“The revolution, like Saturn, devours it’s own children.” – Georg Büchner

It’s Bastille Day in France, commemorating the storming of the notorious French prison in 1789. Among the common criminals and religious prisoners who inhabited the keep, were those who were incarcerated for printing and writing pamphlets.

Everybody’s talking and no one says a word
Everybody’s making love and no one really cares
There’s Nazis in the bathroom just below the stairs
Always something happening and nothing going on
There’s always something cooking and nothing in the pot
They’re starving back in China so finish what you got

Summer is on our doorstep, and that means travel. Mr. Marshmueller and I are serving the airline industry an Official Notice to Go Fuck Themsleves, and are traveling only by car for our multitude of trips this year. Not only is packing everything we need on the list, but so is coming up with the perfect playlist for being on the road. We have our favorites, but we’re thirsty for some new tunes.

Release Date: 04/13/2010

Label: Sire / Ferret Music

Producer: John Feldmann

4 Word Review: “Rocky Horror Moustache Ride.”

Click ‘more’ for a video of the single, “Oh Lord.”  Trust me.  You won’t regret it. 

I’m no stranger to tears. Crying and I go back awhile, more years than I can remember. Lots of things make me cry, notwithstanding the almost comical amount of sorrow I feel everyday recently. Luckily for you I’m not here to bore your undies off with my regularly-punctuated-by-weeping life bubbles. No. I’m here to ask what song makes you cry, and why. My tearmaker is a song called “Tender”, by popular British beat-combo “Blur”.

This morning as I was putting on my face and listening to the radio, I heard a commercial for the California SNAP (State Nutrition Action Plans) Program. Mild mannered everyman talking about eating right, getting his family healthy . . . blah, blah, blah.

Talk about a missed opportunity! There’s already a perfect song for their campaign. With a little rewriting, Snap’s “The Power” could be blasting over the airwaves again, this time with a different message.

Release Date:  02/23/2010

Label: American; Lost Highway

Producer: Rick Ruben

4 Word Review: “The soundtrack for Armageddon.”

I don’t remember the song. I had never heard it before and don’t recall if I’ve heard it since. It was playing over the sound system of a restaurant at which I was dining with a friend of mine. She was a nurse by trade.

Nurse: “Do you like this song?”

Chill: “I don’t recall ever hearing it before.”

Nurse: “Really? It’s on everywhere. I love it. Music is my life.”

Chill: “Your life? Don’t you have like four children?”

Nurse: “Asshole.”

I was futzing around with my iPod today and noticed that iTunes keeps a play count for all of the songs I have.  At this point, it’s close to 3,000.  I’ve had this little guy for about 4 years now, so that’s how long it’s been keeping count. I found it interesting that, of the bands I would consider my favorites (Pearl Jam, The Mars Volta, Augie March, Eels and the Beatles), only two of them are featured in that top 50. Here, for your complete disinterest, are selections from my top 50 most played songs:

If you haven’t heard, Facebook has declared this week “Doppelganger Week” and since Facebook is a real life big brother we must all do as they say.  DON’T  QUESTION BIG BROTHER, JUST DO IT!!!  All this doppelganging has got me thinking about something that comes up in my mind when ever I hear one of the following songs, is this musical “doppelganging” or is just copy-cating? 

Release Date: 01/26/2010 (US)

Label: Elektra

4 Word Review: Leader for year’s best.

Here’s a video of Charlotte performing a cut from the album called “Trick Pony” on Letterman. 

Release Date: 01/11/2010

Label: Pratt Productions (seriously?)/ Warner Music Group

4 Word Review: Heidi?  Kill yourself.  Please.

Here’s a video.  I wouldn’t recommend it if you’ve been contemplating suicide, as this most certainly will push you over the edge.

The song list presented by Dr. B. Johnson dealt with high quality yet depressing songs. Songs to cry and set things on fire and jump out of a window while they tootley-too away on your music player of choice. (Mine: A gramophone.) While some sad songs are excellent, others have many of the same chords and lyrics in common (Bad Country! Pseudo R&B!) There is a reason cried and died rhyme, Dear Readers, and it’s a Clear Channel conspiracy!

Release Date: 12/17/1971

Label: RCA

4 Word Review: Doesn’t show it’s age.

Here’s a live cut of “Oh, You Pretty Things,” one of my favorites off the album which I picked up only a few days ago.  Where the hell have I been?  Enjoy!

Ok friends. Check this out. Maybe you’re hung over. Maybe you’re a little blue. Maybe you’re depressed out of your fucking skull. Maybe you’re just so sick of it all. Maybe you’re just bored or maybe you’ve actually become ennui incarnate.

Whatever the reason, if you’ve ever thought about offing yourself or perhaps just overdosing a little on your favorite narcotic but were worried that you didn’t have the right background music for a peaceful death, or near-death experience, well then you’re in luck, because here’s the soundtrack you’ve been looking for!