stevenology 2.0 &#187; Terrific Tunes

View/shop music by Robbie Robertson

Terrific Tunes For Tuesday – Take 52

stevenology — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 21:26:31 +0000

That’s right! Fifty-two weeks of Terrific Tunes, a whole year’s worth! That is some awesome awesomeness. If you want to see them all, click here. That will show you the latest 15 or so, then at the bottom of the page there will be a link to “previous entries”. Enjoy!

Meanwhile, back at the blog, today’s tune is from Robbie Robertson (learn more, web site, learn a lot more). He was the talented songwriter and lead guitarist from The Band (learn more) and has since enjoyed a successful solo career, including four or five albums and a variety of film-related music projects. This song is from his first (self-titled) solo album. The song is “Somewhere Down The Crazy River“. The video is a little on the minimal yet sensual side, and I love his talking-singing performance on this track. Check it out and let me know what YOU think.

Leave me a comment below. Don’t let the wind just kind of push you that way.

View/shop music by Michael Penn

Terrific Tunes For Tuesday – Take 51

stevenology — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 06:39:37 +0000

Today’s Terrific Tune is from singer-songwriter Michael Penn (learn more, web site, learn lots more). He’s released five or six great albums of intelligent, tasty pop-rock but is still mostly unknown outside of his early hit “No Myth. But there is much more to him. And being married to Aimee Mann and being Sean Penn’s brother isn’t bad either.

This is a live version of a song from his second album, performed on Jay Leno. It’s called “Long Way Down (Look What The Cat Drug In).” I love the title and the song and wish that someday I could write a song even half this good. Oh well. At least he can write ‘em! Check out the video below and then buy some of his albums.

Leave me a comment below. Don’t wear apathy’s crown!

View/shop music by LCD Soundsystem

Terrific Tunes For Tuesday – Take 50

stevenology — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 17:42:12 +0000

Today’s Terrific Tune is an electro-pop-funk track by LCD Soundsystem (learn more, web site). This “band” is pretty much James Murphy, founder of dance-punk label DFA Records, although on tour he adds a real band. The song is “Daft Punk is Playing at My House“, from the self-titled 2005 album. It gets a mean groove going and then he talk-sings over it in kind of a Talking Heads style. The video is jumpy and visually interesting, check it out.

Leave me a comment. Show me some true faith!

Fake Plastic Trees

radiohead | MySpace Music Videos

Terrific Tunes For Tuesday – Take 49

stevenology — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 18:27:23 +0000

Today’s Terrific Tune music video is from a band known for it’s general weirdness and hypnotic songs. Some fans adore them, other people are baffled by their popularity. I’m somewhere in between but they do have a lot of good songs. The band is Radiohead (learn more, web site) and this is the video for “Fake Plastic Trees” from their second album “The Bends“, which was ranked number 110 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and number 2 on Q’s 100 Greatest Albums Ever. It *might* be their best album, but that depends on your mood at the time. This song is a low-key ballad but they can rock out too. And of course the music video is strange as can be, but still cool at the same time. Check it out.

Leave me a comment. Don’t be a paranoid android!

View/shop music by Radiohead

View/shop music by New Order

Terrific Tunes For Tuesday – Take 48

stevenology — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 06:05:13 +0000

This is another band I really like. But then, I wouldn’t feature them here if I didn’t, right? But I mean really. There’s something about their hypnotically catchy electro-pop beats and coolness along with the delicate vocal that just gets me on almost every song they do. With this band, New Order (learn more, web site), there are so many great and catchy songs that I could have used, but this video is fun and so why not this one? It’s the music video for their song “True Faith“. It’s got shots of the band, of course, but also shots of weird, costumed clown-like characters (and more) in odd yet interesting scenarios. And doing some strange things too! Weirdness for weirdness sake? Maybe, but it’s all timed with the music and big fun to look at. It actually won some video awards too. Check out the video and then leave me a comment.

Leave me a comment. Show me some true faith!

View/shop music by Oingo Boingo

Terrific Tunes For Tuesday – Take 47

stevenology — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 06:19:15 +0000

When I die, this is one of the songs that I want played at my funeral. “It’s a Dead Man’s Party, who could ask for more”? That’s right, today’s Terrific Tune video is “Dead Man’s Party” by new-wavers Oingo Boingo (learn more, web site), a great band that was led by now-film-composer Danny Elfman. They were first known as the Mystic Knights Of The Oingo Boingo, then Oingo Boingo, then Boingo, and then, well, they were gone. Too soon. I’d love for them to get back together but:

From Wikipedia: In early 2007, Danny Elfman said there would not be a reunion. He has irreversible hearing loss and is worried that playing live would exacerbate it. He stated that some other members of the band may also suffer from the condition.

I still say they could make an album in the studio, no need to play live. But that’s not going to happen either. Sigh. Anyway, this video and song is from their fourth album. That’s not necessarily my favorite album of theirs but this song is one that always satisfies (and usually gets the volume turned up). Check it out!

Leave me a comment while you are still alive!

View/shop music by Kate Nash

Terrific Tunes For Tuesday – Take 46

stevenology — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 23:40:28 +0000

Today’s Terrific Tune is from English female singer-songwriter Kate Nash (learn more, web site). It’s from her only album so far, ”Made Of Bricks” (review). The more I listen to the album the more I like it. There’s some attitude and some great lyrics deliver in her sing/talk style. And it’s pretty catchy too. Buy it and listen a bunch of times. Then tell me I’m right.

This video is for “Foundations”, which was a big hit in the UK but didn’t make much of a mark in the radio wasteland over here in the states. Too bad, it’s a quirky, charming, cute, biting, and fun song about a deteri0rating and dysfunctional relationship. Check it out, then leave me a comment below.

Terrific Tunes For Tuesday – Take 45

stevenology — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 22:05:51 +0000

Some of you dear readers may know that one of my favorite bands is XTC (learn more, web site, awesome fan site). I’ve collected hundreds of items by them and I like it all: the early faster stuff, the not-quite-as-early new wave and beyond, the middle more difficult stuff, the return to pop stuff, the live stuff, the unreleased demos, and the later independent pop-rock-folk stuff. Did they ever do a bad song? Well, that could be debated, but they have always had a unique sound and did what they wanted (much to the chagrin of their record companies who would have loved more easy hits).

Well, today’s video is a later one and a very nice pop song. It actually had mild airplay as a single. So maybe the record company liked this one for a change. But seriously, every record collection (ok, CD collection) should have a copy of their English Settlemenet, Drums And Wires, Skylarking, Black Sea, and probably Oranges And Lemons, Nonesuch, Wasp Star, White Music, and, well, hell, just buy them all! Some will take a couple listens but it’s not them, it’s you.

I couldn’t decide which video to use and really wanted an earlier one with more bite but after watching this one, I decided that it did show their clever lyrics and keen sense for melody and harmony. I’ll probably use them again down the road and it might be a jumpy, quirky new-wavy number, which they are masters of. But for now, this one is really good and the video is kind of fun too. Watch:

Leave me a comment below. Don’t be a simpleton!

View/shop music by XTC

Tune Postponed, Holidays Approach

stevenology — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 18:29:37 +0000

Sadly, no Terrific Tune For Tuesday this week. Too much time, to little to do. Wait a minute. Strike that. Reverse it.

Instead, all of us me here at the vast stevenology empire wish you a super happy holiday season! Whatever you do or don’t celebrate, and whomever you do or don’t celebrate with, it’s all good. Stressful, sure, but hey it’s almost over!

So raise your glass of whatever you like and have one for stevenology too. I had one for you already!