Everyone seemed to enjoy our last music post quite a lot, so I figured we’ll start making this a regular feature and see what happens. Like last time, I’ll give you a theme, you give me a song (or a couple), and I’ll make a playlist from our results.
Most of us have a particular genre or general style we love most. For me, it’s symphonic, black and death metal with a bit of old-school power metal on the side. I was that person running around in high school wearing the ripped-up jeans and studded jackets. I adore corpse paint and death grunts accompanying ethereal sopranos. That’s the stuff!
I’m not much of an alternative music fan, really. And I wasn’t much in to the alt music scene of the 90s. Most of that stuff leaves me shuddering and reaching for Emperor or Epica. But every once in a while, the right song will hit at the right time in just the right way, and I’ll end up adoring something you’d never expect to hear in my rotation.
That’s what happened with 4 Non Blondes’ “What’s Up?”. This is so not my type of song. And yet, when it came up in Sense8 and worked so perfectly, I fell deeply and forever in love with it. Now it makes me happy right down to my toes whenever I hear it.
You can see the scene it was in here.
Your mission, should you choose to accept it: what’s one of your favorite songs that’s completely out of character for you?
I’m not a fan of modern pop/R&B, but Nelly Furtado’s ‘All Good Things (Come To An End)’ is to me one of the best songs in popular music. I also think ‘Gimme More’ by Britney Spears is a nicely crafted dance tune.
So I’m normally a classical music fan/band geek. And I feel a little conflicted sharing this song, because “good job Heliconia, the only time you listen to reggae it’s by a white dude”. But this is one hell of an earworm, and the clever looping bit starting at about 4:25 is really fascinating.
Neat! Reminds me of some of Kimbra’s stuff.
This one. And this one.
Yes, I am hopelessly and traditionally romantic deep down. I’ve just seen too much of it to believe in it anymore.
Wamdue Project: Kind of my Castle
Dance is so not mine, but I really love this one. Makes me dance.
I’ve got to admit that “What’s Up” is appealing to my music tastes.
The Tiny’s “Closer” was the Weather on an early episode of Welcome to Night Vale. I can’t say why I like it, but I do.
My preferred musical stylings these days are black metal like Wolves in the Throne Room, Ludicra, Agalloch, Alda, et al. (I live in Cascadia, kinda makes sense) I used to listen almost exclusively to HC and anarchist punk, then fell into death metal hard. All that being said, “Conga” by Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine shreds.
I’m pretty much entirely a musical theatre girl, and then suddenly Indila. Hello, French Pop.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=K5KAc5CoCuk
I have no excuse. I was in my late 40s when this came out and it just blew me away. So here.
BTW, I really loved the 4 Non Blondes back in the day.
My favourite song was this one. I only understood half of it, but somehow they managed to really capture how I felt.
Nope, I was not a happy camper
I really dislike rap/hip-hop but the song Close Edge by Mos Def – 1st saw the video on the Dave Chapelle Show I really like it and I’ll be 65 in August.
I usually listen to rock but this soldier’s song from the Napoleonic Wars struck me.
Over the Hills and Far Away sung by John Tams.
If I should fall to rise no more,
As many comrades did before,
Ask the fifes and drums to play
Over the hills and far away.
Chorus:
O’er the hills and o’er the main
Through Flanders, Portugal and Spain.
King George commands and we obey
Over the hills and far away.
I gotta admit, again, I find a struggle to choose. Partly because,well, to be honest I’ll listen to (almost?) anything and try and take it for what it is. I like most genres from classical to, well okay not hip hop or disco all that much but even there. Love Pink Floyd, some metal, some punk, some, well, most everything really. Try to listen without expecting anything.
So really can’t decide, except, well, a US singer covering a song I already love that is about a quintessentially quixotic and paradoxical Aussie “hero” /anti-hero depending on how you look at him? And that song still somehow actually kinda works? And its Australia day already over here in Oz? Yeah, I’m gonna go with that now :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LH7FXf66KU
One of the stranger angles on a song and Aussie folk icon.
The original for comparison :
So why does one song link not embed then another link cut’n’pasted in the exact same way then embed? I really don’t know.
Okay another guilty rather silly and not that predictable pleasure because Christian~ish Chris DeBurgh Xmas carol :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56LMxlUVZ34
Confession time – I also like his “Don’t pay the Ferryman’ too..
I’ve always been partial to his Spanish Train myself. Something about the idea of the god and the devil gambling souls away appeals to me.
Most of my playlist is rock and metal. But I heard a clip of a beautiful song on an episode of Star Gate Universe, and it just grabbed me. The song is Breathe by Alexi Murdoch, enjoy…
Postscript: There’s another short simple sweet song I like to listen to just before bed. Sweet Dream by Greg Laswell