Friday, February 13, 2009

Friday Random 11: Be My DJ Today

I have been tied up with work and also with watching Libby for the last couple of days, as The Lovely Becky departed for an expenses-paid round of boozing and dining a writing conference. This has left little time to post some of my fabulous new pieces or a Random 11 today.

However, acting on a tip from a certain undead blogger, I recently signed up for eMusic. It's a monthly subscription music service: I pay a flat fee for so many downloads. They have a free trial where you can get your first 25 songs free, so I thought I'd give them a shot.

After downloading one album (of nine songs), I became paralyzed. I only have 16 free songs left! I have to make sure I get my non-money's worth!

This always happens with me when I have credit or gift cards, I over-analyze what I should get with them. I often get gift cards for places like Best Buy, and I horde them like Elaine Benes storing Today contraceptive sponges, waiting for the purchase that will be gift-card worthy. I am convinced that, at least in my case, it is the anticipation of consumerism that is more enjoyable to me than the actual purchase. I should just keep all those gift cards forever and live in a perpetual state of possible purchases.

Anyway, since I need help with my free songs, let me know what you're listening to these days. New, old, famous, obscure...no matter. EMusic is a little limited, but there seems to be a lot of stuff on there. And besides, I'll need new ideas when I get gift cards again.

Oh, and as far as this whole taking-care-of-the-baby-by-myself thing goes, it's amazing how docile they get with a little bourbon and KFC.* Just like daddy.

*Something Snag has known for years.

16 comments:

Vonnie said...

I am currently (and cannot stop) listening to "Raising Sand" Robert Plant/Alison Krauss. All of the songs are fab.
Unless you already have this. You should already have this.

Mendacious D said...

Marnie Stern, currently in the running for longest album title with This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That

It is excellent.

fish said...

I have rediscovered my old cache of Screaming Blue Messiahs. Actually had to load it into the computer and everything...

zombie rotten mcdonald said...

fish, I NEED some of that SBM. I haven't been able to find digital copies of them anywhere.

Brando, Snag got me going on Bruce Cockburn today; the recent Heartless Bastards are on eMusic (now is that a 3Bullsified name or what)

Also: there's a new Twilight Sad disc, AC Newman has a new one. I like the new Todd Rundgren, Arena also. And PP's dithering aside, I think You would like the Gaslight Anthem...

Is that 16? Hey, I had to buy a booster pack today, and I still have 40 discs in my Saved For Later. Holding onto my monthly allotment is NOT a problem for me.

Von, have I ever mentioned what I think about the cover to that Plant/Krauss album?

fish said...

ZRM email me with either an ftp site or a snail mail address and I will hook you up.

reallysmallfish at yahoo dot com

Jennifer said...

Brando... I know that hoarding feel. I have gotten gift cards and have never used them only to find out I've spent 100X the amount, thinking in the back of my head, well, I'll just buy this now and will use the gift card for the next purchase, thus saving this money and that... somehow....

I feel your pain.

zombie rotten mcdonald said...

Also, do I HAVE to mention that the Mekons are quite well represented on eMusic?


Try stuff off of Honky Tonkin, Retreat From Memphis, So good it Hurts or I Love Mekons. Or more recent "mature" albums like OOOH!, Journey to The end Of The Night (some nice guest work from Neko Case here) or Natural.

Stay away from the Mekons story, Mekons, or United, at least until you've built up a tolerance....

Churlita said...

I love the Mekons too. Are they still touring?

It sounds like you need less suggestions, not more suggestions. Maybe we should tell you the bands that we think suck.

fish said...

Genesis.

Brando said...

Cool, thanks for all the suggestions. I have the Plant/Krauss album but only recently started listening to it. I left it alone because I've generally disliked most of Plant's solo stuff, but it really is a great album.

eMusic didn't have Marnie Stern or Screaming Blue Messiahs. I will have to investigate by other means.

I took a listen to some other stuff and downloaded the first Heartless Bastards, The Twilight Sad, and Fear and Whiskey by The Mekons (I figured I had to start with the disc Christgau gave a rare A+ to). I think this is the beginning of beautiful friendship between eMusic and me.

zombie rotten mcdonald said...

yeah, you want to have plenty of Genesis and Rush on hand in case fish stops by....

Churlita, the Mekes are still active. Some of them live in Chicago, some in NY, some in england, and one in Hong Kong, I think. So typically they will find a way to be in the same place every couple of years (the last album, Natural, was recorded after they all ended up in England for a funeral) and record one, and based on travel and such would follow up with some kind of tour. two years ago, they managed both America and England, in a limited fashion. We usually get something, because Milwaukee is an easy stop from Chicago.

The rumor is that they have some new recording slated for this spring.

John Langford says "we are the only original punk band left. Al the others are either working day jobs or dead."

Brando said...

LOL at fish for the Genesis zinger.

zombie rotten mcdonald said...

Primus sucks.

So does Creed.


my word captcha is 'sperm' not kidding.

Blogger goes Full Filthbot.

Adorable Girlfriend said...

OT, but related: hope you and Libby had fun together.

zombie rotten mcdonald said...

Since when has AG been worried about being OT?

I call Shenanigans Imposter!!!

Anonymous said...

if you dont mind stretching a bit beyond borders you might enjoy the soundtrack to Dev D. i dont think it's available on emusic, but it's on amazon.com