Wednesday, November 03, 2010

Sunday Random 10 (Wednesday recount edition)

Did this week's shuffle while raking the back 40 of TWDQ HQ Sunday, but when we came inside to back through the tracks to jot 'em down for posting, we inadvertently reset the Nano's shuffle, so we created another shuffle on Monday morning. Since then, things have been kinda busy.

Let's...Hit...Shuffle! (Again!)

- The Smiths - Ask
- Matthew Sweet & Susanna Hoffs - She May Call You Up Tonight
- Robbie Fulks - Fountains of Wayne Hotline
- The Beatles - Act Naturally
- Crowded House - Locked Out
- Paul Simon - Ace in the Hole
- Fountains of Wayne - Barbara H. (live)
- The Smiths - Hand in Glove
- The Who - The Real Me
- Stevie Wonder - He's Misstra Know It All

The Nano continues to like the newly-acquired Smiths collections and we get some real Fountains of Wayne to go along with Robbie Fulks' absolutely brilliant ode to the pop geniuses' stellar customer support.

As always, feel free to post your own random tens in the comments.

We now return you to This Week's Discussion Question ("What the hell is wrong with voters in the 6th District?"), already in progress.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Sunday Random 10

Hey! We're posting on time! (Don't get used to it...)

Let's...Hit...Shuffle!!!

Professor Longhair - Looka, No Hair
Crowded House - Everything is Good for You
Talking Heads - I Wish You Wouldn't Say That
Van Morrison - Sweet Thing
Phoenix - Armistice
Elliott Smith - Last Call
Joe Henry - Richard Pryor Addresses a Tearful Nation
The Smiths - Nowhere Fast
The Lamont Cranston Band - Keep on Drivin'
The Jayhawks - The Liquor Store Came First

Only a Smiths tune from our more recent acquisitions, but some old favorites popped up this week, like one from Crowded House's Recurring Dream best-of (our musical comfort food), one from Joe Henry's terrific Scar (the soundtrack to the painting of the living room at the old TWDQ HQ), and a couple songs from a couple of great local bands to wrap up.

Feel free to post your own random tens in the comments.

We now return you to This Week's Discussion Question (So what exactly DO Muslims wear?), already in progress.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Sunday Random 10

Time to find out what the little green Nano offers up this week.

Let's...Hit...Shuffle!

Johnny Rivers - Mountain of Love
John Legend & The Roots - Shine
Son Volt - Route
Wild Tchoupitoulas - Here Dey Come
Bill Evans Trio -My Foolish Heart
Neville Brothers - Performance
The Beatles - Pepperland
Old 97s - Mama Tried (live)
Steve Dawson - Worry Worry Worry
Matthew Sweet & Susanna Hoffs - Maggie May

Let's see. There's our all-time favorite Johnny Rivers song; a track from the fine new Legend/Roots collaboration; a couple doses of New Orleans; more evidence that the Nano loves the $1 copy of Evans's Waltz for Debby; a mental note that the next time we need room for more tunes, the orchestral tracks from "Yellow Submarine can go; and Mr. Sweet & Ms. Hoffs reminding us that Rod Stewart, who's about to release volume five of his Great American Sedative Songbook albums on Tuesday, was a critically and commercially acclaimed artist making records that were anything but phoned-in.

Shuffle up your own device and share your random ten in the comments.

We now return you to This Week's Discussion Question, already in progress.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Sunday Random 10 for 10/10/10 (and belated random 10)

Here's what the little green Nano shuffled up on these last couple of unseasonably fabulous autumn Sundays. Let's...Hit...Shuffle!

10/03/2010
Fountains of Wayne - The Girl I Can't Forget
Phoenix - Lisztomania
Jonathan Rundman - Grace is Crying Her Eyes Out
The Replacements - We're Coming Out
Jonathan Rundman - The Prophetstown Tornado
U2 - Zoo Station
Bill Mallonee - Wintergreen
Dan Zanes & Friends - Thumbelina
Frontier Ruckus - Nerves of the Nightmind
Preservation Hall Jazz Band (feat. Cory Chisel) - Some Cold Rainy Day

10/10/2010
Bill Evans Trio - Milestones
Thee Midniters - Whittier Blvd.
Fountains of Wayne - Stacy's Mom
Peter Case - Put Down the Gun
Aaron Neville - Waiting at the Station
Laura Nyro - Be Aware
Jackson Browne - Fountain of Sorrow
Muddy Waters - Walkin' Thru the Park
Dave Rawlings Machine - It's Too Easy
The Bangles - Bell Jar

Didn't think quickly enough to load a 10cc album on there. Oh well.

We now return you to This Week's Discussion Question, already in progress.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Sunday Random 10

Been busy, blah, blah, blah. Thanks for your patience. Here's what the little green Nano's shuffled up the last three Sundays.

Let's...Hit...Shuffle!

09/12/2010
Jill Scott - Bedda at Home
Robert Cray Band - Chicken in the Kitchen
The Ike Reilly Assassination - When Irish Eyes Are Burning
The Smiths - Girlfriend in a Coma
Nick Lowe - Let's Stay In and Make Love
The Replacements - Swingin' Party
Nick Lowe - I Live on a Battlefield
Ivy - Be My Baby
Elvis Costello - Radio, Radio
The Bill Evans Trio - Waltz for Debby (Take 1)

09/19/2010
Lucy Wainwright Roche - Bridge
The Bill Evans Trio - My Foolish Heart
Steve Dawson - Ten Thousand Pounds
Preservation Hall Jazz Band (feat. Pete Seeger & Tao Rodriguez-Seeger) - Blue Skies
Erik Brandt - 1-4-5
Elvis Presley - I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone (Slow Version)
Neil Young - Harvest
Patty Griffin (feat. Julie Miller) - Coming Home to Me
Jonathan Rundman - Dialysis Carpool
Lucy Wainwright Roche - Poison

09/26/2010
The Kinks - Tired of Waiting for You
Neil Finn - Dream Date
The Kinks - All Day and All of the Night
Dan Zanes & Friends - I Don't Need Anything But You
Old 97's - Can't Get a Line
Los Lobos w/Mavis Staples - Someday
The Beatles - Because
The Beatles - I Me Mine
Brian Wilson - Summertime
Tom Waits - Get Behind the Mule (Live)

"Summertime," from the new Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin, was a fantastic tune to listen to in the car on this gorgeous first Sunday of autumn.

Feel free to shuffle up your device and post your own random tens in the comments.

We now return you to This Week's Discussion Question--and hey, we just had one!--already in progress.

Sorry, Charlie, for the imposition...

The Minnesota Family Council and the National Organization for Marriage are running a TV ad complaining that gubernatorial candidates Mark Dayton (DFL) and Tom Horner (Ind.) favor "imposing gay 'marriage' on Minnesotans" by not supporting the right of the people of Minnesota vote to amend the state constitution to ban same-sex marriage.

Interestingly, the ad opens with shots of a women's suffrage rally, a banner from the Selma march, and a shot of the U.S. Constitution fading to Dr. Martin Luther King, trumpeting the importance of the right to vote.

Watch:


So here are This Week's Discussion Questions:

How do you think a vote on voting rights for women would have gone around the turn of the 20th century?


How do you think a vote on civil rights for blacks would have gone in Alabama in 1965?


Is this a road you really want to go down?


Really?


Please keep the discussion civil and do not wander off into "Would this 'imposition' turn my traditional marriage 'gay'?" or "Biblical view of marriage? How many wives did Solomon have again? Not counting concubines, of course."

Discuss.

Monday, September 06, 2010

Sunday Random 10 (Ernie Banks edition)

Hope you're enjoying your Labor Day weekend! It's a beautiful day* so let's play the last two Sundays' Random 10s that we didn't get around to posting the last couple of Sundays.

Let's...Hit...Shuffle!

08/29/2010
Mary Chapin Carpenter - Iceland
Kirsty MacColl - They Don't Know
Preservation Hall Jazz Band (feat. Del McCoury) - Careless Love
Vigilantes of Love - Certain Slant of Light
The Rolling Stones - As Time Goes By
Deer Tick - TWenty Miles
Elaine Moore - Just a Closer Walk with Thee
Coldplay - Viva La Vida
Ry Cooder - It's All Over Now
The Beatles - I'm Only Sleeping

09/05/2010
Elvis Presley - Hearts of Stone (Live)
Los Lobos - Be Still
U2 - Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
R.E.M. - (Don't Go Back to) Rockville
Bruce Springsteen - Jungleland
Los Lobos - Burn it Down
Joe Henry - Civilians
The B-52's - Strobe Light
Joe Henry - Good Fortune
Deer Tick - Twenty Miles

*(Okay, it's raining right now, but work with us here...)

We now return you to This Week's Discussion Question (If the Bush Administration spent eight years screwing up the economy, why does the Obama Administration only get 18 months to clean up their mess?), already in progress.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

I'm with Stupid (or Evil)

Jon Stewart poses This Week's Discussion Question and Wyatt Cenac and John Oliver both make strong cases:
Is Fox News Evil or Stupid?
Please keep the discussion civil and do not wander off into "Evil! Evil! Evil!" or "Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" or "Could we break it down on a personality-by-personality basis? Beck, stupid. Hannity, stupid. Rove, evil..."

Discuss.

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Sunday Random Ten (Let's Play Two!)

Was on the road last Sunday so we'll make it up with a doubleheader today.

Let's...Hit...Shuffle!

08/15/2010
Van Morrison - Have I Told You Lately
Beki Hemingway - Siouxanne
Nick Lowe - Hope For Us All
Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - Something's Changed
Uncle Tupelo - Gun
The Beatles - Cry Baby Cry
The Mercy Seat - He Said
Joe Henry - Bellwether
Crowded House - Weather with You
Joe Tex - Show Me

08/22/2010
World Party - Private Revolution
Tinted Windows - Back with You
The Decemberists - The Perfect Crime #2
The Hold Steady - The Swish
Tom Waits - Hold On
The Beach Boys - Let's Go Away for Awhile
Fountains of Wayne - Elevator Up
Bill Mallonee - Wintergreen
Del Amitri - Here and Now
Johnny Rivers - Where Have All the Flowers Gone?

Was kinda tough this week. Just added the fantastic new "Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin" and when we hit shuffle today we swear we heard the little green Nano whisper "Are you sure you wanna do that?"

We now return you to This Week's Discussion Question (You want to get worked up about how much vacation President Obama takes? Really?), already in progress.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Sunday Random 10 (Monday Edition, Tuesday Publication)

Been nuts around TWDQ HQ, so we didn't get to the Nano until Monday, and haven't gotten to posting until Tuesday.

Let's...Hit...Shuffle!

Nick Lowe - When I Write the Book
The Beatles - Slow Down
Solomon Burke - I Need Your Love in My Life
Gnarls Barkley - Crazy
Kirsty MacColl - Innocence
Joe Henry - I Flew Over Our House Last Night
Del Amitri - Crashing Down
The Cars - Let's Go
The Beatles - Revolution 9
The Swell Season - Paper Cup

Track 9? "Revolution 9". We swear the iPod's messing with us.

We now return you to This Week's Discussion Question, already in progress.

Sunday, August 01, 2010

Sunday Random 10

Let's see what the little green Nano has in store to ring in August!

Let's...Hit...Shuffle!

Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - I Learned the Hard Way
Rosanne Cash - Black Cadillac
The Mercy Seat - I Am a Pilgrim
The Beatles - Maggie Mae
Dan Zanes & Friends - Goodnight, My Someone
Vince Guaraldi - Christmas Time is Here
Dolly Varden - Some Sequined Angel
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Into the Great Wide Open
The Pogues - Sally MacLennane
The Faces - (I Know) I'm Losing You (Live)

We're just going to say that the Ms. Jones tune is a strong contender for the 2010 Faves compilation, unless one of the other fine songs on that album (What? You don't have it yet? Go!) muscles its way past it.

We now return you to This Week's Discussion Question (Really, Anne Rice? You've never heard of any of the other flavors that aren't anti-gay*, anti-feminist, anti-artificial birth control? Really? Really?!?), already in progress.

*Sadly, our flavor can't yet claim this one. Someday, someday.

Monday, July 26, 2010

They'll Know We Are Christians By Our Love, Pt. 72610

As we pose This Week's Discussion Question, Jesus is leaning over a toilet bowl somewhere, asking one of the angels to help him hold his hair back.
The stupid never stops, does it?
Please keep the discussion civil and feel free to channel Stephen Colbert: "I believe it's divinely inspired, because whenever I tell people what they're doing, they always say, "Holy shit."

Discuss.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Sunday Random 10

Let's see what the little green Nano is shuffling up on this gorgeous Sunday morning!

Let's...Hit...Shuffle!

Ry Cooder - Fool for a Cigarette/Feelin' Good
Over the Rhine - Nobody Number One
World Party - When the Rainbow Comes
Ike Reilly - Seven Come Eleven
The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)
Johnny Rivers - It Wouldn't Happen with Me
The Beatles - Don't Pass Me By
The Replacements - Swingin' Party
Continental Drifters - I'm a Dreamer
The Replacements - Valentine

The Johnny Rivers song is about how you'd be better off with him than one of the Beatles or Ricky Nelson, so it being wrapped by Beatles tunes, especially one sung by Ringo, who's name-checked in the song, makes us wonder what exactly Jobs' people stuck in that shuffle code.

We now return you to This Week's Discussion Question, already in progress.

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Sunday Random 10

It's Sunday again! Much quieter around TWDQ HQ this weekend, save for last night's storms, so here's this week's offering from the little green Nano.

Let's...Play...Shuffle!

Elvis Presley - Money Honey (Live)
Elvis Presley - Blue Moon
Aaron Neville - The Greatest Love
Del Amitri - Roll to Me
The Hold Steady - Banging Camp
The Avett Brothers - All My Mistakes
Fountains of Wayne - Strapped for Cash
This Train - Who's Stopping You
Joe Henry - Cold Enough to Cross
The Hold Steady - The Sweet Part of the City

Looks like the Nano had a thing for Elvis and The Hold Steady this week.

Had a funny spell of shuffling the other day. Aretha Franklin singing "R-E-S-P-E-C-T, find out what it means to me" followed by the Old 97's "If I had half a brain left after my debauchery, I'd give up the other women and the W-I-F-E."

We now return you to This Week's Discussion Question, already in progress.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Sunday Random 10 (Monday Edition)

Busy day at TWDQ HQ yesterday, so here's the Monday Edition of Sunday Random 10.

Let's...Hit...Shuffle!

Fountains of Wayne - Imperia
Rosanne Cash - Miss the Mississippi and You
Patty Griffin - Wiggley Fingers
Wilco - Outtasite (Outta Mind)
The Who - My Generation
Wilco - Jesus, Etc.
The Avett Brothers - Kick Drum Heart
Los Lobos - Shakin' Shakin' Shakes
Eddie Cochran - Nervous Breakdown
The New Standards - Hey Ya

We now return you to This Week's Discussion Question ("Can you blend a vuvuzela?") already in progress.

Sunday, July 04, 2010

Sunday Random 10

Happy Independence Day to our fellow Americans!

Let's...Hit...Shuffle!

Van Morrison - Bright Side of the Road
The Swell Season - Fantasy Man
Patty Griffin - I Smell a Rat
The Beatles - Strawberry Fields Forever
Matthew Sweet & Susanna Hoffs - Back of a Car
Peter Holsapple & Chris Stamey - To Be Loved
Kathleen Edwards - In State
Beki Hemingway & Jonathan Rundman - No Regrets
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Here Comes My Girl
Crowded House - Something So Strong

Well, it came up half American today. Couple of Brits, an Irish/Czech combo, a Canadian, and we wrap with New Zealand's finest. (We admit to grabbing a guitar and hitting the replay button on Ms. Edwards about ten times before moving on with the last entries. Go click that link if you haven't heard it. Or this one.)

We now return you to This Week's Discussion Question ("How can you let a .158 hitter pound a pinch-hit salami?"), already in progress.

Monday, June 28, 2010

Sunday Random 10

Busy day yesterday at TWDQ HQ, first out celebrating birthdays and anniversaries with a New Orleans brunch, then back to HQ for some televised baseball & World Cup, then some lawn mowing and a movie. Finally got around to the little green Nano late last evening. Let's...Hit...Shuffle!

Jason Falkner - Miracle Medicine
The Beatles - Honey Don't
Laura Nyro - He Was Too Good to Me
Shawn Colvin - You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go
XTC - Books Are Burning
Old 97's - Color of a Lonely Heart is Blue
The Jayhawks - Six Pack on the Dashboard
Dave Edmunds - Girls Talk
The Beat Farmers - Happy Boy
Joe Henry - Stop

If you've only heard "Happy Boy" on the daily segment on Ian & Margery's radio show, you're missing a couple of verses that might put one off one's breakfast.

We now return you to This Week's Discussion Question, already in progress.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Sunday Random 10

Sorry we missed you last week, been a whirlwind couple of weeks around TWDQ HQ and while we shuffled up the iPod last week, we didn't get around to posting. So here's another two-fer.

Let's...Hit...Shuffle!

06/13/2010
The Beatles - You Won't See Me
Oberhofer - o0O0o0O0o
Fountains of Wayne - You're Just Never Satisfied
Professor Longhair - Thank You Pretty Baby
Jonathan Rundman - In Thee Is Gladness
Stevie Wonder - Higher Ground
Laura Nyro and Labelle - Gonna Take a Miracle
Shawn Colvin - Polaroids
Rosanne Cash (w/Neko Case) - Satisfied Mind
Beki Hemingway & Jonathan Rundman - Easy Chair

06/20/2010
Lucy Wainwright Roche - University Drive
Van Morrison - Wild Night
This Train - Seafoam Green
Sarah Jaffe - Stay with Me
Los Lobos - One Time One Night
Kirsty MacColl - Can't Stop Killing You
Professor Longhair - Baby Let Me Hold Your Hand
The Replacements - Here Comes a Regular
Ike Reilly - The Assassination of Sweet Lou Diablo
Patty Griffin - Flaming Red

Let's see...we just saw the amazing Ms. Griffin last evening with the amazing Buddy Miller, there's a pair of tunes from 'Fess reminding us that we must get ourselves to New Orleans some time, we're looking forward to Ms. Cash's gig at the free bandshell at the State Fair this August, and we've already mentioned Laura Nyro & Labelle's wonderful Gonna Take a Miracle album and if you don't already have it, you should stop reading this instant and go get it.

We now return you to This Week's Discussion Question, already in progress.

Sunday, June 06, 2010

Graveyard Shift

After catching Jake Tapper's roundtable on This Week this morning, here's This Week's Discussion Question (Thanks for the idea, Arianna!):
Man, how much overtime does the PolitiFact crew have to put in when Liz Cheney's on This Week?
Please keep the discussion civil and do not wander off into "Why does anyone care what Liz Cheney thinks about anything?" or "Holy crap, I agree with George Will that Bud Selig did the right thing! Sorry to anyone who got splattered when my head exploded."

Discuss.

Sunday Random 10

Before we head out for some quality contemplative time behind the TWDQ HQ lawnmower, here's what spilled from the little green Nano this week.

Let's...Hit...Shuffle!

U2 - Until the End of the World
The Beatles - When I'm Sixty-Four
Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Cinnamon Girl
Sally Seltman - Harmony to My Heartbeat
Crowded House - Everything is Good for You
World Party - And I Fell Back Alone
Fairground Attraction - Falling Backwards
The Beatles - Hold Me Tight
Los Lobos - I Will Go Sailing No More
Dan Zanes and Friends - I'm Flying

Feel free to post your own random ten in the comments.

We now return you to This Week's Discussion Question, already in progress.