Pandora Pandemonium - Black Friday Edition

Look at what a pretty day we had today! Sunny and low 60s - perfect day to not be in the mall going crazy. Instead SIL and I went to a nice shopping village called Peddler's Village, had a lovely lunch and walked around. It was great!

So...let's see what Pandora gives us as we recover from Thanksgiving overindulgence. It should have been a Lola Shuffle this week, but I think I left Lola in Miami!

1. Waterloo - ABBA - Woooo...love them! And this is a great song as are the outfits in the video! C'mon, you want that blue gaucho outfit and white boots...don't lie.
2. The Delivery Man - Elvis Costello - I'd never heard this song, but I love this guy's voice, he just oozes cool.
3. You and I - Michael Bublé - Meh. I have Bublé issues. He obviously has a great voice, that not it. And I love his original songs, in other words not covers of other people's hits. I find he nakes the covers boring when compared to originals. Here's Stevie Wonder's original of this song - no comparison IMO.
4. You've Lost That Loving Feeling - The Righteous Brothers - What needs to be said? A great classic song, and they sound great.
5. Don't Tell Me - Avril Lavigne - I like this girl and this song has a necessary and surprising message, and is quite empowering for teen girls. YAY Avril!
6. On the Floor - Jennifer Lopez featuring Pitbull - JLoooooo and Pitbulllllllllllllll! Wooooo! My home boyyyyy! I love this song...straight up dance music that's it and that's enough.
7. Pride (In the Name of Love) - U2 - Another classic - vintage U2, all righteous and "anthemic" and awesome...
8. Aurora Lucis, Hymn for Easter - Gregorian Chant - Wrong holiday but very very pretty.
9. Going to the Fair - The Chieftains - I love Irish music, both traditional, like this one as well as classic rock and current stuff. These guys have been around frever and still manage to stay relevant and current. (I couldn't find a YouTube entry for this song.)
10. Have You Ever Seen the Rain - Creedence Clearwater Revival - Another classic! How great is this song and how great are CCR?

Good job Pandora! I hope you all have a great weekend and finish those leftovers!

Pandora Pandemonium - The I'm About to Go on Vacation Edition

1. Coat of Many Colors - Eva Cassidy - I had never heard this song, it's written by Dolly Parton and is lovely. Cassidy's voice is so amazing!
2. Ten Years Gone - Led Zeppelin - Meh. Some of you may know I'm not a Led Zeppelin. I don't know this song, and don't particularly like it. YAY for Pandora's fast forward...
3. After the Thrill is Gone - The Eagles - Fabulous! I love the Eagles and this song while not as popular as many of thier other songs is, imo, one of their best. The lyrics are staggering..."What can you do when your dreams come true and it's not quite like you planned? What have you done to be losing the one you held it so tight in your hand?..."
4. This Land Is Your Land - Peter, Paul and Mary - I think this song should be the national anthem of the United States. It's more relevant and is easier to sing. And it's all kinds of awesome. Speaking of awesome - Peter, Paul and Mary - love them!
5. The Edge of Glory - Lady Gaga - This is probably my favorite Lady Gaga song, and I like most of her songs. It's definitely a "dance alone in the living room" song...it's invigorating and happy! And the Clarence Clemons solo in the video - one of his last performances - way to stay current Clarence...such a loss. Good for Gaga to feature him in her video!
6. Chasing Pavements - Adele - This girl is amazing! Her songs are so evocative...coupled with her voice they are raw emotion. This is one of those...you feel her confusion and pain. And she's so young, I can't wait to see what she does next.
7. Mucho Corazón - Beny Moré - Moré is my favorite Cuban singer hands down. This is just one of his many phenomenal boleros. And the orchestra...listen to those horns. This makes me want to dance.
8. See You Soon - Coldplay - I don't know this song, but like all the Coldplay songs I've heard, I like it. I don't really know a lot of their stuff other than the "hits" - maybe I'll set up a Pandora Coldplay station. Plus I think Chris Martin's a cutie.
9. Many the Miles - Sara Bareilles - Another song I don't know, Pandora's shuffling up lots of new music for me today. I like it, and I really like her voice. This song is kinda bluesy with gospel sounding back up vocals.
10. Coyote - Joni Mitchell - Wow, I hadn't heard this song in years! It's supposed to be autobiographical where she tells about an affair she had with Sam Shepard. It's an odd song rhythmically and not especially sing-alongable, but with that voice this woman can do anything and it sounds fantastic. And how cool is this video from the movie "The Last Waltz"?

So there you have it boys and girls. Next Friday I will be in the Philadelphia 'burbs in a post-Thanksgiving stupor. Who knows what will happen!

Have a great weekend and try to start a little pandemonium of your own.

It's baaaaaack....Pandora Pandemonium! The Return Edition

I plan to devote Friday Blogs to either Pandora Pandemonium - where I'll run a Quick Mix and see what comes up from all my stations, or I'll crank Lola up and do The Lola Shuffle. If there's a song hyperlink you can see a YouTube video and hear the song!

1. You Fair and Pretty Ladies - Anonymous 4 - unfortunately I couldn't find this on You Tube.
   
2. Party Girl - Elvis Costello - he's the coolness
   
3. What Goes Around...Comes Around - Justin Timberlake - who woulda thunk he'd turn out so good! Great voice, fantastic sense of humor, good actor, and seems like a decent guy.
   
4. Goodbye to Love - The Carpenters - one of my favorites of theirs
   
5. Don't Stop Believin' - Glee Cast - Yes the Glee cast...don't judge me!
6. All This Time Still Falling Out of Love - Erasure - I came late to the Erasure party and it is one hell of a party!
   
7. Someone Saved My Life Tonight - Elton John - a classic!
   
8. It's Now or Never - Elvis Presley - his voice is so beautiful on this...
   
9. Wild World - Cat Stevens - his music always makes me smile
10. Canción con Todos - Mercedes Sosa - she's called "the voice of the voiceless ones" - and what a voice it was...is!

Have a great weekend and try to listen to some good music!

Pandora Pandemonium - The "I'm Blue - But Not the Pretty Melancholy Blue - the Pissed Off Bitchy Blue" Edition

1. Night Ride Home - Joni Mitchell - I had never heard this song, it's lovely.
2. Sweet Dreams - Beyonce - Great song...I challenge you to listen to this and not bop your head. Go ahead, try. It's impossible.
3. Fernando - ABBA - Love this song! I love how they pronounce "Fernando" correctly and don't roll their Rs where they don't have to. ABBA just rocks. So, this is about the Mexican Revolution, right? BAH! This is a live version - I'm not usually a fan of live versions, like right now I don't need to hear some random audience singing. Just sayin' .
4. My First Kiss - 3Oh!3 *featuring Ke$ha*- Ha! Ke$ha sings it with them - so you know it's quality! I've never heard this but they're the ones who sang the demented "Helen Keller" song which I was mildly obsessed with a while ago. I looked up the lyrics, they're surprisingly not offensive, much.
5. La Unica - Juanes - I love this guy's voice, and he's often got that whole scrawny needs a sandwich and a shower thing going for him...
6. Como La Cigarra - Mercedes Sosa- Oooh Mercedes Sosa! I hadn't heard her in forever...such an amazing voice. One of the few well known indigenous looking Argentinians. She had enormous influence in Latin America - a much missed voice. I think I'll pull her CD out tonight,she's good for my head.
7. Can't Take My Eyes Off You - Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons - What can I say? A classic, beautifully sung, never gets old.
8. Duele el Amor - Aleks Syntek - See, here's why Pandora is all kinds of awesome. I have no idea who this is but I like it. It's in Spanish. The girl sounds like the girl that used to be with La Oreja de Van Gogh. Wait here while I do a quick Google. OK I'm back. Here's the scoop - he's Mexican, and the girls he's singing with is Ana Torroja from Spanish group Mecano, not the one I thought. Good song.
9. Dynamite - Taio Cruz - ohmygod I love this song! I mean come on! When a song starts "I came to dance-dance-dance-dance. I hit the floor cause that's my plans plans plans plans. I'm wearing all my favorite brands brands brands brands. Give me some space for both my hands hands hands hands." He repeats the important parts FOUR times, that's how you know it's important. And then of course the life lesson of the song: "Cause it goes on and on and on, and it goes on and on and on. Yeah. I throw my hands up in the air sometimes, saying ay-oh, gotta let go." Ay-oh indeed Taio, ay-oh indeed.
10. Money's Too Tight to Mention - Simply Red - Meh. This is from the album "Simply Red: Greatest Hits". I didn't know they had greatest hitS, I thought they only had one hit - singular. You know the one, that one...wait while I Google again...ok right "Holding Back the Years". So while Googling I read that this song is a cover of a soul standard. I'm not feeling it with them - although a dig at Reagonomics is always appreciated :)

That's it for Pandora this week, next week Lola will be back - I think I'll alternate them to keep it fresh.

Have a great weekend and as Taio says, "Light it up like it's dynamite!" Ay-oh.

I'm Still Here...I'm Fine

I just don't have much to say I guess.

As many of you know I've been like this about pretty much everyting. I'm writing it off to yet another phase of that wonderful adventure known as menopause.

Wheee!

I feel I should give you something. Here...I'll do a Pandora Pandemonium, how's that?

I'm setting Pandora to run a QuickMix from all my stations, let's see what comes up...

1. Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin - Ohmygod! WTH? I am so not a fan of this song. Clearly a cruel cosmic joke.
2. Dead Flowers - The Rolling Stones - I don't know this song
3. Scar Tissue - Red Hot Chili Peppers - I don't kow this song
4. Dirty Old Town - The Pogues - Yay! Great song!
5. Don't Go - Yaz - GAH! OMG! My ears are bleeding!
6. Down In The River To Play - Allan Hall - Great song, don't know this guy. This arrangement is so-so.

Oh, Pandora only lets me skip sthrough six songs at a time, so that's all you get.

OK...I'll go back to work now. Love you loads...see you maybe soonish.

Hugs!