Day: August 31, 2005

I have nothing particularly pithy to say. New Orleans, which thought it had dodged a bullet, is devastated by weather, infrastructure failure and human behavior. The gulf states are facing damage in terms of life and property that we won’t really know the extent of for days, as officials frantically try to rescue what’s salvageable. So, I’ve decided, and maybe you’ll decide, to donate to the Red Cross.

So, how to do this that might work to maximize the effort among folks reading this? How about this: I will give $1 to the Red Cross for every person going to my blog – they don’t even have to read it, though obviously I wish they would – between now and the end of Labor Day (Monday) at 10 pm EDT. (The counter is at 144.) The challenge is for every blogger and web person to do something similar. The need is extraordinary.

NAME: Larry Young (with Charlie Allard and Matt Smith)
BLOG NAME: AiT/PlanetLar
NAME OF CD: Astronauts in Trouble
NUMBER OF CUTS: 20
RUNNING TIME: 51:38 (the first CD I received that was shorter than mine)
COVER ART: Label
SONG LIST:
1. Prof. Hawking’s Channel Seven Promo: The World’s Smartest Man Watches Channel 7 (talk)
2. 21st Century Newscast: We Will Rock You Bipartisan Mix-EBN
3. Hayescorp Command Center: Apollo 11 Mission Control, Houston (talk)
4. AiT/TMP Opening Titles: Sing Sing Sing (with a Swing)-Louis Prima
5. In the Newsvan Tapedeck: Bad Astronaut-James Kolchaka
6. Re-Align the Low-Gain: Turn It On-the Flaming Lips
7. Heck’s Got a Hangover: Absurd- http://www.absurdfluke.com/ Fluke
8. The Moon from Inside of a Spacesuit: Oye Como Va-Santana
9. Neil and Buzz: Tranquility Base 20 July 1969 (talk)
10. Pepperoni Pizza Nightmares: Dean’s Dream-the Dead Milkmen
11. Float Me Another One: Feelin Existential-Mojo Nixon
12. Cry Me to the Moon: St. Cajetan-Cracker
13. Static, Baby-Open Frequency- http://www.sharpeworld.com/marcy/pages/article.html Dr Zomb’s Stereo Obscura
14. Annie’s Suit Radio: Greetings to the New Brunette-Billy Bragg
15. The Cows Go In: Ring of Fire-Johnny Cash
16. Home Box Office: Tom Hanks Apollo 13 (talk)
17. Not Enough Coffee to Go Around: Fade to Black-Dire Straits
18. AiT;TMP End Credits: Hi Side-the Mad Capsule Markets
19. Doomsday Plus One: Press conference-President Ronald Reagan Talk)
20. Hot Mike: Canon Help Desk-Troubleshooting (talk)
ALREADY REVIEWED BY: Gordon on August 24
GENERAL THOUGHTS: Not only did I get a CD, I (and all of the other participants) received a book. An interesting mix of talk and music, not surprising space-related.
THINGS I PARTICULARLY LOVED: All the talk snippets except the last; 3-I have a couple Benny Goodman versions, but was unfamiliar with the Prima doing it; 12-17 (I own the last three song tracks).
ON THE OTHER HAND: 7-some sort of techno-grunge that would have been OK in a short piece, but the 6-minute track felt like twice that long. 20- wasn’t prepared for the obscenity-laden tirade.
OFFICE FRIENDLY: 5 is naughty, 10 has F-bomb but it’s down so much in the mix, I nearly missed it. 20-that’s a big time no.
ONLY VAGUELY RELATED: I’m looking forward to the Johnny Cash biopic, Walk the Line, this fall.

NAME: Logan Polk
BLOG NAME: House of the Ded
NAME OF CD: The Ded Mix Vol. 2-Songs I Know By Heart
NUMBER OF CUTS: 19
RUNNING TIME: 76:59
COVER ART: Typed
SONG LIST:
1. Anyway-Dynamite Hack
2. Screaming Infidelities-Dashboard Confessionals
3. Now That It’s Over-Everclear
4. One Thing-Finger Eleven
5. Superhero Girl-Eve 6
6. Someday We’ll Know-New Radicals
7. Songs About Rain-Gary Allen
8. C’mon C’mon-Sheryl Crow
9. Always on My Mind-Phantom Planet
10. I Can’t Stand Losing You-Blue Flannel
11. Everything to Everyone-Everclear
12. Long Drive Home-John Oszajca
13. Solitude-Edwin McCain & Darius Rucker
14. She Talks to Angels-the Black Crowes
15. Stepping Stone-the Monkees
16. Lonely of Faith-Kid Rock
17. Recollection Phoenix-Willie Nelson
18. Walls-Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
19. ???????-???????
ALREADY REVIEWED BY: Gordon on June 30
GENERAL THOUGHTS: These things don’t HAVE to start with a rocker, but it usually a good formula; no exception here. The album bounces back and forth between rockin’ and more mid-tempo stuff.
Most of these songs I DON’T know by heart- only the Heartbreakers, Crow, Black Crowes, and Monkees; hmm, some sort of animal theme developing. The disc has introduced me to people I might have heard of or even caught on the radio, but the DJs almost NEVER announce the performer anymore. So, Logan has broadened my horizons.
THINGS I PARTICULARLY LOVED: 1, 6, 7 (esp. the chorus), 9, 10 (esp. lyrics), 11, the quirky horn of 12, 16 (oh, no, I like a Kid Rock song).
ON THE OTHER HAND: Nothing really. I just didn’t really get engaged in the disc until the second quarter. Oh, and the completist in me needs to know what/who is on track 19.
OFFICE FRIENDLY: F*** in 1, 3, 5, S*** in 12
ONLY VAGUELY RELATED:

I have had an irrational addiction to the Petty song since I heard it on the “She the One” soundtrack.