ipod shuffle, with annotations

I am anesthetizing myself with music today as I prepare for double-whammy, back-to-back overnight guests. John’s father arrives this evening, stopping over on his way to Coloma, WI, where he has a cabin. As soon as he leaves tomorrow, my mother arrives. She’s spending the night before taking a morning flight to Albuquirky to see my sis.

~A Forest (The Cure)
More than my own high school experience, The Cure always makes me think of that girl who hung out at Cahoots in the mid-nineties. I used to take manuscripts there, leaving behind the pages I read rather than schlepping around stacks of paper. Anyway, that girl skulked into the back room one day and spilled onto the sofa. In her hand was a Cure album, vinyl. She put the record on the turntable and sighed, declaring her devotion to Robert Smith. Ten years later, I wonder what happened to that girl and if I would recognize her. Certainly, though, she's still spinning "Head on the Door."

~Perfect (Flyleaf)
John gave me the Flyleaf album for Christmas. Not sure I like it. Certainly haven’t given it much of a listen. Just thrilled by the thoughtfulness of the gift, especially since he did a ton of research. That, and we have some overlap in our musical tastes, but ultimately listen to some really different stuff.

~Puttin’ on the Ritz (Taco)
A few years ago, when invited to our friends’ houses for dinner, we would bring a “mix” CD, constituting whatever music we were enjoying at that moment, as well as the requisite bottle of wine. Friend Scott reciprocated with a mix CD of his own that had such unexpected tunes as Taco’s one-hit wonder.

~Rockaway Beach (Ramones)
It’s the Ramones.

~The Barry Williams Show (Peter Gabriel)
A lifelong dream fulfilled when I saw Peter Gabriel in concert on the tour promoting Up. Gabriel’s later music isn’t my favorite, but I appreciate that he continues to buck convention. This song is seven minutes, long.

~Listen Up (Walt Mink)
I wish this local band had enjoyed the same sort of album sales as Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins—they certainly had similar accolades from critics and fans.

~Protex Blue (The Clash)
Minor and barely tolerable song; let's face it, the world's greatest band had some klunkers.

~Does Everyone Stare (The Police)
I’m always happy when The Police are shuffled, although since they constitute a large part of my ipod, I don’t know if their appearance here is entirely random.

~Tongue Dance (Les Rita Mitsouko)
Cheeky.

~War on Culture (Carbon/Silicon)
Preachy lyrics set to unbelievably catchy melodies, which has always been Mick Jones’s weakness.