The next generation of Dead Milkmen fans has arrived!

   While playing my 12 String Yamaha acoustic guitar, I recklessly careened through a bunch of songs from the 1980s. I pulled “Punk Rock Girl” and “Big Lizard In My Backyard” out of my memory.  Ihad to make it the clean version as my children are all under 10, but it went over very well.  They had formed what was the embryonic stage of a mosh pit. My sons and daughters were “whoopin’ it up.”

    Afterwards, I was hit with “Hey, Dad. What was that song you were playing?”

    I am thinking tomorrow’s music lesson may include The Cramps.

1980s music spills forth from my stereo

  Fathers’ Day brought me several cool things, including a book on Cascading Style Sheets. It also brought be 2 burned CDs of older music. Not just ANY older music, mind you, but really good stuff I requested.

Cars - Gary Numan

Funky Poodle – Wild Horses

She Makes Me Feel (Big Big Big) – The Fools

Girls Like You – Combonation

Sister Havana – Urge Overkill

My Sister – Julianna Hatfield

Psycho Killer – Talking Heads

Centerfield – John Fogarty

Talk It Over – Grayson Hughes

Dance With Me – Lords Of The New Church

Don’t Box Me In – Stan Ridgeway/Stewart Copeland

19 (extended version) – Paul Hardcastle

Anarchy In The UK – Sex Pistols

Lucretia My Reflection - Sisters Of Mercy

Neverending Story – Limahl

Planet Earth – Duran Duran

Whisper To A Scream (Birds Fly) – Icicle Works

Wind Him Up – Saga

Alive & Kicking – Simple Minds

Stay Hungry – Twisted Sister

Have you heard that Nelly Furtado song?

Promiscuous Girl lyrics – click here

It’s pretty much a verbal exchange between a man and a woman; both self-identified as promiscuous. While the song is somewhat hypnotic, the words are a joke.

First, Nelly sings about pretty much offering herself up to some guy (Timbaland) and doesn’t want to seem to wait. Believing that a veiled request for sex will alleviate loneliness one moment; then asks what kind of girl do you take me for another moment.

Then, Timbaland says he has what she “needs” but seeing as nothing is said about companionship, friendship or any relationship building; one can safely assume he just wants the “hot wet sloppy.” Confirmed by the fact that he even offers to keep it “on the low” at a place he believes to be private; the intent is clear.

The bottom line is that if you are promiscuous, what you are offering the world is your body. There is no world to get lost in. It’s not going cure loneliness. You relegate yourself to being a self-contained human amusement park for other people. Much like a seasonal park worker, you will most likely quickly tire of the dwindling line of customers and desperately wait until the season is over.  Once the aging process can’t be fought back anymore, you’ll have nothing to show for your life except a Valtrex prescription.

OK, I think I may have gone over the top. However, I get the feeling that the music-listening masses may not partake of putting some grey matter between themselves and songs like this. I cringe to think that some young punk might use this song as some sort of behavior template. It’d be nice to think that parents are stepping up to the plate when it comes to raising their kids to have healthy and safe views about relationships. Of course, It’d be nice if I won the lottery, too…..

Little Wonders – Rob Thomas (I dig this song)

let it go,
let it roll right off your shoulder
don’t you know
the hardest part is over
let it in,
let your clarity define you
in the end
we will only just remember how it feels

our lives are made
in these small hours
these little wonders,
these twists & turns of fate
time falls away,
but these small hours,
these small hours still remain

let it slide,
let your troubles fall behind you
let it shine
until you feel it all around you
and i don’t mind
if it’s me you need to turn to
we’ll get by,
it’s the heart that really matters in the end

our lives are made
in these small hours
these little wonders,
these twists & turns of fate
time falls away,
but these small hours,
these small hours still remain

all of my regret
will wash away somehow
but i cannot forget
the way i feel right now

in these small hours
these little wonders
these twists & turns of fate
these twists & turns of fate
time falls away but these small hours
these small hours, still remain,
still remain
these little wonders
these twists & turns of fate
time falls away
but these small hours
these little wonders still remain

**********************

I really like this song. Peoples! It doesn’t get more real than this.

5 Albums that I like ALL THE SONGS (partial list)

1) Pleasure Victim – Berlin

2) Life’s Rich Pageant – R.E.M.

3) So – Peter Gabriel

4) Suzanne Vega – Suzanne Vega (the one with “Queen & The Soldier”)

5) The Cars – The Cars (“Let them brush your Rock-n-Roll hair…”)

Nation’s levels of music samples now at critical levels

           In the face of the global warming crisis, our nation faces yet another shortage that threatens our existence. A recent government study about to be released will show national levels of music sampling and pre-recorded dance beats have dropped to critical levels. Some music artists are expressing concerns about their future ability to ‘rock da house.’

(this Casio keyboard was unavailable for comment)

           Scientists have been monitoring these levels since the 1970s, when a good portion of these music samples were taken from. While not an renewable source of popularity, the supply had been ample until the demand that artists like P. Diddy, Dr. Dre, and Public Enemy tapped into them. Pre-recorded dance beats, as featured in $20 Casio keyboards used in Elementary Schools nationwide, have only recently seen their reserves drop with the growing popularity of the band Black Eyed Peas.

A visibly shaken Fergie

                  When P. Diddy, or whatever his name is at the moment, was asked for his thoughts about the issue; one of the members of his extensive entourage explained that whats-his-face’s career could come to a crashing halt if everyone else stops making music. He also explained that he has no idea how the unregistered gun appeared in the SUV when they were pulled over several years ago.

                      Fergie, of Black Eyed Peas, said that she might have to teach her “lovely lady lumps” to actually learn how to play a instrument if the pre-recorded dance beat drought continues. She’s not sure how “Fergie-licious” their music would be if they exclusively had to fall back on their trite lyrics by themselves.

               Dr. Dre offered some words, but they had to be edited out because of their adult content. Flava Flav was also available for comment,too. However, no one is really sure what he actually said. We’re pretty sure he expressed concern, boyyyeeeeeeeee.

Huh?

                      Scientists did suggest sampling conservation, but doubted such damaging effects done could be easily reversed. It could be several decades before today’s current sampling artists have faded sufficiently from the collective memories. Until then, they suggested listening to bands that actually played their own music OR used studio musicians and not just sound engineers.

A Public Service Announcement from the Department of Homeland Maturity

  For those of us old enough to remember when corduroy parts and polyester shirts were the fashion, we have instructed by the Federal Government to provide important information to the younger generations. It may not be life-saving tips, but still very helpful.

 1) The current popular song, Gone Daddy Gone, by Gnarles Barkley is actually a cover of a song originally done by the Violent Femmes on their first album, released in 1983.

2) Just a reminder: the stuff Madonna isn’t new. It’s called disco, and she was there for it the first time, too.

3) When car dealership commercials tell you that you don’t have to be “trapped” with payments on your current car (and still own on it) THEN tell you that if you buy one of their cars that they will PAY YOURS OFF. Don’t get excited. You still get to be “trapped” with paying that, too. However, you are just giving money to Dealership #2 instead of Dealership #1. It’s called NEGATIVE EQUITY, not FREE MONEY.

One Step Beyond

This is a shout-out to anyone old enough to remember these guys. Back when MTV played music videos….you know, in the OLDEN DAYS.

On a serious note…….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHtrjqVFXp4

   This is the YouTube link to the new Christina Aguilera video single called HURT. 

    I had never really gotten into her music before this point. Being nearly 40, there is almost something pseudo-lecherous about liking female singer who was about the same age as my drivers license. From what I remember, she started with the simple, pretty look. However, her last several incarnations, brought about a 20-something woman trying to find herself, have been seriously trashy. She should really just go back to her “Genie In A Bottle” day for a decent look. Let’s just leave the underwear tops, crimped hair, and fishnets for the bowling alley bar crowd, shall we?

     Anyway, this song sounds like it is about the loss of her father. Her career possibly having distracted her from her father, perhaps even strained the relationship. Sadly, it sounds like she didn’t get closure and her father is gone (one might assume death here, I guess). Musically and lyrically, this song – in my opinion – is great. The video even cleverly reflects that in a parallel storyline.

-stjarna

p.s. I would have posted the YouTube embedded link, but it seems that WordPress doesn’t play nicely with that function. If anyone knows a workaround, please contact me. Thanks!

p.p.s. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0NSS0HblzM - I found her video “Genie In A Bottle” for those seeking more things Aguileric in nature. 

Remember “Live At Budokan” by Cheap Trick?!?

My three year old daughter can shriek like the audience from “Ain’t That A Shame.”

A banshee would be proud of such keening.

I think my ears are bleeding.