the squeamish crew listens exclusively to Christian music and has very little clue that the song exists
Driving through the south this summer, I played a radio game called "God or Human?" You seek through the radio stations, stopping when you hear a pop song (can include pop country). Then, within five seconds (or so), decide whether it's a love song about God or a love song about a human. Here's an example of the kind of song I mean.
Hozier is from Ireland, right? One of Europe's remaining non-godless countries.
Sorry, heebie, I guess Anaconda was your only butt song this year. Also, Hozier's song is actually called "Take Me to Church," but it's not as if I was fact-checking this shit.
Another confession I think I shared about being a bad parent, but I actually made a "Why you gotta be so rude?" sticker chart and marked every instance of backtalk and passive-aggressive comments for a day or so just to draw attention to it, with some effect. I still use it as a catchphrase to try to squelch some of that behavior.
I joked with bandmates about doing a version of "Rude" dedicated to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but I only got as far as the lyric "What's it gonna be, Mahmoud?"
I know one should never read the comments section; this may be particularly true for the first comment on the link in 1 which is all about homos and sin.
One of Europe's remaining non-godless countries.
This will probably hold good in practice for the next 10 years, maybe, IME.
Re: squeamish, that's been a standard rock n' roll trope since forever, hasn't it? Also, they're going to have to take it up with the author of Song of Songs first.
"Enlightened godless Europe." It was right there all along!
OK, Solomon, not bad, but you're going to have to mix up the bass a bit. Also maybe lose the second sax solo.
Also, I am pretty sure that squeamish Christians listen to a lot of top '40 and just compartmentalize their interest in the same way that Paul Ryan does with Rage Against the Machine lyrics or liberals do with all the misogyny in Kanye.
"Why you gotta be so rude?"
I hate that song also. His voice when he says that is just so petulant. It sounds like a small child who shouldn't be marrying anybody because of immaturity.
12: there are certainly plenty of Christians who listen to Top 40, but there's a big swath that exclusively does the Christian-version of any cultural phenomenon. Complete bubble.
12: 'cause they're all about that faith, 'bout that faith, no Devil.
He is my Lord, he is my savior
And he rewards my good behavior
My secret soul
I know he's seen it
He says, "Come here baby and
Kiss me like you mean it
He calls me baby
Says, "Kiss me like you mean it"
Read more: The Magnetic Fields - Kiss Me Like You Mean It Lyrics | MetroLyrics
I hate that song also. His voice when he says that is just so petulant. It sounds like a small child who shouldn't be marrying anybody because of immaturity.
Yesssssss.
I hate that song also. His voice when he says that is just so petulant. It sounds like a small child who shouldn't be marrying anybody because of immaturity.
How odd, am I going to end up defending what is, obviously, a fairly dumb pop song? I still have a favorable impression of it.
I haven't had to listen to it being overplayed. I originally listened to it when Heebie linked to it a while back, and I've heard it 3-4 times since then. I think what makes the song work is the unapologetic immaturity of it. Nothing about the song feels over-thought or over-worked. It feels sincere, but not earnest (if you will).
I'm willing to believe that whoever wrote the song does love the cliched corniness of, "can I have your daughter for the rest of my life?" It doesn't have much emotional weight -- it's clear that his vision of, "the rest of my life" doesn't look more than a year or two into the future but that, for me, is actually part of what makes the song work -- that it's featherweight, with just a nod in the direction of real emotion.
Just in general, I don't like ska very much regardless. That may be part of it.
20: So how do you feel about Propagandhi's "Ska Sucks"?
Nick, I thought you might enjoy this article when it gets into what exactly makes Mariah Carrey's "all I want for Christmas is you" so dang christmassy.
Nick, I thought you might enjoy this article . . .
I did, thanks for the link, though it still doesn't make me feel any connection to either Mariah Carrey or Christmas songs (what can I say, not only didn't I hear much Christmas music growing up, Christmas itself has never been a big deal in my family).
These kids are busking on the Embarcadero below my office today: https://m.facebook.com/TheCollegeFund
They're cute!
I love ska, and really liked Rude at first. But it got old quick.
Although my ska tastes do run old school.
I have managed to make it all the way to the night of the 23rd without complaining about Christmas music but ugh this time of year is torture. I will shut up about it now.
I go to the church Christmas dinner with my wife, and it's actually fun, and then the singing starts and I go home.
We have a lot of Christmas music at home, try out something new most years and we ruthlessly cull. Also, we haul it out late and put it away by December 27. I don't seem to run into much in the wild, probably because I don't do much shopping in large stores. The woman running the till in the notions department at Britex yesterday was most decidedly not playing Christmas music. She was her usual and refreshingly dour self, listening to Leonard Cohen I think.
NPR this morning had David Sedaris being funny, suggesting carols in an inappropriate style.
"Wonderful Christmastime" in the voice of Lotte Lenya, or maybe as Chinese opera.
Holy shit, this exists: "Little Drummer Boy" by the Temptations
PJ Harvey would be a good style for something-- maybe White Christmas, as a bonus track on Rid of Me
probably because I don't do much shopping in large stores outside of enlightened SWPL San Francisco.
One of my neighbors* goes all out for Christmas -- big lighted lawn display, inflatable snowman, and, most perniciously, some electronic device that plays Christmas music nonstop from dusk until 10 p.m. or so. The sound quality is similar to what you got in early musical greeting cards -- that thin, whining, one-note-at-a-time sound. Also, I think it doesn't know about eighth notes or something, because all of the notes play for the same length of time, rendering the songs nearly unrecognizable. ALSO also, I think the device is deteriorating, it seems to have a range of only like five notes, which maybe is all you need for most popular Christmas songs because let's face it it's a pretty debased musical genre, but oh my fucking god. Every year around this time I start to lose my mind, but this year I'm seriously contemplating going over there and committing some vandalism.
*This neighbor lives ACROSS and DOWN the street, as in I neither live immediately next nor directly across the street from this house, my windows are closed, I'm sitting in the back of my home and I CAN STILL FUCKING HEAR HARK THE HERALD ANGELS SING.
Umm I'd call the zoning control person on them, that's abusive.
I think it doesn't know about eighth notes or something
This made me laugh.
I CAN STILL FUCKING HEAR HARK THE HERALD ANGELS SING.
God heard this one too many times, and decided to just send everyone to hell.
I know one should never read the comments section
The comments sections I have most recently, stupidly read have been for the change in blood donation policy and Brangelina's gender-nonconforming kid. I have no idea why I read but it was a rotten idea.
36 were me.
On the subject of Christmas music I will add that I'm pretty sure not getting tv channels is the way to not hate the stuff, though maybe it also has to do with having zero emotional associations with Christmas, per se, and just associating the music with a time of year one had pleasant gatherings and time off. Anyway I am listening to The Nutcracker with fresh ears, having without any intent taken maybe ten or fifteen years away from listening to it, and it is just...endless melodic invention and (as Bave pointed out) divine orchestration. The Waltz of the Flowers brought tears to my eyes, no kidding.
37 is so very right. I bought the Gergiev recording for my girls when they were 3 or 4 and had to listen to it literally eleventy million times. I heard it again just a few days ago after a few years' hiatus, and holy crap is that some genius music. Tchaikovsky generally remains long-winded and irritating, and the Mozartiana thing just totally sucks.
My rotation recently has included a lovely recent release of mostly arcane stuff from my pals In Mulieribus, the bass clarinet quartet Christmas album that k-sky has been pimping, and Oy to the World.
My wife adores Oy to the World, and we play it dozens of times every year. It has made the beauty of Christmas music accessible to her, emotionally, which is no mean achievement.
The uncredited Yiddish vocalist on Jingle Bells has one of the sexiest woman's voices ever.
The Waltz of the Snowflakes contains my #1 Least Loathed use of a Children's Chorus, I'd say. Like how the hell did he think to do that very perfect thing and how did he make it sound exactly like cold weather feels before it wears out its welcome?
#1 Least Loathed use of a Children's Chorus
Surely this has to be the Most Unwanted Song.
On the subject of Christmas music I will add that I'm pretty sure not getting tv channels is the way to not hate the stuff
I find not doing Christmas shopping also works pretty well. Now if only I could avoid doctors' offices... (My [Jewish] ophthalmologist's office was playing Xmas music yesterday! There's gotta be some sort of "traitor to the people" award you get for doing that.)
I like early music, so the Christmas-muzak season is a subtle torment of hearing melodies I enjoy made bland with modern tunings & harmonies.
(Justice demands that 'Muzak(tm)' be denatured into muzak.)
My favorite Xmas song is Robert earl keen's "merry Christmas from the family" which actually gives me the eensiest smidge of actual Texas pride. It's so great. (I also find "Santa Baby" incredibly catchy, so I am totes basic.)