Mixtape Review - Music Ate My Brain & Spunky Munky by Shannon

Music Ate My Brain

Annie Lennox – A Thousand Beautiful Things: I like this song, especially toward the end. I have this album & this is probably the strongest song on the album.

Belly – Someone to Die For: I didn’t think I was a big fan of Belly but I really like this song. There is something very pleading yet endearing about it.

Ben Folds – The Luckiest: I like Ben Folds and all, musically and such. However I have the same problem some people have with early Coldplay. Sometimes his music makes me want to kill myself. I listen to this in a good mood & then suddenly I am slicing into my wrists. I put this song on my ipod too, so I will just have to be careful to avoid steak knives when listening to it.

Dar Williams – The Christians & the Pagans: Good song, very catchy. I probably won’t listen to it very often, as it’s about Christmas. I mean I’ve always liked “Good King Wenceslas” and “Christmas with the Devil” but I never listen to those out of season. Also when you have lyrics like “hang candy canes all made with red dye number three” I make a funny face.

Depeche Mode – Dream On: Another good one, I’ve got this too. I think later Depeche Mode is overproduced and now writing that sentence I realize what a silly thing that is to say since we are talking about Depeche Mode here. Great chorus though.

Green Day – Long View: One of my favorite song openings. Love Green Day, this song is only so-so though. Maybe it’s because it got so much radio play. Great lyrics, the song itself feels a little derivative, like I said before, maybe because it got so much airplay I’m just tired of it.

Jason Mraz – Curbside Prophet: Eh, this song keeps saying “cheer up, listen to how peppy I am!” which is making me cranky as I have a very rebellious spirit. I don’t really like this song unless when he says “I’m just a curbside prophet with my hand in my pocket & I’m waiting for my rocket to come” he means he’s a crazy homeless dude with his hand in his pocket frantically masturbating. If that’s the case then I do like this song.

Jem –They: I have this album too. I love this song it reminds me of a paper towel commercial but I never get tired of it. Vocals are hot and so is the arrangement. If I had my own show on Showtime I would probably use this for the opening credit music.

k.d. lang – Hallelujah: “Hallelujah” is one of my all time favorite songs. If I could only fit 10 songs on my ipod “Hallelujah” would be on that list. I actually have five other versions of this song, but I didn’t have this one, so now I have six versions of “Hallelujah” (the other five are by Jeff Buckley, Rufus Wainwright, John Cale, Angelou, and Arooj Aftab). k.d.’s version is good, it doesn’t mess with the arrangement which I appreciate. However something that female singers do when they cover the song is leave out this verse “well there was a time when you let me know / what's really going on below / but now you never show that to me do you / but remember when I moved in you / and the holy dove was moving too / and every breath we drew was hallelujah” which I think is a great verse and I would have expected k.d. to leave it in and she didn’t so I’m a bit disappointed.

Matthew Sweet – Girlfriend: I know I could get my hip card revoked for saying this but I don’t really like Matthew Sweet, I don’t skip over the song or anything but I wouldn’t pay for this. The guitars in this song are downright annoying.

My Chemical Romance – I’m Not Okay: Okay, I’m not okay with this song. I would like to hear more My Chemical Romance before I develop an opinion here but based on this one song I think this band is way over-hyped. Did they record this on the first take before the band got to actually read the sheet music? Reminds me a bit of Harvey Danger.

The Psychadelic Furs - All That Money Wants: I love The Psychadelic Furs, I like singing along with a faux new wave Brit accent.

Toad the Wet Sprocket - I Will Not Take These Things for Granted: There was a year in high school where I wore out my TTWS Dulcinea tape. I really like them, though the lead singer can only sing three notes. This song is good rainy afternoon music.

Shoen Knife – Top of the World: I haven’t heard much Shoen Knife but I’ve never heard anything I like. Musically they’re ok but the lead singer makes me want to kill myself in a totally different way than Ben Folds. I am thinking bullet to the temple.

The Vines – Ride: Love this song, have this album (thanks to you). Song is mega played out! I hate you Cadillac commercials! Let’s listen to “Get Free” instead.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Rich: I’ve got this one too. I like this band. The whole album sounds like it was recorded on stolen studio time by the drummer who didn’t know how to use all the little slidey switches on the studio boards. This song always makes me bob my head like people in India say “yes”.

Ani DiFranco –My I.Q.: You know I love Ani, but I hate poetry on albums. You’re expecting music, but ah ha fooled you. There should be a little star next to the title so I know to skip over it and go to the next song. I got my period in seventh grade. I didn’t feel like a woman, I just felt inconvenienced and sticky. Also my I.Q. is 152 in case you needed more useless info. That means I’m smart enough to get into Mensa but not stupid enough to consider joining.

The Beastie Boys – Girls: As I have already told you “Girls” is my number four favorite Beastie Boys song. What are the other three you ask? 1. Sabotage 2. Intergalactic 3. Bodhisattva Vow.

Beck – Fucking With My Head: I dunno, maybe I’m still disappointed that he’s a Scientologist but I’m not feeling the Beck much anymore.

Spunky Munky

Tattletale - Glass Vase Cello Case: This is a good one, I’ve heard this before on a couple shows. It’s soft and passionate but too short.

Boy George – Satan’s Butterfly Ball: Do you really want to hurt me? Do you really want to make me cry? Ok so this song isn’t that bad but I feel like I’ve heard it a hundred times before even though this is the first time I ever have.

Cowboy Junkies – Hold Onto Me: This I love, somewhere between Paula Cole & Mazzy Star. “I’ll hold onto this gift we share it is as slippery as it is rare.”

Counting Crows – Goodnight Elizabeth: When I was in high school I really liked Counting Crows which is when they were popular I believe. I still like them. “Round Here” is still my favorite song by them. I just wish whomever has a vice-grip on Adam Duritz’s balls would let go so the man could sing right.

Echo & the Bunnymen – Lips Like Sugar: We like this song, even though it’s hard to sing along to. We like Echo & the Bunnymen. I had a friend named Erica when I was in fifth grade. Her big brother was always listening to Echo & the Bunnymen & David Bowie. I wanted to hang out with him cause all Erica wanted to listen to was “Batdance”.

Sara Hickman – Strong Woman: As an unemployed and single woman I simply cannot relate to this song.

The Orb – Little Fluffy Clouds: Am I the only one who confuses The Orb with Orbital? Well either way this one is great too.

Babes in Toyland – Hello: I don’t what it is about lead female singers that sound like they’ve taken quaaludes that I like so much. Maybe it’s because I want to start a band and sing like that too, cranky and over-luded.

Sleater Kinney – I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone: Great lyrics and guitar riff but the background vocals sound like someone’s squeezing puppies.

The Murmurs – Squeezebox Days: I had only heard the album “Blender” and I was fairly sure that The Murmurs sucked. So you’ve changed my mind there, at least they’ve got this song, so maybe I should try another of their albums.

April March - Chick Habit: Love this one, been driving around town playing this song and bopping my head, which is dangerous when you are driving.

Le Tigre – Friendship Station: Some might think this song is overkill, but I don’t think there are enough bullhorn solos in songs anymore.

k.d. lang – Outside Myself: k.d. could sing the phone book and make it sound meaningful. “A fool to worship just light / when after all, it follows night”

Track 16: Ah, the enigmatic track 16.

Patti Smith – Pissing in a River: I don’t know what it is about this song or what it is about Patti Smith’s voice, maybe it’s just me. I can’t help but have the visual image of Elvira Mistress of the Night singing this. It just sounds to me what Elvira must sound like and there’s something sexy yet dirgey about it.

Ben Folds Five – 1 Angry Dwarf & 200 Solemn Faces: Oh this is upbeat! This is jamming, whoo hoo! This is petty and bizarre! Hey, how’d I get up on this chair? Oh crap, I made a noose. Damn you Ben Folds stop making me almost kill myself!