If you are a regular here at onethingnew.com, you’ll know that I started a weight loss program a few days ago. Well, I bought a stationary bike yesterday, and the only place in the house to put it is in our bedroom where there is no TV or computer. That means nothing to occupy my mind while I’m riding. So this evening, I’m putting together some iTunes workout mixes so I can listen to my iPod while I ride.
My mixes are going to be longer than five songs, but I think you can get the full workout experience in the mix I’ve got for you tonight. I’m making a rock mix, a hip-hop mix, and an everything mix. Tonight, I give you Top Five Friday’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Workout Mix.
1. Living in a World Without Her - The Pogues.
Here is your warm up. The song starts with a lilting Irish melody for a few bars before the driving beat kicks in. I got turned on to The Pogues after “Summer in Siam” was featured prominently in my all-time favorite movie, Basquiat. That’s a beautiful song, but “Living in a World Without Her” is an awesome song. And it’s definitely a great way to start your workout.
2. Black Horse and the Cherry Tree - K.T. Tunstall.
I’m the first to admit it: the older I get, the cheesier I get. I think it’s just the way of the world. How do I know this is happening? American Idol, that’s how. Five or six years ago, I wouldn’t have been caught dead watching that show. But last season I got hooked, and I’ve watched every episode since. And I can’t explain why. Nonetheless, I first heard “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree” when Katherine McPhee sang it on AI last season. It’s a great song, with a steady beat. Great for keeping your energy up.
3. Dancing with Myself - Billy Idol.
When I was a kid, I liked Billy Idol because of his music videos. Yeah, those videos featuring scantily-clad women writhing around on giant beds that premiered when I was just entering puberty. But when I got older, I started to like him for his music. And it’s some pretty catchy stuff. I think we all know what “Dancing with Myself” is really about, but I choose to believe that it’s about dancing.
4. I’m Not Okay (I Promise) - My Chemical Romance.
Perhaps a screamo-flavored, pop-metal song about being an outcast isn’t the most appropriate song choice for a workout. But it’s so darn catchy. And the melody and beat are so infectious that you can’t help wanting to move around. And if you’re feeling isolated, might as well isolate some muscle groups while you’re at it.
5. Blacking Out the Friction - Death Cab for Cutie.
And now for a cool-down song. Your energy level has been high for 15 minutes, and now it’s time to shake it out. Something about this song makes me mellow without feeling sad, and that’s a great way to wind down. The lyrics might be appropriate, too, as you try to forget about the burn you feel in your muscles from that intense workout!
I think that’s a pretty good mini mix for a mini workout. Some folks say you only need to exercise eight minutes in the morning. Well, tonight’s mix is good for two of those! Enjoy, folks.
It’s Academy Awards time this weekend, and I’ve got to say I feel pretty out of touch with new movies. There was a time when I was catching three or four of the best picture nominees before the Oscar telecast (this year, I’ve seen one: Little Miss Sunshine). But those days seem to be gone. My time and money are being spent in other ways lately.
That’s not to say I don’t still like movies. Quite the contrary, and here’s your Top Five Friday Mini-mix to prove it. I’ve chosen songs that played important, memorable parts in some of my favorite movies. And I think the mix works pretty well from a “mixed tape” standpoint, too. So, enjoy and have a great weekend.
1. Simon and Garfunkel - Mrs. Robinson (featured in The Graduate).
Imagine a world without pop songs on soundtracks. Now throw into that world an entire movie full of pop songs, and you’ll have The Graduate. The inclusion of previously-released Simon & Garfunkel songs on the soundtrack to that film was groundbreaking, and that decision has influenced music in film to this day, in which soundtrack consultants basically make a mixed tape of theme-appropriate songs and call it a score.
But besides all that, Mrs. Robinson is a great song that captures the mood of the ’60s generation living through a period of intense upheaval and staring at a decidedly uncertain future. Plus, it’s a damn catchy pop tune.
2. The Shins - New Slang (featured in Garden State).
Remember what I just said someone putting together a mixed tape and calling it a soundtrack? Well, Zach Braff did just that in Garden State. He picked out all the songs before they started filming. In fact, he would sent the soundtrack along with the script to actors he was interested in casting.
New Slang is a beautiful song, and it’s an integral part of the meeting of the two main characters. The melody and lyrics create a thoughtful tone and let the viewer know that Natalie Portman’s character has some interesting stuff going on below the surface. When Braff’s character puts on the headphones, he’s interested, but when he hears the song, he’s downright intrigued.
3. Chuck Berry - Johnny B. Goode (featured in Back to the Future).
I bet you didn’t know that Michael J. Fox is the real king of rock & roll. Turns out, this one time, he went back to 1955 and played Johnny B. Goode at his parents’ high school dance. Really ripped it up, too. Just think, if it wasn’t for him, we’d still be listening to Lawrence Welk.
4. John Hiatt - Have a Little Faith in Me (featured in Benny & Joon).
An underrated gem in Johnny Depp’s filmography, Benny & Joon is such an unorthodox love story. Depp plays Sam, an illiterate wanderer who dresses and acts like Buster Keaton. Mary Stuart Masterson plays Joon, a mentally ill woman who acts out in town and doesn’t trust anyone but her brother Benny. The movie tells the story of Sam and Joon falling in love, and the centerpiece of their love story is Have a Little Faith in Me by John Hiatt. It’s a beautiful song, and it perfectly captures this romance between two broken people.
5. Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody (featured in Wayne’s World).
There’s not really anything insightful I can say about Wayne’s World. But I looked up some trivia on IMDB about it, though. So far, Wayne’s World is the only Saturday Night Live spin off movie to gross over $100 million. When the actors were filming the Bohemian Rhapsody scene, Mike Myers and Dana Carvey both injured their necks from head banging. Carvey didn’t know the words to the song while they were filming, and you can see him mouthing the wrong words a couple of times. Excellent!
And there you have my pre-Oscars mini-mix. Have a great weekend!
I’ve been a subscriber to the XM Radio satellite service for a couple of years now. It’s worth the $12.95/mo. for the sports talk and baseball broadcasts that I couldn’t hear otherwise. But, after yesterday’s announcement of the proposed merger of XM and Sirius, the only boys on the block in satellite radio, I can’t help feeling my days as a subscriber will be coming to an end soon.
I don’t really have anything against Sirius. I’m sure it’s a fine service, and it would be fun to have access to Howard Stern and NFL broadcasts. My beef is the same beef the FCC and whatever alphabet-soup regulatory organizations will have with the merger: the prospect of a monopolized satellite radio industry.
I’ve already read rumblings of price hikes and changes in service that would make my current XM receiver obsolete. And, while an initial “sky is falling” mentality is to be expected with any such announcement, these assertions feel to me more like fact than fiction. After all, what incentive will the new company have to keep post-merger prices low and current tech compatible with their new service? They will be without competitor in their niche market. They can establish whatever rules and standards they want without having to worry about someone else doing it better, faster, or cheaper.
XM and Sirius claim that Internet radio, terrestrial radio, and the use of portable music players like the iPod are their true competitors. But from my perspective, that argument doesn’t hold any water. If I didn’t have my XM receiver in the car, I certainly wouldn’t listen to the commercial-filled, generic playlists on terrestrial radio. I probably wouldn’t listen to my iPod: eight times in 10, I forget to bring it along on car trips. And, as plugged in as I am, I’m not even really sure what Internet radio is anymore. Chances are, I’d go back to listening to CDs, and nobody wants that.
In the end, I’m sure the alphabit’s agencies will approve the merger. Two behemoth companies like Sirius and XM don’t go public with a deal like this without being pretty sure of it’s success. But I worry about the millions of subscribers like me who jumped on the satellite radio bandwagon with the promise of commercial-free music and unique radio programming: will we be taken care of?
Weekend Web Developers need some entertainment from time to time. But just as it’s entertaining, the video I’m sharing with you today is also inspiring. It illustrates one of my favorite truisms about the Internet (and the world) and exemplifies what I’m trying to do with one thing new: when someone combines two disparate ideas or skills, they can make a meaningful, cohesive whole from the parts.
In Greg Pattillo’s video, he combines his flute playing with hip-hop-style beatboxing and creates fully arranged songs. It’s an amazing skill, and I couldn’t stop smiling when i found this video for the first time.
His performance inspired me by letting me know that there are other folks out there making “one thing new” all the time. They are creating something totally original from non-original components. It’s a good feeling to know that there might be an audience for my ramblings out there, after all.
Brand new feature here at one thing new: Top Five Friday. Each Friday, I’ll post a five-song playlist with links (eventually) to the iTunes music store so you can create the mix yourself.
Today I’ll list my top five songs for a Sunday afternoon. But first, let me explain. The Sunday afternoon I’m talking about is the aimless sort of day when all you want to do is look at your old yearbooks or photo albums. It’s that reflective Sunday afternoon when the grass has been cut and the laundry has been folded, and all that’s left is yourself and your mind and your music. That’s what I’m shooting for; here goes:
1. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right - Bob Dylan.
Sometimes we hold on to relationships for the wrong reasons. Maybe a person becomes a habit or god forbid, an addiction. Maybe they have something you feel like you can’t live without or you’ll never get again. Well, that’s how the woman in this song feels about the man singing. But he’s strong enough to keep moving in the face of her misguided advances. I’ve been on both sides of that relationship equation, and it’s comforting to know that at least Bob Dylan has, too.
2. Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes - Paul Simon.
On the heels of the dysfunction in #1, here’s Mr. Simon saying that love can overcome the greatest of differences (”She makes the sign of a teaspoon, he makes the sign of a wave.” What could be more different than that?). The a capella intro sets a melancholy tone that the punchy bass and guitar lines flip upside down when they kick in. It’s a delightful song that makes me think about the woman I love, and how our differences make us stronger.
3. Slow Down Old World - Willie Nelson.
As you get older, time has a way of nipping at your heels. You look back at your life, and it feels like a tick on the clock. So when you get to the middle of your life, you realize you’ve just got one tick left. I think that’s what this song is saying. Or it could just be a guy in a jail cell thinking about the world passing him by while he’s incarcerated. I prefer the former interpretation.
4. I Am Aglow - Sarah Harmer.
Man, i love Sarah Harmer. And this song is just spectacular. Ahe’s got a crush, but she doesn’t really know the person. And doesn’t that make crushes so much more powerful? When you start digging into the person you’re digging, chances are you won’t like everything you find. But if all you have are second-hand stories and your “imagination painting scenes more pretty,” then full speed ahead: crush ahoy! Footnote: I love songs with mandolins. I smell another Top Five Friday…
5. Blue Bayou - Roy Orbison.
The grass is always greener on blue bayou. It’s your typical, 72 virgins, heaven, nirvana promise of paradise. And the voice of paradise? That’s Roy Orbison, folks. What more can i say?
So there you have a mini-mix for a very specific kind of Sunday Afternoon. I hope you’ll try it out. I recommend a tall glass of sweet (not too sweet) tea and maybe a solo drive through the country. It’ll clear your head.
1. Living in a World Without Her - The Pogues
2. Black Horse and the Cherry Tree - K.T. Tunstall
3. Dancing with Myself - Billy Idol
4. I’m Not Okay (I Promise) - My Chemical Romance
5. Blacking Out the Friction - Death Cab for Cutie
It’s Academy Awards time this weekend, and I’ve got to say I feel pretty out of touch with new movies. There was a time when I was catching three or four of the best picture nominees before the Oscar telecast (this year, I’ve seen one: Little Miss Sunshine). But those days seem to be gone. My time and money are being spent in other ways lately.
I’ve been a subscriber to the XM Radio satellite service for a couple of years now. It’s worth the $12.95/mo. for the sports talk and baseball broadcasts that I couldn’t hear otherwise. But, after yesterday’s announcement of 
