YouTube of the day

The video for one of the finest songs of the twenty-first century, rendered entirely in Lego (albeit with digital effects, purists):

For comparison purposes, here is the original:

Unfinished Business

There are numerous threads that have not yet been tied up. To wit:

The quarterly round-up of John Zorn's album-a-month release schedule for 2010 stalled at the end of the second quarter.

I still have something like 18 Neil Young albums post-1980 to listen to.

Darren's list of 1,111 songs (give or take a few) is up to number 19. So there is a bit of work to go there. (We love understatement.) (This was never intended to be a public project, but as each of these songs was personally chosen with me in mind, it seems only fair that I give them all proper consideration, and that  generally requires utilisation of the written word.) Number 20, for those who think two years (almost to the day, coincidence fans) is long enough, is Jose Feliciano's string-laden take on "Light My Fire".

We love old-school lounge music at our house, so this by its mere existence is uncritically awarded full marks. (His version of "California Dreamin'" might just tip this out of the number one slot, but who's counting?)

(Another fine version of "Light My Fire" is by The Free Design.)

(As a general rule, my only problem with The Doors is Jim Morrison.)

If I ever get anywhere near the end of these projects, I plan to turn my mind to Ed Kuepper's Prince Melon Bootleg Series of live recordings and outtakes; Bob Dylan's recorded works post-"Blonde On Blonde" with the exception of "Blood On The Tracks" and "Time Out Of Mind", both of which should be sufficiently well known (and loved) to require no further comment; and, once I have really taken leave of my sanity, David Bowie's catalogue since "Lodger", which is where I happily got off. Oh. That would require tracking down and listening to the Tin Man albums. I may not be man enough.

One thing led to another ...

"Ghost Town", by The Specials. (Note: best song EVAH.)



"Torch", by Soft Cell.



"Temptation", by Heaven 17.



"Confusion", by New Order.



"Stool Pigeon", by Kid Creole and The Coconuts.

Song of the day

"Mind Your Own Business", by Delta 5.



aka more words of advice Rupert Murdoch would have done well to follow.

Be sure to stick around for the very Gang of Four guitar slashing at the end.

Road Trip

We are heading off down the highway for a few days, so it figures that things will probably be a little quiet over here at Farmer In The City Central. Chances are that we won't so much be having a holiday as packing up our troubles and taking them to another location, but a change is as good and all of that.

What we won't be doing is travelling in one of these:

(Right click etc to enlarge.)

Two things to be said about this ad (from the New Yorker, mid-1961). One: nowhere does it use the word "Kombi". Two: Volkswagen have been doing fabulous, frequently self-deprecating magazine advertisements for more than 50 years. That is pretty impressive, no?

Song of the day

"News of the World", by The Jam.



Or maybe you would prefer "Sunday Papers", by Joe Jackson.



Or, and this is particular favourite that needs no bogus topical excuse, "Rupert Murdoch", by The Reels. I couldn't find it on the 'Tube, but it's short and it's sweet and you can download it here.

Song of the day

"I Might", by Wilco.



Hey kids, it's a new song by Wilco.

One of the things that has impressed me about the last couple of Wilco albums (both, in my opinion, essential purchases, although many would disagree) is the way they have managed to do so little with so many. In a good way. Once again, there is a lot of space in this song, but everything that needs to be there is there, and your brain will infer the rest. Spoon come to mind, in the taut starkness of the thing. The Smiths also come to mind, in the way the bass and drums do a lot of the melody work.

The b-side is a cover of a Nick Lowe song, proving that they also have impeccable taste.

Song of the day

"Keep You", by Class Actress.

In the chilly bleakness of another Canberra winter, this is a song that will warm your heart. The only thing I know about it is that it is brand new. Can't even find it on the 'Tube. You can (= should) download it here. (Right-click etc.)