Music

I hate how there aren't really any good online resources (that I've been able to find) about contemporary zydeco music -- especially the hip-hop/zydeco hybrid music I like and that they play on KNEK. Like there's this one song, and the chorus goes: "I know you heard us on the radio/Now it's time to do the zydeco..." I know that doesn't sound like it would be very good or clever, but it really is; I always car-dance when it comes on. The song takes samples from "It's All the Way Live":

and "Crush on You":

which is why I like it so much. Actually I don't know if that last sample is in fact from "Crush on You" or if Lil'Kim and Lil'Ceaz took it from somewhere else. Anyway, KNEK never mentions the name of the artist or song after they play it. I've been googling those lyrics and trying to find information about that song and others online, but I've been unsuccessful.

The song that's in my mind, and has been for nearly A WEEK, is Third Eye Blind's "Semi-Charmed Life." Egad:

I guess I'll have to try that purging trick where you listen to it five times in a row. Also, I keep associating the song with a particular Casey Kasem's Top 40 experience. I don't listen to it every week, and I don't even know if CK is even deejaying it anymore, but anyway, sometimes, when CK is announcing the number one song, he does so in such a delighted manner, like he was SO PROUD of Third Eye Blind for going all the way to #1. He may do this no matter what song is #1; like I said, I don't listen to it that often. Other songs I've noticed he did this with include Vanessa Carlton's "A Thousand Miles" and "Smooth" by Santana featuring Rob Thomas.

Professing Mama just pulled forth the most impressively obscure reference ever:

I had forgotten all about the existence of The Jets, and that's a shame. May we all remember fondly.

1. Don't Let It Bring You Down -- Annie Lennox
2. Come Rain or Come Shine -- Liza Minnelli
3. I've Got You Under My Skin -- Diana Krall
4. Do Your Duty -- Bessie Smith
5. Twisted -- Joni Mitchell
6. In the Quiet Morning -- Joan Baez
7. Goodbye Pork Pie Hat -- Joni Mitchell
8. What's Going On -- Marvin Gaye
9. Young Love -- Air Supply [I knew it!]
10. Freshmen -- The Verve Pipe

Finally, everyone should check out and contribute to Talk 20, a blog set up by Bedford/St. Martin's for responses to Todd Taylor's documentary Take 20.

Feel sorry for me:

It came upon me all of a sudden when I was washing my hands earlier, the lines "in my life, there's been heartache and pain; I don't know if I can face it again..." I thought, what is that song? Then I focused and remembered the chorus. Do you think this means I'm a Cylon sleeper agent?

The random ten follows. It really doesn't represent the full dorkiness of my music collection. I expected at least one Air Supply song in there, for example, or something else horrid. I was fully prepared to make the Belle Waring "What if I wish to use it to illustrate a point sometime?" defense. I probably ought to do that with the Streisand song, which is nowhere near one of her best.

1. Jolene -- Dolly Parton
2. Sensuality (Techno Remix) -- Bjork
3. Just Like Heaven -- The Cure
4. Baby's Got Sauce -- G.Love and Special Sauce
5. Digging in the Dirt -- Peter Gabriel
6. The Emperor's New Clothes -- Sinead O'Connor
7. The Ascent of Stan -- Ben Folds
8. Another Sunny Day -- Belle and Sebastian
9. Oscillate Wildly -- The Smiths
10. Woman in Love -- Barbra Streisand

For days now I've had a certain song in my mind, but I couldn't place the title or the artist (The Church? Tears for Fears? Erasure? XTC?), and I was unclear on the lyrics. All I could remember was the melody and rhythm. It was driving me crazy. I considered talking to Jonathan about it, but due to the genre, I wasn't convinced he'd know what song it was. I was afraid he'd just look at me askance and make me even more frustrated. I even considered trying Songtapper. I even considered making a brief podcast about it and half-singing-half-humming the song:

something something inside your head
something crashing in the aisles
something something something something
something something every time

But THEN: I was just going about my business, and I remembered -- "pure and simple every time." Eureka!

Oh, and after I remembered, I did go ahead and try Songtapper. It wasn't helpful:

Unificial World Cup Song
Stan Boardman

Whats On Your Mind
Mr. Sancho

A La Queue Leu Leu
La Bande à Basile

Ava Avadore
The Smashing Pumpkins

Babylon Sisters
Steely Dan

Eat This City
Thunderbirds Are Now!

Hey Leonardo She Likes Me For Me

Playboys
The Rasmus

Coppa Cabanna
Barry Manilow

I think it gives "Copa Cabana" as a possibility for everything you tap in there, but "Babylon Sisters?"

The New Yorker describes my current affliction:

INFLUENZA 529, or Entrenched Ditty Derangement. The infected person displays an inability (in the worst cases, lasting months) to rid his cortex of an unusually repugnant melody. (In some extreme cases, lyrics are part of the malady.)

Symptoms: Early signs include innocuous humming in the workplace. In later stages, the sufferer may believe that he hears voices in his head. A large body of clinical literature exists on the topic (see “ ‘Horse with No Name’ Phenomenon”; “Complications Arising from the Theme to ‘Walker, Texas Ranger’ ”). In one famous case in New Jersey (known in medical circles as Embedded “Jessie’s Girl” Phenomenon), manslaughter resulted.

In my case, this is the culprit. This song has been in my mind for what seems like years (in reality, more like months):

For Jonathan it's:

He was able to exorcise that last night, though, I believe, by watching the video and laughing at the ridiculous intercutting of scenes between fighter planes and a sweaty Kenny Loggins lounging around in a hotel room lip-syncing.