What's On Mike's iPod: Part 1

When Jen said she wanted an iPod for Christmas a few months back, I thought "that'll be nice for her to have, but I don't think I'll ever get one..." I didn't think I needed one all that bad, so I bought hers for Christmas and then watched her load it up with songs and videos and games and stuff...

Suddenly, I really REALLY wanted one...iPods are essential in New York...you're always traveling somewhere, especially if you live way up north in Manhattan like we do. I've got a 30 minute subway ride to work one-way each day, and I can only read so many magazines...so a few weeks after Christmas, I used my Christmas money (thanks Mom and Grandma!!) to buy myself an iPod Nano as well...

Well as many people know about me, I'm a music afficiando, and I listen to just about anything and everything you can imagine...from Top 40 stuff to random songs I've found on sheer dumb luck or stumbled upon through my life. If you ask my friends back in the college years, it was never a stretch to climb into my car and listen as I played a mix CD that featured George Jones, Sir Mix-A-Lot, Sheryl Crow, Beck and Vince Gill all back-to-back.

There are currently 343 songs on my iPod. I like to think that I have a pretty good range of songs on my iPod, though I have some eyebrow raisers as well. We won't hit them all in this post obviously, but I'll try and give you a little peek into my musical realm, and maybe you'll find something you like as well...or maybe you'll just ridicule me for having not one, but THREE Hanson songs on my iPod. Who knows?

And by the way, I hate, absolutely HATE people who try to be music critics and slam certain types of music. My philosophy has, and always will be, if its fun and I can sing along to it, or at least enjoy the songwriting aspects of it, I'm going to like it. So there'll be no pretentious comments in these musings.

Without further ado, the first part of What's On Mike's iPod:

1. Give It Up
by: Public Enemy

Look, you either like Public Enemy, or you don't like music. (well, so much for the pretentious comments promise...that lasted long....but still) While this song isn't as good as "Fight The Power," its still a damn good song, mixing political dissertations and hip-hop beats. Plus, its nice to remember Flavor Flav as only mildly amusing, as opposed to the over-the-top joke he has become thanks to the geniuses over at VH1. I keep waiting for the very special episode of "Flavor of Love" where Chuck D shows up at Flav's house and kicks the shit out of him for becoming a nation-wide joke.

2. It's Always Raining Somewhere
by: Robbie Fulks

Robbie is one of those guys who is too country for rock, and too rock or at the very least alt-country for country. He's been around for years, but this song came off of his Georgia Hard album about 4 years ago. Mike Baldwin and I got the chance to interview him at KDVS in Davis when he came through to do a show and the Mike and Mike program was still alive and well. It was 45 minutes of laughter, good music, and all around fun. Robbie's a funny guy, as his lyrics show, and he's quickly become one of my top 5 favorite artists, period.

3. Secret Agent Man
by: Johnny Rivers

Hard to meet someone who doesn't know this song, since its been around for 40 plus years. Its also quickly becoming my new standard for karaoke, though don't worry, I still do a mean Hank Jr. for Family Tradition.

4. The Devil Is High
by: The Titanics
I heard this song as my friend Emma and I drove around Australia in January 2001. I ended up buying their whole album (Love Is The Devil) and its probably one of the best all-around albums of all time. Of course, the band disbanded shortly after releasing this album and this was their only album. You can't even find it on Amazon-dot-com, but you can probably get it on eBay or maybe Australian music websites. I highly recommend it if you like guitar rock with a little psychadelia mixed in.

5. Bingo Fever
by: Da Yoopers

The Yoopers are a comedy skit troupe from Michigan's Upper Peninsula. They're funny as hell and have put out some great songs. This is one of them, about a man lamenting his wife's addictive bingo habit. It always reminds me of my paternal grandma, who had a SERIOUS bingo addiction in her later years.

6. Where's The Love
by: Hanson

OK, before everyone dies laughing, or begins to ask for my man card, let me explain. I....ok I have no explanation. I just like this song. Its catchy, its fun, and...you know, I'd better stop talking. Lets just move on.

7. The Right Time
by: Hoodoo Gurus

More Australian rockers. That was one of the things about going to Australia back in 2001, all the great music I found out about. There are hundreds of bands over there that are awesome but of course don't get ANY play over here in North America. In fact, here's a website to one of the radio stations over there, called Triple J.

http://triplej.abc.net.au

When you have time, click over there and take a listen for about 30 minutes. You won't be disappointed.

As for the Hoodoo Gurus, they've been around forever, and actually DID get some college rock play here in the States back in the 80s. Good good stuff.

8. She'd Rather Be Homeless
by: Bobby Bare

In 1998, country music legends Waylon Jennings, Bobby Bare, Mel Tillis and Jerry Reed formed to put out an album under the moniker "Old Dogs." All of the songs on the album were written by noted author and poet Shel Silverstein. This one, in particular, is one of the wryly funniest songs in awhile, and Bobby Bare sings it as only he can.

9. Picture Book
by: The Kinks

I had never heard this Kinks song until it ended up playing in some commercial, I think for HP or Kodak. Very Beatles-esque. Its a hard to find song, but I think iTunes has it.

10. Guilty Conscience
by: Eminem/Dr. Dre

One of Slim Shady's first songs, off his breakthrough album. A story of people getting themselves into situations, and having to deal with Eminem (as the devil) and Dr. Dre (as the angel) on their shoulders...of course, the song ends with a guy shooting his wife and her lover...gotta love happy endings in rap songs...sheesh...pretty witty though, especially when Enimen asks if these people should be taking advice "from someone who slapped Dee Barnes" (for those who don't know, Dre slapped the female rapper back in the day as retaliation for her interviewing Ice Cube and him making derogatory comments about NWA...how do I remember all this stuff??

11. Sledgehammer
by: Peter Gabriel

One of my favorite 80s songs, and I know Dave likes it when I do the Peter Gabriel faces from the video.

12. Help Yourself
by: Tom Jones

I used to go marlin fishing with Tom Jones in the late 70s. We'd drink, haul in 500 pound marlins, and then go turn Tampa Bay upside down. Tom wrote this next song after we made a buffet restaurant stay open at gunpoint while we ate everything they had...awww Tom...hope you like it.

(If you know the movie reference, 10 points to you)

13. Alcohol
by: Barenaked Ladies

Most folks know that BNL is my favorite band. They've put out great album after great album, and great song after great song. This is one of them, all about imbibing.

14. Papa Was A Rodeo
by: The Magnetic Fields

While I never heard of the Magnetic Fields until I heard them in Australia, they are a New York band fronted by Stephen Merritt, who has a great, low-tone voice that makes all of their songs interesting. This song, about traveling entertainers, is good for its down-beat feeling and great lyrics.

15. Baby Likes To Rock It
by: The Tractors

Right now, Kevin, Mike and Dave are all cringing. Why? Because they've had to hear this song roughly 7,832,568 times in their life because of me. Its my favorite song. It will always be my favorite song. And they're probably destined to hear it another 7-million times.

The Tractors came out in 1994 as kind of a bluesy-rock Americana country band, which was different then what was being played on country radio at the time. Garth Brooks, Clint Black, and Alan Jackson still owned the country airwaves, but the Tractors made some noise with this song, and a couple of others. They released a few more albums, but none were as good as their self-titled debut. There isn't a bad song on the album, but this is the most well-known, and for good reason, because it rocks.

The video is equally entertaining. Take a look for yourself.





Well, thats a quick peek into my listening likings. Future recaps of my iPod will touch on my love for Johnny Cash, more songs from out of left field, especially from my days at KDVS and the Mike and Mike show, as well as my defense for having not one, but THREE Backstreet Boys in the grouping...

Mike