Thomas has managed to put his stamp on everything he’s done. And he’s had some nifty side projects too. In honor of Thomas, please grab your iPod or MP3 player, hit shuffle and share the first 10 songs that come up.
Mike Bennett writesFriday iPod/MP3 Shuffle—Happy Birthday Prince Edition
He’s enigmatic, charismatic, and a-u-t-o matic. Prince turns 54 years old today, and while he hasn’t wowed anyone with his new recordings lately, he is still a king on the concert stage, and why not? With his deep catalog, ace bands, killer guitar skills, amazing dance moves and total command of an audience, he is one pop music’s all time great live attractions. On top of that, he built a musical empire in the ‘80s. A studio rat, he played everything on his earliest records, mixed funk with new wave sounds, and pushed the envelope lyrically and visually, taking an androgyny page out of the David Bowie playbook. Then, in the mid-80's, he was one of the biggest stars, and deservedly so. I still remember the electricity at the Yorktown Theatre, watching Purple Rain in packed movie house, everyone going nuts when “Let’s Go Crazy” kicked in. In honor of this legend, please grab your iPod or MP3 player, hit shuffle, and share the first 10 songs that come up.