Songs One-Hundred Eleven and Twelve

How could they have canceled Cooking with Celebrities? Is there no justice? I'm getting Nancy Grace on this . . . pronto. Urgh, I'll bet Thicke is pissed. I missed yesterday's post because it was my daughter's first gymnastics "show," 90 minutes of full-on preschool energy wrapped up in a bug-theme. This girl has someone else's genetics--on both sides. It was so wonderful that I actually teared up at several points. Being a parent is so frequently amazing that one really needs to sit and think about it every once in a while. The children are now engrossed in the underrated and remarkably beautiful, William Joyce-realized Robots, enabling me to quickly blog and then start a top-to-bottom overhaul of the house in advance of visitors arriving this evening. It's not so much dirty as it is laundry-filled. Sigh. Oh well, on to the music, I stumbled on an iMix of songs featured in commercials, so today, I'll be blogging about two. Song 111 is Nikka Costa's "Everybody Got Their Something," the title of course being a callback to Shaw's use of "their" to refer to the singular everybody/everyone (right?). Actually, it's a funky, Sly Stone callback, necessitating much head swaying and rump shakin'. Very catchy, mapping personal empowerment to a synth-y horn section and organ. Think scarves, 'fros, and platforms. Song 112 is Iron and Wine's "Such Great Heights," which I think is from the M&M's commercial and is apparently a cover of some other indie-band-I've-never-heard-of's song. Very breathy, hippy/trippy, Donovan-y. I can completely imagine rocking my baby to sleep to this on an upscale, cool parents lullaby CD (Martha Stewart's Baby anthology was my full-on fav). Seems like just mellow guitar--maybe mandolin--and vocals, and everything does look perfect from far away. Can't argue with that.

253 to go.

Song One-Hundred and Ten

It's been a long day, like the longest day but without a beach view. But, before retreating to bed with On Beauty (I'm hoping it will pick up; if it doesn't in a couple more chapters, I'm moving on) to await the replay of the Cooking with Celebrities finale, I will dutifully write my blog. Tonight's song, song 110, is "Daft Punk is Playing at My House," by LCD Soundsystem. I dig the synth-y cowbell; also, as mentioned previously, I'm a sucker for the disaffected sneer delivery--especially with reverb. Dance, dance, little techno machine. Plus, the title is awesome.

255 to go.

Song One-Hundred and Nine

After dinner with a friend tonight, I was inexplicably drawn to Payless Shoes where--because of their BOGO promo--I actually purchased 6 pairs of shoes for $60. How is this possible? Oh, unfair labor practices, you do make my feet look stylish. And, I got home in time to give the children a bath while watching Cooking with Celebrities, or whatever it's actually called. Gosh, Tom Arnold sweats . . . a lot. It's the third night for this brain-resting-spot; in the "with celebrities" pantheon, it falls somewhere between "dancing" (high) and "skating" (low). My money's on Ashley Parker Angel in the finals. Go, O-Town! Now, I'm waiting for "Babysitting with Celebrities," starring TomKat, Brangelina, Bennifer2, the Paltrow-Martins, and the Trumps. The show will really pick up when the engrams, tatoos, Starbucks, free trade stickers, and baby combovers start a'flying. Ah, onto the music, tonight's song is Morningwood's "Nth Degree." The would-be-saucy pun in the band's name is really rather lame. The song is cold-perky 80s, sounding like many new wave-y bands--Missing Persons, Berlin, Devo, M, add your own here--with a bit of the Bay City Rollers woven in. There's something cynical in its cleverness that's off-putting.

256 to go.

Song One-Hundred and Eight

Wow, I can still write one more quick post and catch the elimination on Top Chef. I have very pedestrian needs, people. So, let's blog about Matt Pond PA's "Brooklyn Stars." Plaintive, vaguely tired vocals--another victim of the great ennui of the aughts, I guess. This is a pleasant song, but it's of a piece that runs into another like a giant West Elm tone on tone quilt. Where are the Kaffe Fassett bizarro colored vegie-prints? The poison greens and cheddars? The freaky mix of corduroy and wool? We cannot live by Real Simple alone, dear reader.

257 to go.

Song One-Hundred and Seven

Whew, back in the swing of things! Two things since I last blogged. It suddenly struck me whilst driving to work today that I know the "Let Him Fly" song from a Dixie Chicks album. Yep, I own all of them--there's your trouble! Also, Jerry Reed is a big hit with the kids: cowbell = children's joy! So, now onto a new song, O. A. R.'s "Hey Girl." I'd describe this as power-pop-y. Jangly guitars, bouncy. It's fairly commercial and directed. Fun with a summer-song vibe. Oh, and I learned that OAR stands for "of a revolution." I'm not completely sure which revolution comes with a website that lists the band's gear or includes a guy named Benj. Perhaps the OC revolution. It's coming, dear readers. Beware!

258 to go.