Phat Beats Playlist #1

It's time to discover new music! Here's a rundown of the songs I can't stop listening to at the moment. There's some pretty good stuff here. I've zipped the songs into three different zip files to make the whole list easier to download, just right-click and "Save As" to get them.


1. Invincible - OK Go. These guys got famous on sites like YouTube and Google Video of all places. They are known for making great videos for under $10, like Here It Goes Again and A Million Ways. The video for Invincible is pretty cool, too...if you like seeing stuff blown up. And doesn't everyone? The lyrics to this song just kill me. Apparently, he thinks his ex-girlfriend is an un-stoppable super-powered cyborg (as evidenced by the way she completely destroyed him), and he pleads with her to "use your powers for good". Here's a sample:

"When they finally come to destroy the earth, they'll have to deal with you first...And my money says they won't know about the thousand fahrenheit hot metal lights behind your eyes...you're Invincible."

The campy lyrics, the sparse electric guitar, and the tight feel of the song really add up to a great track. Check out the rest of their album "Oh No" if you get a chance.



2. (I Know) I'm Losing You - Rod Stewart. Yeah, that's right...Rod Stewart. This is some good funky soul right here. The mp3 volume level is a little hot, (I believe it was recorded straight from a 45), but it's worth it. I love it when the drums kick in...



3. JCB - Nizlopi. I think a bunch of you have probably already heard this one as a result of this video. This song became a big hit in the UK. According to the band's Wikipedia article, "The song was written about Luke's troubles with dyslexia at school and his escape to accompany his dad at work." That doesn't quite describe the song and video to me, I think it's brilliant. All the references to 80's pop culture should resonate with guys my age... As a bonus, check out the video for Radiohead's song "Creep" made by the same animator. It's double-plus good.


4. Crazy - Gnarls Barkley. Another #1 from the UK, this song has also made it to #2 on the US charts, so you've probably already heard it. It's just so darn catchy, I can't get it out of my head...


5. Monstertruck 2000 - This Train. A remake of their song "Monstertruck" from a previous album, this tune brings the playlist firmly back into the United States. Specifically the south. It opens with the lyrics "I've got me a doublewide...you can hardly tell it's a trailer from the inside." It's goofy, and I love it.


6. Banjo Boy - Ryan Shupe & The Rubberband. A free release on iTunes, this guy sings about how he'd love to rich and famous, but he plays the banjo, so that will never happen. A cross between Bela Fleck and Eddie Veder? Maybe.


Download zip file of tracks 1 - 6. <---Right-click and "Save As".



7. Don't Push - The Exit. Another free song from iTunes, this one has a really great groove to it about a minute into the song. The chorus to this song gets stuck in my head and I constantly annoy my wife by singing just the 1st line of the chorus over and over again. One word of warning: He does use the word "whore" in the song, but he immediately acknowledges that it wasn't very nice to say that about someone. Rated PG for that one word.


8. Hallelujah - Rufus Wainwright. One of my wife's favorite songs. It really is a beautiful version of Leonard Cohen's original. Lots of people have re-made this one, but I like this version the best.


9. Old McDonald Had a Farm - Rufus Thomas. Another Rufus, this track is as completely different as you can get from #8. The intro is a little grating, but as soon as that phat bass and those horns kick in, I think you'll dig it. Best funk-soul remake of a kid's song I've heard so far.


10. Mahna Mahna - Cake. Speaking of kid-song-remakes, this is by far my favorite. Cake does a spectacular job on this muppet show staple. See the muppet show version here, then listen to Cake's version.


11. Tank! - Yoko Kanno. The theme song from the Cowboy Bebop Anime, Michelle and I used this track as our entrance music at our reception when we got married. It's frenzied and frantic, the same way we felt that day.


12. Here Comes the Fuzz - DJ Format. I can't use most of DJ Format's stuff on a list like this because of the "colorful" language mixed in, but this guy's a genius. When he hooks up with wordsmiths Abdominal or D-cisive, the result is usually quite impressive. Personal favorites include "The Hit Song", "3 Feet Deep", "Vicous Battle Raps", etc... This one's a funky instrumental, so no PG rating required.


Download zip file of tracks 7 - 12. <---Right-click and "Save As".



13. Everybody Gets the Blues - Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band. Last year, I spent a long time rebuilding a complicated automatic transmission, then I broke part of the casing when I went to install it. That afternoon I was still out in the garage working by myslef trying to clean up the mess I had made, and this song came on. Sort of gives you a little perspective, in a light, slightly cheesy way.


14. Mighty Big Car - Fred Eaglesmith. If I had a theme song, this would be it. 'nuff said.


15. Ford Vs. Chevy - Optimus Rhyme. Freely available from their website, this track really grabbed me when I heard it. I love the clean single-line melodies of the electric guitar on top of the beats and bass, with the rap over the top. Very different, and very good.


16. Southern Front Porch Whistler - Terry Taylor (from the Neverhood soundtrack). My favorite track from this album, from one of my favorite video games. We named our band after the main character, Klaymen. (Willie Trombone was a close second choice.)


17. Wizard Needs Food, Badly - Five Iron Frenzy. Everytime I listen to this, it makes me smile. If you're between 20 and 40, and remember the video game Gauntlet, you'll probably get it. Very "Wild at Heart".


Download zip file of tracks 13 - 17. <---Right-click and "Save As".


Note: Several of these songs are out of print, so you couldn't purchase them anywhere even if you wanted to. A few of them were offered as free downloads on iTunes or on the artist's own website. However, if any copyright holders want me to remove your song, just let me know.